Crick Village

Crick History Society

William Laud (1573-1645) was a significant figure in English history and was Rector of Crick.

Born at Reading, the son of a master tailor, he was educated at St. John's College Oxford. Ordained in 1601, he was President of St. Johns (who still have an interest in the patronage of the benefice) from 1611 to 1621 when he was appointed Bishop of St David's.

It was in the two years ending in 1621 that he was Rector of Crick as well as President of St John's. Records indicate that during that time there were at least two occasions when he actually visited the village!

There is a story concerning Laud that he heard of a man found urinating in St Paul's, London, who was charged with urinating in a place of worship. The story goes that the defence that was offered was that with the bear baiting, dicing and other activities going on that the miscreant had not had reason to suppose that he was in a place of worship.

Laud set about trying to reform some of the excesses which went on and tried to set common standards for worship.

It was in trying to do this with the Scottish Presbyterians and imposing Bishops and the Prayer Book on them that he came unstuck and precipitated events which ended up with his beheading on 10th Jan 1645 on the grounds of "Popery".