Long

A member of the Long family was lilisted as a tenant in Emborough in 1477 by Geoffrey Loxton. Nicolas Longe  was “bailiff and rent collector” for the Bruton Priory in the manor of Ston Easton (major) and a farmer in that manor as well. Abraham James Long married Julia Evans of North Widcombe in 1883 in Chewton Mendip. The chances of them being related are remote as are the cahnced of either of them bein related to Richard Long who was appointed as  vicar  of Chewton Mendip on the 16th October 1635 replacing Anthony Eglesfield. His patrons are a bit of an enigma. They are described as Richard Pugh, cleric, and Robert Tounsend, yeoman. These are relatively common names nationally but these are the only references to the either name in the history of Chewton Mendip discovered so far.

The Clergy database  provides some clues and show Richard Long was ordained in Salisbury in  18/09/1619 and was apointed a the vicar at Winterborn Monkton, Wiltshire from 1627 and continued in this role to 1645 whilst he was also vicar of Chewton Mendip. He was also a preacher in Gloucestershire as well as Somerset and Wiltshire. Richard Pugh and Robert Tousend may have been based in Wiltshire.There is evidence of an exchange of church land and other rights between the various bishoprics and some laymen.

Richard Longs’ tenure was at a time when the conflict between the bishops and some parishes was growing. All of the evidence suggest that he was a member of the ‘high church’, pro royalist faction. He was a pluralist and may not at lived in Chewton Mendip. He was not a prebend like his predecessor but Christopher Hammon  was the curat who had been ordained by Walter Curle who was  Bishop of Bath & Wells at the time who was a known royalist and supporter of the Archbishop Laud. Bishop Curle had moved on to Wiltshire by 162 to but may have been involved in the selection of Richard Long for the living of Chewton Mendip in 1635.

The list of incumbents of Chewton Mendip church does not record any change of the status of Richard Long in 1645 but this was during the civil war. Winchester was captured by Parliamentarians in 1645 and Walter Curle, who was bishop of Winchester at the time, went into exile.

All sources are vague about when he vacated the living of Chewton Mendip but John Bown is recorded as the incumbent in 1662.