434
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vn. NOV. 27, 1020.
--Stockport "on Tuesday morning." Miss
Watson is there described as a very agreeable
and amiable lady, a niece of the Rev. John
Watson, the rector, and one of the co-
heiresses of the late J. Watson of Berristall
Hall. The other daughter, Betsy, was
married in June, 1779, to the Rev. Win.
Bowness, curate of Stockport. The Chester
Chronicle of June 25, 1779, records this
marriage as " lately, at St. Nicholas, Liver-
pool," the lady being also described as a
niece of the rector. The marriage of George
Wakefield, eldest son of the late Gilbert
Wakefield, to Anne, second daughter of the
late Rev. Dr. Bowness of Stockport took
place at Hackney on " Saturday week "
(The Manchester Mercury, Dec. 3, 1816),
and probably the parties were cousins, the
children of the two heiresses mentioned
above. See 'Palatine Note-Book,' i. 51,
72, : iv. 15, where other members of the
family are mentioned. Earwaker's 'East
Cheshire ' i. 400 : ii. 210, &c., states that the
Rev. John Watson left three children, a son
by his first wife, a clergyman who died with-
out issue, and by his second wife a son, the
Rev. John Watson, Vicar of Prestbury, died
April, 1816, and a daughter Anne who died
unmarried at Macclesfielcl, aged 90, on
April 20, 1855. The Vicar of Prestbury
left a son John, Fellow of Brasenose, died s.p.
in 1875, a son, Lawrence, killed at San
Sebastian in 1813, pnd two daughters, Jane,
wife of George Robinson, and Lettice who
married Capt. Arden and left issue. Ear-
waker also agrees that the wife of the Rev.
Gilbert Wakefield was a niece of the Rector
of Stockport. R. STEWART -BROWN.
CONFESSOR TO HIS MAJESTY'S HOUSEHOLD (12 S. vii. 370). The office of Confessor to the Royal Household in England existed from the Middle Ages, when the priest appointed to this position, actually heard confessions from members of the Royal Household, down to the middle of the last century.
Since the Reformation the duties of this Confessor appear to have been to read daily prayers to the Royal Household, to visit the sick, to examine and prepare persons for confirmation and communion, and generally, to give to such as desired it, advice in any case of conscience or religious difficulty or doubt.
The last person appointed Confessor to the Royal Household was the Rev. Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, the musician (1766-1837: see 'D.N.B.'). He
was born in 1794, and was educated at St.
Paul's School, London, and at Christ's Coll.,
Camb., B.D. 1829, D.D. 1839. He was
appointed Confessor to the Royal House-
hold in 1833, and became Chaplain in
Ordinary to the Queen in 1847-59. He
became sub-Dean of H.M.'s Chapel Royal
in 1847, and held this appointment with
that of Confessor until his death. He died
at St. James's Palace on Sept. 14, 1859, and
was buried near his mother, in Higbgate
Cemetery, where a monument exists to his
memory.
From 1859 onwards the name of this office was changed to that of " Chaplain at the Palace of St. James's," and the duties formerly performed by the Confessor have, since that date, been discharged by the sub- Dean of the Chapels Royal. What the exact reason was for the change in the title of this ancient office I have not as yet been able to ascertain, but it seems highly probable that it was made by, or at the instigation of, Dr. A. C. Tait. who was Dean of the Chapels Royal from 1857-68, Bishop of London from 1856-68, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. It is well-known and on record, that Dr. Tait had a great abhorrence for anything that even suggested that confession formed any part of the doc- trine or practice of the Church of England.
The appointment of Confessor was made by the Dean of the Chapels Royal, and seems to have been a life appointment.
The following is a .list of the Confessors of the Royal Household, with the date of their respective appointment and death, for the period from 1606 until the last appointment to this office of Confessor was made in 1833 ;
SWORN CONFESSORS TO THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD.
1606. Edward Doughtie.
1(507. Wm. Beckett. (Will pr. 1626.)
16-29. Ezekiel Waade.
1660. Roger Nightingale, d. Nov. 25, 1661.
1661. Philip Tinker, M.A., d. May, 1673.
1675. Stephen Crespion, M.A., d. Nov. 25, 1711.
17U. (circa) John Radcliffe, M.A., cl. Oct. 29, 1716, aged 47.
1716. Samuel Bentham, M. A., d. Feb. 27, 1730, aged 76.
1730. Abraham Sharpe, d. Sept. 14, 1736.
1736. John Higgate, M.A.. d. 1761.
1761. David Walter Morgan, d. Mar. 12, 17^5, aged 61.
1795. Henry Fly, D.D., d. Aug. 10, 1833.
)833. Charles Wesley, B.D.,d. Sept. 14, 1859.
The above list of Confessors could no doubt be easily carried back to an 'earlier date by consulting the references to this
