In the 14th century virtually everyone in England believed in God.
People thought that if they behaved according to the teachings of
Christ, they would go to heaven. Most people had to work very hard
and they knew that they could die at any time from disease or starvation.
A belief in a better life in heaven was very comforting.
The priest was a very
important person in the village. As most people could not read, they
relied on the village priest to explain what was in the Bible. The
priest also gave church services, visited the sick and helped those
in trouble. For a small fee, the priest also performed other services.
He christened them after they were born, married them and at the end
of their lives carried out their burial service.
The village priest was
appointed by the lord of the manor. When Gilbert Hughes died of the
Black Death in 1349, Ralph, Earl of Stafford selected Robert
Honebergh as his replacement. Honebergh died a few weeks after being
appointed and Stafford's next choice was Alfred de Constydde.
Alfred de Constydde was
Yalding's priest for the next 46 years. The village priest played
an important role in persuading people not to rebel against the feudal
system. Priests like Alfred de Constydde told the serfs that feudalism
was God's wish and that their position as serfs had been determined
by the sins of their ancestors. The serfs were encouraged to believe
that their low status was both a punishment and a form of trial. The
way that they reacted to their role as serfs would decide whether
they went to heaven or hell.
St. Peter and Paul's Church
was the most important building in Yalding. The altar stood in the
chancel, and like most churches it was placed against the east wall.
The reason for this was that when the priest faced the altar he was
looking towards the Holy Land. The Church service was in Latin so
although the words were familiar the villagers did not know what they
meant. West of the chancel was the nave. This is where the villagers
stood or knelt during the church service. There were a few seats in
the nave but they were for the Earl of Stafford's family. As the Earl
of Stafford rarely attended
services at Yalding Church, these seats were usually occupied by Thomas
de Edenbridge's family. Thomas de Edenbridge became the estate bailiff
after the death of John Giffard in 1366.
The walls of the church
were covered in bright paint. These pictures illustrated stories from
the Bible and were messages to the villagers from the Church on how
God wanted them to behave. It was common for churches to have paintings
on the wall that attempted to show what heaven and hell was like.
People in the 14th century
believed they could buy their way to heaven. The rich made large donations
of money to the church and the poor paid tithes. The tithe was a form
of tax. Every harvest the villagers gave 10% of their produce to the
church. About 25% was kept by the priest. In times of shortage, this
would be used to feed the poor. The rest was sold and the money went
to either the Bishop whose diocese the village was in or to Rome.
In the 14th century, all
Christians in Europe belonged to the Catholic Church. The leader of
the Catholic Church was the Pope who lived in Rome. The Pope was God's
representative on earth and every so often he issued rulings on how
people should behave. For example, people were expected to confess
their sins to the local priest. Failure to do this would prevent entry
into heaven. The Pope drew up a list of sins to assist priests dealing
with confessions. The first sin listed was the failure to pay tithes.
The next two dealt with those people who were late in paying tithes
or did not supply the full amount.
The payment of tithes helped
to make the Church very rich and vast amounts of money was spent on
building churches and cathedrals. Some Christians were very critical
of the way the Church spent its money. Francis Bernadone, a member
of a rich family in Italy, gave away all his possessions. He claimed
that Jesus had said that all priests should live a life of poverty.
Dressed in the clothes of a beggar, Francis travelled through Europe
taking the message of God to all those who would listen. Soon others
followed his example, and these priests, who became known as Franciscans,
began arriving in England.
The Catholic Church became
concerned about the Franciscans' influence over the serfs. Pope John
XII, who was Head of the Church between 1316 and 1334, announced that
anyone who claimed that Jesus had lived in poverty was a heretic and
would not go to heaven.
1. Write down the
names and dates of vicars at Yalding Church between 1330 and 1395.
2. Describe the inside
of Yalding Church.
3. How did the village
priest help to stop serfs from rebelling against the feudal system?
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