Holy chrism (c.1080)

Post date: Sep 18, 2013 3:0:50 PM

Within Medway Archives and part of what is called the Textus Roffensis is a List of churches receiving Holy Chrism from St. Andrew’s Church c.1080 (DRc/R1 ff.220 verso – 222 recto) and paying 9d. to the diocese of Rochester.

Holy Chrism was consecrated oil used in the rite of baptism. It was an old custom for the mother church to distribute chrism oil to the subordinate churches of the bishopric at Easter for which in Rochester diocese a fee of either sixpence (chapels) or nine pence was charged, known as the Chrism Fee. In Canterbury the fee was a multiple of seven pence.

The list therefore served as an accounting record of the Chrism fees due from each church.

The list is important as it comprises a list of parishes and chapels nearly contemporary with the Domesday Book of 1087 and may have been in use pre-Conquest (1066). The Norman buiding programme immediately after the conquest was concentrated on major projects to impress and overawe rather than on parish churches which came later in the Norman period, so it is further confirmation that churches at Wateringbury (listed in Domesday Book) Nettlestead, East Farleigh and Teston(not listed in Domesday Book but included on this list) were of Saxon origin.

Additionally, the list supplies information on chapels and manors and the development of parish areas. For example, in addition to an entry for Frindsbury Church, Strood, Islingham and Thorndun are recorded as chapels of Frindsbury. This indicates that St. Nicholas’ Church Strood was a daughter church of Frindsbury and that the parish of Strood was carved out of Frindsbury.

The list begins with the scribe’s rubrication De numero ecclesiaru[m] Rofensis ep[iscop]at[us] et de redditib[us] q[u]os sing[u]l[a]e reddu[n]t quando accipiu[n]t s[an]ctu[m] crisma a mat[re] eccl[esi]a ep[iscop]at[us] (Concerning the number of churches of the bishopric of Rochester and the payments which they each make when they received the holy chrism from the Episcopal mother church)

The Churches mentioned on the first page include Tonbridge (Tonebrigga), Yalding (Ealdinga), Brenchley (Braencesle), Horsmonden (Horsbundenne), Pembury (Peppingeberia), Wateringbury (Wotringaberia), Cowden (Cudena), Aylesford (Aeilesford), East Malling (Meallingis), Ryarsh (Reiersce), Chatham (Caetham), Cuxton (Cuclestena), Penshurst (Pennes hurst), Ightam (Ehteham) and Lewisham (Leueseham).

An article by Gordon Ward in Archaeologia Cantiana 1932 argues that the list itself was of Saxon origin, copied many times until after the Conquest. The article is available through the KAS web-site.