The King's Evil: Or The Wonderful Cure Of The Mottram Parson

There was a certain John Hyde appointed Vicar of Mottram in the year
1575, who continued to hold the sacred office for over 50 years. He
succeeded his father, Sir Nicholas Hyde (the Vicar of Mottram from
1547 to 1575) who was buried in the Chancel of Mottram Church on the
24th day of April, 1575. John Hyde married at Mottram on February
26th, 1575-6, Alice Reddich, of Mottram, by whom he had several
children: and after her death on March 21st, 1593-4, he married for a
second wife, Ann Hyde, on May 22nd, 1597. In the year 1599 the Parish
Registers were transcribed from the old paper books into the parchment
volumes now in use, and every page of the transcripts bears the
signature of John Hyde. He was also rural dean of Macclesfield.

During a great portion of his life, Parson John Hyde had curates to
assist in the discharge of his ministerial duties; this assistance was
the more necessary on account of the wide extent of the ancient parish
of Mottram, and also because there was a chapel at Woodhead dependent
for its ministry upon the mother church at Mottram. The most prominent
of these curates was his eldest son, Hamnet Hyde, who, as appears from
the Mottram registers, was baptized at Mottram Church on May 14th,
1580, and afterwards settled in the town, marrying there on the 12th
day of January, 1601, Joane Greaves, of Mottram, by whom he had three
sons, John, Nicholas, and Thomas.

Parson Hyde was of an ancient family of gentry, notable in both
Lancashire and Cheshire; being connected with the Hydes of Denton, and
the Hydes of Hyde. His great influence, however, was not alone owing
to this circumstance, but was rather due to his own attainments and
his proved superiority in the matter of learning and wisdom. Hamnet
Hyde, his son, inherited his father's good qualities; he was a man of
good parts, was distinguished for his learning, and was withal pious
and devout. He made a good curate in every way. He was well liked by
the parishioners of Mottram, and was, indeed, well spoken of
throughout the whole of the Longdendale country. It should also be
added in view of the details of this tradition, that he was a fairly
robust man, steady, sober, in no way given to gluttony, and there
seemed every prospect of his living to a good old age.

There came a time, however, when good Master Hamnet Hyde was greatly
distressed to find a grievous disease slowly yet surely creeping over
him. Do what he would, it was impossible to shake the sickness off.
Bit by bit the disease grew worse, and the local quacks and surgeons
were entirely powerless to stay its course. One by one the local
doctors tried, and each one was sorrowfully obliged to confess to
failure in the end. "Nothing could be done," they said; and a complete
cure seemed almost hopeless.

Now, not only was Master Hamnet Hyde distressed with this
intelligence, and not only did his good wife Dame Joane, weep until
her good looks were impaired, but the news also gave great pain
throughout the parish. The people took the matter to heart as though
the parson was one of their own relations. So greatly was he beloved
by the common people that some of them even went so far as to employ
charms and other harmless means, whereby they hoped to remove the
sickness from which the curate was suffering.

The curate's condition formed the subject of gossip when the people
gathered together about the cross opposite the churchgates after
divine service.

"Goodman Shaw," said one to his neighbour, "what think you of Master
Hamnet Hyde to-day?"

The man addressed shook his head sadly before he answered.

"Methinks we shall not have many more sermons from him unless he
alters greatly."

The curate, it should be stated, had preached that morning.

"Thou art right, goodman," went on the first speaker, "but it comes
into my mind that there is one remedy he has not yet tried, which it
were worth his while to put to the test. Someone should suggest it to
him."

"And what is that, pray?" "Why, the Royal Touch. Let him visit the
King, and be touched for the evil. There was a pedlar called on my
dame but yestereen, and he told a great tale of the marvellous cures
wrought by His Majesty King James, God bless him. Why should not our
curate journey up to London, and get the King to remove his sickness?"

"Why not, indeed. Thou hast spoken wisely."

It should be mentioned that in those days the cure of disease by the
patient being "touched" by the Royal fingers was widely believed in.
It was asserted that kings were specially endowed by God with the
power of healing by touch; and of all the monarchs who ever ruled in
England, none were believed to have received this truly royal gift in
such abundance as that Most High and Mighty Prince, James the First.

A suggestion of the sort mentioned by the gossip was not likely,
therefore, to be neglected, and accordingly the idea was laid
pertinently before the curate, who eventually made up his mind to seek
the royal remedy. With this object in view, he mounted his horse, and,
attended by his friends, journeyed southward to see the king. Before
setting out on the journey, he commended himself to God, for the roads
were infested with highwaymen, and it was a perilous venture to travel
from Longdendale to London at that time. There was a goodly
congregation in the old church at Mottram, and from the heart of every
worshipper there went up a fervent prayer for the curate on the
occasion of the last service specially held before his departure.

On the morrow the whole village was early astir, for it was known that
the curate would that morning set out upon his journey; and a numerous
array of villagers gathered in the street before the parson's door as
the hour of departure drew nigh.

"Fare thee well, good Master Hamnet," cried one; "God prosper thy
journey."

"If the king but touch thee thou art surely healed," said another.

"Look well to thy pistols, parson," quoth a third. "'Twere a pity not
to put to good service the weapons God hath placed in our hands. And,
of a truth, there be many rogues upon the road."

"Be sure the beds whereon thou sleepest are well aired," put in an old
dame. "Nothing aggravates the sickness like a damp bed."

And so with numerous manifestations of good will, the sturdy Mottram
folk sped their parson upon his journey.

Now, after safely passing the many perils of the road, Master Hyde
arrived at Greenwich in due course and, securing an audience of the
King, was touched by His Majesty upon the 22nd day of May, 1610. There
was a crowd of sufferers gathered about the Royal Palace, many of
whom, like the curate, had travelled from a distance, and they cried
aloud for joy when the King came amongst them. They fell upon their
knees before him; and, with a gracious smile and many words of
comfort, the monarch passed through the crowd, touching each patient
as he passed, and breathing a prayer for their welfare. Immediately
the fingers touched the patient, the royal virtue passed into the
frame of the sufferer, and he was instantly healed. Then the crowd
gave thanks to God and his Majesty, and with glad hearts set out for
their homes.

It is needless to dwell long over the homecoming of good Master
Hamnet. The news of his return was heralded abroad, and when he
entered the village, the people flocked about him, throwing up their
caps and cheering lustily, so that he returned like some great
conqueror to his own.

After his return, he not only showed his gratitude by rendering public
thanks to God for the wonderful cure performed upon him, but in order
that future generations might know of the Divine goodness, and the
King's most excellent kindness, he inscribed the following passage in
the parish register of Mottram, where it may be read to this day.

"Anno Dni, 1610. Md. that uppon the 22nd daie of Maie, 1610, I,
Hamnet Hyde, of Mottram clerke was under the King's most
excellent Matie. his hands (for the evill) and att Greenewiche
was healed. On wch. daie three years itt is requyred by his
Matie. that the ptie so cured shoulde returne (if God pmitt) to
render thanks bothe to God and His Matie.

God save Kinge James, p. me. Hamnettum Hyde, clericum."

Hamnet Hyde lived several years after this miraculous cure. He died in
1617, and was buried at Mottram on the 3rd January, 1617-18. The entry
in the register written by his father is as follows:

"1617-18, January 3rd. Hamnet Hyde, my sonn, buried--."

Parson John Hyde survived his son Hamnet nearly 20 years, for he
continued Vicar of Mottram until the year 1637, being buried on the
17th March in that year. He left direction concerning his burial in
his will as follows: "In the name of God. Amen. The 13th February,
1633, I John Hyde, Vicar of Mottram, in the County of Chester, Clerk,
being aged. My body to be buried in due and decent manner under the
stone where my late father lyeth buryed, in the Chancell of the Parish
Church of Mottram, adjoining to the tomb of Mr. John Picton, late
parson there." etc., etc.

It may be added in conclusion that the sovereigns of England claimed
and frequently exercised the power of healing certain diseases by
touch. The curing of scrofula, or the "King's Evil," as it was called,
was practised by Henry VII, Henry VIII., and Queen Elizabeth; and was
also very extensively carried on by those believers in the "Divine
Right" theory--the Stuart Kings. The "cure by touch" was believed in
as late as the time of Queen Anne. The "Form of Healing" occurs in the
older prayer books, especially those of the 17th century.