Earlier in the Introduction, I mentioned Thomas Gregory, a rector in Peckleton during 1534. An essay by W.G. Hopkins, published in 1950, concluded that church ministers in the late medieval period ‘were largely poor men living obscure lives in country parishes.’
Of the clergy in Leicestershire in 1576, only twelve met the standard of ‘skilled in Latin and moderately skilled in holy scripture and a teacher in his benefice.’ Ninety-three members of the Leicestershire clergy were considered ‘insufficient’ or ‘ignorant.’ No names appear of those who fell into the latter category; however, given the size of the community in Peckleton, it would be no surprise if Thomas Gregory was one of them. I have not been able to trace any record of his ordination.
Little is known about Thomas Gregory, but it seems improbable that he originated from the Peckleton area. Parish records from the period suggest that Gregory was not a common surname in Leicestershire; it was, for example, significantly more prevalent in Derbyshire during the Tudor period. Given the relative rarity of the name, it appears at least plausible that Thomas could have been the father of Rychard Gregorye, born around 1534?
