Printed and Published at the Dover Express Works. 1916.

TO BE FORMATTED

ANNALS OF DOVER.
SECTION FOUR.
THE HISTORY OF RELIGION.
VII. AFTER THE REFORMATION.

Whatever changes the Reformation may have brought
about in other directions, it appears that the sphere of
religious life in Dover was narrowed. With the exception
of the ancient church in the Castle there appears to have
been but two places of worship in the town — the Churches of
St. Mary and St. James'. There were, it is true, the
churches of Charlton and Buckland, but they were regarded
then as being outside the town. There was a depressing air
of ecclesiastical desolation in Dover. The great Church of
the Priory, raised by the zeal of Norman Christians, was in
ruins, the Chapel of the Maison Dieu and St. John's in Biggin
Street were dismantled; St .Martin le Grand, St. Peter's and
St. Martin the less presented a scene of wilful destruction
round the Market Place, the Tower of St. Nicholas and its
deca}ing undercrofts remained in Bench Street, and of the
Chapel of St. Bartholomew's Hospital there was not left one
stone on another. If it had not been that St .Mary's was
gi\-en by Henry VHI., to the inhal)itants and that St. James'
was in some sort under the protection of the Ca.stle, the
.scene might have l)een still more depressing. Later, the old
church in the Castle fell into ruin, so that for cixilians and
soldiers there were but two places of public worship.

During the latter part of the Civil War and the time (jf
the Commonwealth the old authorities in Church and State
were swept aside and an opportunity made for the uprising of
Nonconformity. In Dover the ministers of the two churches,
the Rev. John Reading at St. Mary's, and the Rev. John
Vaughan at St. James' were ousted, and their places taken
l)y Presbyterian ministers, who were installed by the Order
oif Parliament. While the ministers of the new order occupied
the pulpits of the two parish churches other places of religious
worship, called Protestant Meeting Houses, were opened in
the town, one by Baptists and another by the fore-runners of
those who now form the large body of Congregationahsts.
This arose, partly from the greater religious liberty allowed
during the Commonwealth, and partly from the rebellion
against any form of State religion — even that taught by the
ministers otficiating in the Parish Churches by Order of
Parliament.



l88 ANNALS OF DOVER.

The Parliamentary successors of the Rev. John Reading
at St. Mary's, between 1643 and 1660 were Mr. John
Goodwin, 1643, the Rev. Michael Porter, 1643-7, the Rev.
John Dykes, 1647-50, the Rev. John Robotham, 1650-3, the
Rev. Nathaniel Norcross, 1653-4, and the Rev. Nathaniel
Barry, 1654-60. St. Mary's Church continued to be re-
garded as the Church of the Corporation and its minister, the
Chaplain of the Corporation. In 1645 the Rev. Michael
Porter was requested by a resolution of the Common Council
to act in that capacity. The minute was as follows: — " It is
ordered that the Minister of St. Mary shall be entreated at
the beginning of all future assemblies to be present there to
perform the duty of prayer." A similar order was made
by the Common Council in the reign of James II. During
the Commonwealth, in August J65S, Mr. Nathaniel Smith,
the Mavor, died during his Mayoralty. Mr. Davis and Mr.
Barry, Ministers of the Gospel, are mentioned as attending his
funeral at St. Mary's Church. The first Minister to St.
James's Church appointed by Parliament was Mr. Vincent
in 1646, and he was succeeded by the Rev. John Davis, who
was ejected by the Bartholomew Act in 1662. Of the Rev
John Davis not very much is known, nor is there much
on record concerning the ministers who officiated at St. Mary's
during the Interregnum, but of the Rev. John Reading, who
was deprived of his office at St. Mary's during the Common-
wealth, there are a good many details recorded. He was a
native of Buckinghamshire, who, after taking his degrees at
Oxford, came to Dover as Chaplain to Lord Zouch when
he was appointed Lord Warden and Constable of Dover
Castle in 1614. St. Mary's Parish then being without a
mini.ster he preached there occasionally, and. in 1616. he was
elected l)y the parishioners as the regular minister. He also
obtained the appointment f)f Chaplain to Charles I.
Immediately after Dover Castle was seized l)y the Parliamen-
tary party, in August 1642, he preached a vehement sermon
against Parliament in St. Mary's Church after which his
residence was visited, his manuscripts seized, and he was
imprisoned in Dover Castle. The King, hearing of the
deprivation and imprisonment of the Rev. John Reading,
Archbishop Laud, on the advice of the Sovereign, presented
him with the Rectory of Chartham, but the Hou.se of
Commons vetoed the appointment. A prebend at Canterbury
Cathedral was next presented, but Mr, Reading was not



THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. 1 89

allowed to enjoy that. He being released from Dover Castle
in July 1644, Sir William Brockman presented him to the
living of Cheriton, to which retreat he retired, but in 1646, it
being alleged that he was implicated in a plot by the Royalists
to retake Dover Castle, Mr. Reading was arrested at
Cheriton, and again lodged in Dover Castle prison, but was
afterwards remo\ed to Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. After
about six months he was discharged from Leeds Castle, but
owing to all his livings being sequesterated, and he being
unable to pay his debts, he was for some time in the Fleet
Debtors' Prison. At the Restoration, the Rev. John Reading
was re-instated at St. Mary's, but being then advanced in
years, he did not resume his regular ministry at Dover. He
held the otiice, nominally, until August 1662, he having
meanwhile, been re-instated in the Rectory of Chartham and
made a Canon of Canterbury. He died at his Rectory at
Chartham, 26th. October, 1667, and was buried in the
chancel there.



190 ANNALS OF DOVER.