Alnham : The Church of St Michael the Archangel

Documentary history (cf. Dixon 1895, 40-50; NCH XIV (1935), 560-72)

Alnham church is first mentioned in a charter of 1184, in which William de Vesci granted the church and all the tithes belonging to it to Alnwick Abbey Abbey (Cal. Charter R. 1300-26, p.87; cf. Tate 1866, I, 64; Dixon 1895, 42; NCH XIV (1935), 560).

This formed part of a widespread pattern of transferring the advowsen - the right to nominate the new incumbent parish priest - from the lay manorial proprietor to monastic and other ecclesiastical institutions (Lomas 1996, 116-8). This was a relatively cheap means for manorial lords with churches on their estates to gain monastic gratitude and the important spiritual benefits which could flow from such donations, in the form of the prayers offered by the monks for the souls of the patrons. It has been suggested that the church was substantially rebuilt following its acquisition by the abbey (Dixon 1895, 42; cf. NCH XIV (1935), 562).

In taxation levied by Pope Nicholas in 1291, the rectory (i.e. the Abbey's share of the parochial income) was valued at 46 marks 6s 8d (or £31, a mark being equivalent to two thirds of a pound, i.e. 13s 4d), the resultant tax (at a rate of one mark in 40) was 15s 6d.

At the same time the vicarage (i.e. the resident priest's share) was valued at 10 marks (£6 13s 4d) and taxed at 3s 4d (Reg. Pal. Dun. (R.S.), iii, 92, cf. NCH XIV (1935), 560). The valuation of the combined parochial revenue was thus £37 13s 4d.  To put these figures into context, the highest valuations in Northumberland for Bamburgh and Holy Island parishes were just over £264 and almost £231 respectively. Alnham's valuation is well below the average for the county as a whole (£56) and indeed below average value for the deanery of Alnwick (£65) which included Alnham parish (Lomas 1996, 119).

The reason for the lower valuation is not difficult to determine. Alnham parish covered a sparsely populated upland area and, moreover, was not even as extensive as some of the other upland parishes such as Simonburn, Elsdon or Kirknewton. There were quite simply fewer tithes, wedding, christening and burial fees etc., per square mile than their lowland counterparts.

Whereas Alnham had only four or five constituent townships, no fewer than 28 Northumbrian parishes contained ten or more townships, whilst lowland Bamburgh had as many as 24 (Lomas 1996, 108). Nevertheless Alnham compares much more favourably with the average value for parishes in Corbridge deanery (£39), which contained a higher proportion of upland parishes than other three deaneries of the Archdiocese of Northumberland.

By the 16th century valuations seem to have declined, perhaps reflecting the unsettled conditions along the border. The vicarage was valued at £3 7s in 1535 and the same figure is given in 1577 and 1615 (cf. NCH XIV (1935), 560).  In 1650 parliamentary commissioners conducting a survey of church livings in Northumberland valued the living at £20.

This seems to have been considered inadequate for the commissioners suggested that 'the said Parish of Alnham being but a small parish, may fittly be annexed and united to the said parish of Ingram' (also valued at £20). This recommendation was never implemented, but in the 18th and early 19th centuries the vicarage was combined with that of Ilderton, with services held in each parish church on alternate Sundays (NCH XIV (1935), 561).

At that stage the vicar of the two parishes resided at Ilderton, the vicarage at Alnham - the tower house beside the church - being inhabitable due to its ruinous condition.

The modern dedication of the church is in honour of St Michael the Archangel, but there is no evidence this predates the reformation (NCH XIV (1935), 562).