"Play the man Master
Ridley,for we shall
light such a candle
in England as by the
grace of God shall
never be put out."

Archbishop Latimer
as he was being burnt
at the stake in 1555.

In the 16th. century England was rocked by the Reformation. For centuries England had been part of the Catholic Church. In the early 1500's Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife Catharine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. Divorce could only be granted by the Pope and the Pope was a virtual prisoner of Catharine's nephew, Charles ruler of Spain and Austria. Henry decided to put pressure on the Pope after the Pope refused to grant the King's divorce.

In a series of measures the King made himself Head of the Church and destroyed the monasteries taking the land and wealth for himself and his friends. By the reign of his son Edward an English Bible and Prayer Book had been produced. After a brief return to Catholicism under Mary the country returned to the Protestant fold under Queen Elizabeth. She founded the Protestant Church of England.

These changes were of course reflected in local churches. St. Mary's ,however has no record of a re ordering at this time. In Tudor times the basic structure of St. Mary's was probably much the same as it looks today. The furnishings would have been different. The ceiling would have had wooden beams as these are recorded as having been removed in the mid 19th. century. The Altar would have stood at the far end of the Nave. There may have been wall paintings as these have been found in other New Forest churches. There would have been no pews as the congregations stood for services. There was probably an Altar Screen separating the congregation from the High Altar. When the church was re ordered in the 1990s a rescue dig found remains of what appeared to have been a wooden screen buried under the floor. Perhaps this was the original screen, torn down and buried by reformers. If the church had wall paintings they were removed, but who removed them and when they were removed remains a mystery. Only one monument in the church predates 1600. If there were others they may have been destroyed by reformers. On the right side of the Nave is a small window which may be the remains of a Rood Loft, perhaps containing an Altar. This too could have been removed. An Inventory of the time of Edward VI hints at a rich set of Priests vestments. These have long gone.

One wonders what the local people felt. They probably felt very confused. The local clergy seemed untroubled. For much of the century Eling was served by
two priests. Henry Hawkyns from 1485 to 1536 and Thomas Selwoodefrom 1536 to 1587. Henry Hawkyns may have retired or simply died of old age as he was well into his seventies. Thomas Selwoode survived all the religious chops and changes of the 16th. century. He must have been a very adaptable man or simply adept at keeping his head down!

One would expect changes in local landholding either in the confiscation of Church lands or the removal of lands from those who did not support the new order.. Strangely enough unlike the evidence that comes from other areas, changes in land holding were not widespread. Eling was held by the Wardens of Winchester College and they continued to hold the manor after the Reformation. Rumbridge remained in the hands of the Canterton family and the manor of Testwood remained in the hands of the West family. Netley Abbey held a small piece of land in Totton. In 1546 this was given to John Bellowes and John Broxhoime. They appear to have been speculators as they sold the land next day to Richard Marden. Colbury manor was held by the Abbey of Beaulieu but in 1538 it was sold to Thomas Hopson. In 1545 it was sold to the Mill family who held it for 200 years. The manor of Langley was held before the Reformation by the Priors of Breamore Abbey. After the Reformation it passed to Henry Marquis of Exeter. Two years later he forfeited all his estates and the manor was given to Anne of Cleves, presumably as a Wedding gift. In 1545 it was purchased by the Mill family. Some local families such as the Mills did very well out of these transactions. They would be loyal supporters of the Crown because they owed their lands to the Crown. Other locals kept their feelings to themselves. Better
to keep their land than express an opinion.

What the locals thought is not recorded. The Churchwarden. Accounts do not begin until 1667. Local people probably did as they were told. It soon became
obvious that dissent would not be tolerated.

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