The History of St. Nicholas Church - Part 2
During the 15th Century, the South Porch and the Bell Turret were added to the church. The Bell Turret is a highly complex structure which consists of two turrets, one inside the other, thereby allowing the timber frame to support the weight of the five bells Two of the bells date from the 15th Century and are inscribed in Latin. The Tenor bell dates from 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada. The date of the bell probably explains the popular stories about timber beams in the church coming from ships of the Armada. However, the beams were in place long before the Armada sailed.
The late 16th and early 17th Centuries are perhaps the best documented period in the history of St. Nicholas Church until modern times. This is largely due to a succession of rectors of national repute during the Reformation in Tudor times.
The first of these rectors was John Hodgkin, a member of Edward VI's ruling council.
One of the first married clergy (officially, in any case!), he signed the House of Lord's rejection of the claims of Mary to the throne in 1553. When Mary did become Queen, he lost his living at St. Nicholas. Whether the Catholic Mary took exception to the fact that he was a Protestant or the fact that he was married, is not known! He is believed to have divorced in order to gain a living at another church sometime during her reign. During the English Civil War, Essex was staunchly Parliamentarian and had a strong Puritan tradition, in which the town of Billericay was a major centre. The Rector of St. Nicholas at the start of the Civil War was William Heywood, a Royalist. Later, he was replaced by more Puritan ministers, including James Moore, who was described in 1650 as being 'an able and laborious preacher'. Heywood regained the living at St. Nicholas when Charles II became King.
The three storied, wooden annex at the western end of the church was built during the late Tudor or Early Stuart times and was probably intended to be the priest's house or at least the home of the curate. It contains a bread oven, which is thought to be one of only several in existence - or possibly even unique. In later years, the priest's house was used as a school, housing the school master and his family and often pupils as well. The last school master at St. Nicholas was James Hornsby, after whom, a local senior school is named. Mr Hornsby kept six weekly boarders in the tiny attic, which at the time was illuminated only by one glass tile.
A notable rector of Laindon, Dr John Pell (March 1st 1611 - December 12th 1685), had been a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Amsterdam before taking Holy Orders. He was fluent in nine foreign languages but is remembered today as the man who proposed the division sign for mathematics, which we use today. The parish of Laindon, although large, did not provide much income. Neither did Pell's living at nearby Fobbing and his chaplaincy to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pell is reported to have died penniless in London...next page
