Simon de Langham

The earliest named chaplain at Daresbury, Simon appears in a grant dated from the 1st February 1344:
Alan, son of Henry le Norreys, to Simon, son of Walter de Langham, Chaplain of his Manor of Daresbury, 10d of revenue in Halton and rights of fishery on marsh waters opposite Le Brechelode

Although little is known about Simon personally, the wording of the grant is revealing. It identifies him as chaplain of the manor of Daresbury, suggesting that he served the chapel on behalf of the lord of the manor rather than simply acting as a local priest.
At this time the manor of Daresbury was held by the le Norreys family. As lord of the manor, Alan le Norreys exercised local authority over the estate, presiding over the manorial court, administering agricultural lands and collecting rents from his tenants. The lord was also expected to support the spiritual welfare of those living on the manor, usually through the appointment and maintenance of a resident chaplain.

A medieval chaplain’s duties extended well beyond celebrating Mass on Sundays. Simon would have conducted daily services, celebrated baptisms where permitted, buried the dead, heard confessions and offered pastoral care to the scattered farming communities that made up the chapelry. He would also have prayed for the souls of the lord and his family, an important obligation in medieval religious life.
Although Simon is described as the manor’s chaplain, the chapel itself was not independent. As it was founded by Norton Priory, throughout the medieval period the chapel remained subject to it, and the canons of which held the advowson (the right to appoint the clergy) and received the revenues associated with the church. Simon would therefore have served under the spiritual authority of Norton Priory while also ministering to the tenants of the lord of Daresbury Manor. This dual relationship between the manor and the priory was common in medieval England, where local lords often supported chaplains serving churches that remained under monastic control.

The grant of fishing rights is also significant. Medieval clergy were often provided with small endowments to supplement their modest income. Fish formed an important part of the medieval diet, particularly during the many fast days prescribed by the Church, making fishing rights a practical and valuable source of food as well as income.

We don’t know whether Simon lived at Daresbury Hall or in a small house of his own in the village or surrounding area, but his grant of fishing rights suggests he had an independent household. As an ordained chaplain, Simon would have been bound by the Church’s rule of clerical celibacy.. Although some medieval priests ignored this requirement, the expectation was that he would remain unmarried and devote himself to the spiritual care of the people of Daresbury.

No further records of Simon de Langham have yet been identified, but this 1344 grant provides a valuable glimpse into the religious and manorial life of medieval Daresbury during the years immediately before the Black Death reached England.