It was a fine Sunday morning. Easter was always a profitable part of the church calendar even now in 1637.
Each church now had little control over it's finances and as a result malpractice became commonplace where gold and silver were concerned.
He had given a fine sermon, thought Reverend Tobias Ellington. Yes he had been on top form this morning. He had gripped them firmly in their pews and his keen eye never spotted one that was even slightly closed. With the exception of old Mrs Hardacre, poor soul is over 80 and may well not see this Michaelmas.
Her half sovereign every month will be sorely missed.. Ah well the good times have to be tempered with the occasional bad time I suppose.
He caught himself drifting into that realm where he saw everything glistening yellow that lovely colour of gold.
He snapped himself out of his reverie needing to get on with the business at hand. he shouted for his lad, not his son mind you, Lord knows where they are nowadays, glad to see the back of them and his wife who had died from Dropsy the previous year,all they did was try to eat him into the poor house. No, his lad was a waif he found on the streets of Wakefield some 2 winters ago now and he took the lad in hoping to get some sort of reward for finding him. He did get his reward but from another source.
When his parishioners found out they mistakenly took it as a very Godly and magnanimous gesture on his part and they upped his stipend as a salute to his Christian efforts.
He had a skivvy and he used him mercilessly.His wife now too far gone to be of earthly use was replaced by the lad. Most nights he slept where he fell exhausted.
He lived in fear of Reverend Ellington who never ceased in telling the lad that if he fell by the wayside again though being disrespectful to him or by slovenly work he would surely go to Hell for all eternity.
Such was the power of the church he believed every word and became a very compliant slave to the good reverend.
The church was always the most prominent feature on the landscape, it's minister was almost the physical presence of the Almighty. So powerful was the ways of the church that it's parishioners were always in awe of the minister and when he preached on tithing the plate was always well laden.
Coins then were made of pure metal, gold and silver being the most in use and Ellington always had an eye for making a profit , no matter how insignificant it may seem.
The Rectory,about one hundred years old, was set some 200 yards from the church, perched on the side of a cliff overlooking a small bay. It was completely surrounded by a huge hedge of Rhododendrons, access was by a lychgate and a bell pull. Should the lad not respond to the bell then the reverend would be deemed unavailable.
This was a system that Ellington himself devised to stop unwelcome visitors when he was busy. Today was one of those days. The Good Lords Resurrection was well in evidence on the plate, it glittered in the in the noon day sun, he smiled.
The rear of the Rectory, away from any prying eyes was a well of delicious spring water.
When Reverend Ellington took over the living he was told the well was in need of some brickwork at it's bottom.
Now he not being of the trusting sort decided to check for himself lest a greedy workman should say that it needed more work than necessary.
Fixing a strong knotted rope to a stout tree close by he descended to the bottom, lit by a lantern he had already lowered down.
To his utter amazement he found himself looking at a room chiseled out of the sandstone wall, there was even a narrow step for him to safely land himself. Taking the lantern he investigated more. He found an old table, still stout though many years old, a couple of benches and a place where a fire had been in evidence. At the back of the room almost in shadow, indeed he thought it was a shadow cast by himself, he found a tunnel just lower than his 6ft. Holding the lantern at arms length in front he slowly made his way along the tunnel. He felt fresh air in his face so there must be an opening he thought. He came at last to what appeared to be a huge bush growing underground. 'Nonsense', he said out loud to no one, 'this cannot be right'.
Moving forward he pushed apart the dense branches and was immediately dazzled by the burst of light. Daylight, the light at the end of the tunnel he mused.Upon stepping carefully past the huge bush, for huge it was having never been pruned in all its existence, he found himself on a narrow footpath which led down to the bay. Now he realized what he had found.
It was a smugglers cave and hideout, long since abandoned. His mind raced at this very opportune find almost knowing the use he could put it to. The repair work needed was minimal and to keep the secret he did the work himself and paid himself for doing it from the funds of the church, such was the deviance of the man.
The coins of that day being rough made were subject to the unscrupulous by filing and clipping off any odd corners, leaving the coin still a coin but very slightly smaller but rounder, once in among many they were soon lost.
The good Reverend Ellington ever since his first position had been greedy man and would use any means to supplement his meagre stipend. His one overriding concern was where to keep the growing stash of gold that he had creamed off the offerings. He formulated a plan and then mulled over it , worried it until he could find no problem with it Now it was time to act upon it. On the pretext of visiting another parish for Godly reasons he purchased a very stout cauldron, small, for he only needed it for minor work. Instilling into the lad the very fear of Gods Wrath should he ever divulge what was happening. Even though, the reverend told him, it was Gods work, there were many scoundrels about who would try to enrich themselves if they were to find out. He had him climb down to the room, the cauldron was then lowered along with some small lumber. Between them they fashioned a trestle to hold the cauldron and after digging a small fire pit, enlarging the one already there. The Reverend sat back and surveyed the work. It was ready. He contained himself until Eastertide was over then set his plan in motion. The coinage that was rough was clipped and the coins put aside to be recirculated, not enough to make folk wonder where his new found wealth had come from but enough for him to live a fairly comfortable life until such times as he would retire from the ministry. He could move away to enjoy his wealth.
The lad was set to work in the Lower Room as Ellington called it a pun on the Upper Room which he was seen to serve.
Every few days, usually after Sunday Evensong, he would climb down the rope and light the fire under the cauldron and melt the small amounts of gold the reverend had sent down with him, always melting enough to make a small ingot.Smoke from the fire would drift up through the well and disperse into the night air.
His task would usually take him most of the night and in the morning he would climb out and if not needed would take time to sleep. During his sleep time Ellington would descend the well and check the nights work and secrete the ingot in the tunnel which he had already hidden from the roving eye of the lad. It was well concealed in the dim light from fire and lantern. This plan stayed well for many years until the lad now a young man decided that he would like to see something of the land, he wanted to travel and knowing this he would need money. He had been toying with this idea for well over a year and each night he has left a little of the clippings to one side for himself.
When he had amassed what to his mind was a small fortune, in reality only a few sovereigns worth of gold, he decided to tell the reverend that he was going to leave. The ensuing anger that erupted from Ellington and the sound thrashing he got for being such a selfish ingrate for all that had been done for him was enough for the lad. When all was quiet in the house he slipped out with his meagre possessions in a pouch and went to the well. He retrieved his stash of gold and left. He had but gone two days when some eagle eyed official spotted him trying to buy food with his gold. He was quickly taken into custardy and questioned as to where he had got the gold. under threat of torture he told all about the Reverend Ellington and how he had been coerced into doing his bidding.
The very next day officials swooped on the Reverends house without warning.
As he had no one now to make the ingots he was forced to do it himself and he was caught red handed down in the Lower Room. After a search which soon uncovered the tunnel and his stash which by now was considerable was taken as evidence for the Assizes. The clipping of coins was a treasonable offense for which Our Good Reverend was tried and found Guilty and quickly dispatched by the hangman on a gallows outside the church where there was also a set of whipping stocks. The lad was, because of the intimidation he had suffered at the hands of Ellington was summarily whipped at the stocks for his part and released, at least he was alive to enjoy life.
Based on a true story about one of my customers homes which to this day is called Clippings.
© Dave Timperley 30 March 2017