Thrale history
Historic Sandridge. The story of a Hertfordshire parish (1952).
The first substantial chronicle of Thrale history, written by R.W. Thrale (1931-2007) & E. Giles. Reproduced in full with consent of the author.
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the High Altar were removed. This change too was made by secular authority but in the main the inside of the church looked much the same as it had done for one hundred and fifty years. Sandridge was in the Diocese of London, and the bishop was imprisoned and replaced by Nicholas Ridley. "No sooner did Ridley find himself safe in Bonner’s seat than he began of his own accord an attack upon altars.1 Then it was that the axes, crowbars and hammers began the work of destruction. Out came the five altars. One small wooden table was all that was allowed for the celebration of Holy Communion. Then was fulfilled the words of the psalm: "now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers". The western side of the chancel screen, which is now so plain and bare was originally enriched with carved and coloured woodwork and surmounted by the Holy Rood. These drastic changes were not popular with the parishioners.
During the next few years an attempt was being made to break clean away from the Catholic Church and set up a new religion. In accordance with these principles the vicar was ordered to lay aside all the valuable vestments which had been inherited from the past and to wear no special robe save a surplice. In 1552 the Royal Commissioners paid a visit to Sandridge church. Their errand was to make a list of all the valuable utensils still in the church and see how much of them could be turned into money for use in the King’s service. The list, as it was then made, reads as follows:-This Inventory maid the ffyrst day of Novembre &c
Between John Butler &c and Hewe Hardlnge of Sandrudge
alias Sandrydge within the said county Clarke of thother
parte &c have appointed and delyvered unto the said
Hewe all such &c hereunder wrytnne Belonginge to the
Parryshe Churche of Sandrydge &c
Imprimis iij Belles in the steple
Itm a Challilse of Silluer parcell guylte welnge x Onc & dimid
Itm a vestment or red vellat
Itm a vestment of Blewe Silke
Itm iiij other vestments one Sattine another damaske thother twayne of ffuschian
Itm a vestment of Tawnye Saye
Itm a vestment of Redde Stayned Clothe
Itm a vestment of Tawnye Chamlet
Itm iij Copps one grene vellat one red vellat thother Whit Saltyne
Itm one uppar clothe of redde and grene Sattine of Brudgs and the curteyng of Grene Sarsenet for the highe aulter
Itm a uppar clothe and another clothe of yallow sattyne or Brudgs
Itm iij Sacrement clothes
Itm ij Corporas caysses with clothes to them
Itm one alter clothe and ij Towels of lynnon
Itm a coverlet and a surples
Itm ij Lattine candellstikks
Itm a Sensor and a Shlpp of Lattine
Itm one Coppar Crosse Somtyme guylidede
Itm on lattyne Baysone and ij Crose Clothes of sllke
Itm on Crosse of Wodde playted w Siluer thonsid and gultede
Itm iij Cruytls of pewdar
Itm a hand bell welnge iij li
P me Hugone Hardyg”[^2]
Not long after the vicar had to send almost everything on the list up to London. Sandridge was left with the bells in the steeple, the linen altar cloths, a coverlet and a surplice. All the costly things which Sandridge people had given to the church were swept away. During the five years of Mary’s reign hardly anything is known of Sandridge. Edmund Bonner was restored to his bishopric and Bishop Nicholas Ridley was burnt alive along with about three hundred people whom the Queen called heretics. These burnings were mainly In London and Oxford. They have never been forgotten by English people, and the fear and suspicion of anything believed to be popish, still existing in many minds, dates from this time.
Queen Elizabeth succeeded her sister Mary on the 17th November 1558, and Hugh Hardyng
Footnotes
- H.O.Wakeman, History of the Church of England, p.288.↩︎
- J.E.Cussans, Inventory of Furniture and Ornaments remaining in all the parish churches of Hertfordshire during the last six years of the reign Ed.VI, transcribed from the original Records, pp.26 and 27.↩︎
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