DA 690 S155 L4 Oj1u{/')/aji$vi. / UCSB LIBRAKt i PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, ST. NEOTS, CORNWALL. 1 By THE LATE GENERAL SIR J. H. LEFROY, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. The Parish Eegister of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in St. Neots, Cornwall, exists in a very complete form from 1549 onwards, having been written out fair in a large folio volume of beautiful penmanship, in 1624. We have however, what is more uncommon, the Church- warden's accounts presented at the Easter vestry for each year, with one or two exceptions, from 1600 to 1709. This volume is not in nearly so good preservation, but can be made out, and presents a great many interesting and curious entries, which appear worthy of being brought into notice. I propose to begin by transcribing the entire account as it stands for the year 1609, the first year in which it is complete with the date. There is a loose sheet dated 1602, but the form does not vary, and mutatis mutandis one year is much like another. ' Comput. Johannis Isacke et Johannis Smith Gardianoru pochias S" Neoti fact et capt septimo die Maij Anno Dni 1609 et Anno Reo-ni dni nri Jacobi Dei gratia Anglia? ftancie et Hibernian Regis fidei defensor, etc. septimo, et Scotia xlij. d Receits Imprimis Received of tholcl Wardens at the daye of accompt iijs viijd Item Received of thold "Wardens of an old note xviijd Item Received of Peeter Henwoode for an allina- con or farlive for parte of the churchland vZ ]s xyl Item Received for standinge in the Churchyard xd Item Rec. of Peeter Henwoode for a fyne in pte for the Church House and meadowe xl vs Sum \ijlb xviiijs vjc/. Goods sold ffirste Received of Stephen Sweete for a lamhe in gifte to the Church sould for ija xd 1 Read at the Monthly Meeting of the Institute, December 4th, 1890. Reprinted from the Archaolvgical Journal, vol. xlviii, p. 65. vs iijs id iijs 4>d viijs viij* 2 PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, Itni Received of John Tubbe gent for three ox heades xviijd Itm Rec of William Hatton for a pound of ponder xd Itm of Thomas Sweet for a somer p. pie vs ]d Sum x.s viijd Pit monye A Imprimis Received for the buriall of Marye the wife of John Crappe in the body of the Church vs Itm for the buryall of Thomas Taprell in the bodye of the Church Itm for George Taprell in y e bodye of y e Church Itm for Nicholas Rundell in the bodye of y* Church Sum xvjs viijcZ Rent Received from Peeter Henwoode for the Church land Itm rec d of Roger Younge for the Church land Sum xvjs Tythe come Imprimis Received of Robarte Kraft for his tyth corne in Tremadcke viijs (there follow three others) Itm rec d of John Laundry for his tith corne in Hilhouse xxvs Itm rec d of William Hobbs for his tith corne in Harnett xviijs Itm rec d of Peter Henwoode for his tith corne in Church land x'ri]d Itm rec d of John Cowling for his tith corne in Miltourne vs Itm rec d of John Clappe for his tithe corne in Gornicke meadowe ijs vjcZ Itm rec d of William John for his tith corne in S* Nyott vjs Itm rec d of John Pomerye for his tith corne in Tremo Ringe meadowes vjs xd sum \)lb iijs iiijrf sum total xxlb js ijd Allowance Imprimis paid Robort Bawden the sumner at the daye of accoampt \ijd Itm paide William John at the daye accoumpt for kepinge y e belles (two words illegible) xs Itm pd for bread and wine against whitsuntide E xxd Itm pd nicholas Russell for coming to set the clocke xxijrf Itm pd for a new locke for the chest yd Itm pd for breade and wine for a communion the third daye of Julye E xxd Itm pd to Margerie Crappe because she had not the toppes of two ashes viijd Itm pd for twelve hundred of hayling stones and a dozen of Ragge iijs xjd Itm pd fur fetchinge the same stone and rags xxd ST. NEOTS, CORNWALL 3 Itm jhI for eight hundred of lathi vij* \'iy( Itm pd for eight thousand of }>ins and two thousand and halfe of n;i\ Itm pd for fetching of lathee navies and sand Itm pd for ten bushells of Lime and fetching y c same Itm pd the healyer for one weekes work Itm pd the hellyear for foure daycs and a halfe Itm pd for nayles fcr the hcllyer (thatcher) Itm pd for attendinge the hellyers for iiij dayea Itm pd for our dynners at the Bishop's visitation Itm pd for Articles Itm pd for making of a byll Itm pd for layinge in of the same byll Itm pd for writing of a Rate Booke, and certayne Reede for the hellyers Itm pd for three girdles for the corslets B Itm pd for one swords trimynge an a scabrish for the sanie B Itm pd to Collinge for carryinge y c byll of pre- sentments Itm pd to Collinge for a briefe Itm pd Phillip for makinge cleane of the church armour B Itm pd for Oyle for the Armour u Itm pd S M Renold Mouhons for the Purvayers clarke Item pd to the Chapter Courte for the p.ishe business Itm pd for my dynner and for my laboure Itm pd for carryinge the Armour at the niouster* Itm pd John Pomerye for carryinge his armour which he left with the Kerpeth for the Parishe B Itm pd for bread and wyne against Allsaynts 1 '" Itm pd for bread and wyne against John Cowlinge's weddinge Itm pd Rise fnsher for carryinge a poore woman at St. Mabyn Itm pd Simon George's Clarke for returne of a precept Itm pd Roger Laundrye for y e Cutler at Liskerd about the Church Clocke Itm pd more the Cutler at Liskerd about some bus Itm paid John Taprell y* constable for p.rishe bus Itm pd to the Chapter court for p.rishe bus Itm pd for my dynner at y e same time Itm pd for a Coramnomna Itm paid the Sumner for siting John Mitchell Itm pd William John for sinkinge of burialls Item pd Stephen Lampen Constable for an accpritance vijs vd viijd Y.v X 9$ xjs llj.S iij« vjd iijs vjd iiijd vjd X<1 xxjd vijd ij« VJ« viijd id utja y* vijd viijd viijd ij' 7 iij* vjd vd yijd \i\jd X6' yj. ij« XXVJo' vjf? vjd vijd viiij one for tlie deskc > a car P et for tlie (j ens comunion table, and another for the pulpit of the same stuffe. vs ixd xijd xviijd iiijs iiijd xijci vyl viijs iiijs iijs viijrf id y\d xxij^ x\id vs U s \\\yl \iyl vs xxxs \}d \jd xjs xd nijd viijd iijs iiijd iijd virf ST. NEOTS, CORNWALL. I3ookes G Itm one fayre byble, two books of conion prayor. tlirec register bookes one of parchment and two of paper two paraphrases of Erasmus, the apolligye of the Church of England one little booke of comon prayer one booke of constitutions and canons, two homilye books, three bookes of accompt and fower statute booke Armor B Two payer of corslets with their Bworda and daggers. two payer of Almon Rivets, one lackinge a head peece one musket with his bandalire tnoulde bullet bagge and headpe.-ee and one picke with George Pomerye and one other with Jo Smyth. Writings Itm. One boxe and writings therein viz Sixe evidei and one exempliiieation escheker seale. One bond from Thomas Dobbc with a ruemorand concerning the same three other bonds, one from Martyn, another from John Bunste another from John Skinnard with dyvers ac- quittances and writings concerninge the p.rishe. and one bond from Robert Skinnarde. Stuflfe Itm three glass bottles, one puter pott, one pickaxe, two shoules five formes moveable, powder in a barrell con- tayninge in weight (blank) 11 two ladders, and also led in weight {blank) and Iron contayninge in weight (blank) and borde and planks in number ten. Septimo die Maij 1609. Ma d That John Smythe and John Isacke churche wardens for the p.rishe for the yere past have accomptted the daye and yere aboue written and ov r and besydes their former allowances haue yelden in clere to the use of the whole p.rishe the some of x/ vj« ix>l which saide some of xl vjs ixd presently deliuered our vnto John Hayle and John Patchcott wardens for the yer lo come and are so arne for the same and the olde wardens are chargeable wth billes of arrerages left uncollected the yere past, amounting in all vnto xxvij* v\yl Reeeaved more for arrearages of the Rate the church for the yere past ijs ujd and have reeeaved a bill of arrearage concernynge the same Rate amounting vnto xij.s iijf/ and the olde wardens are respeted for hnishinge of their accompt and bringinge in the saide arrearages before named conteyninge xxvij.s vijd vntil the feaste daye of the Nativitye of S l Jo Baptiste next cominge. Itm reeeaved more of the olde wardens for the Rate made for the lease taken out of the P.rishe coumpt books xix- id with a bill of arrerage concernynge the same Rate amountinge vnto Is Hd (sic). Itm reeeaved more of the olde wardens in pte of the arrerage of the said xxvij* 1 \{]d and the saide olde wardens have yelden in their billes of all the rest of the same arrerages in the aftcrnoone of the daye and yere above writteD, and so they are quyte of all their former accompts. The foregoing represents very fairly the accounts of every other year. I proceed to offer a few observations on some of the items. Pit money. A Under this head are entered the sums received as fees for burial within the walls of the Church 6 PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, usually charged 3s. 4c/. or 5s. for a grave in the Body — according to situation ; and Qs- 8d. for one in the chancel, but the last was latterly charged as high as 10s. The extraordinary thing is the number of these intramural interments, which reached a total of 548 in little over a century, that is, from 1606 to 1708. The internal area of the church is 85 by 52ft., part of which is occupied by the footings of six pillars on each side of the nave. After 1677 there are few in the body of the church, not above one or two in any years, in several years none ; but room continued to be found in the chancel, so that if the practice in the sixteenth century and the latter half of the fifteenth was the same, it is not too much to affirm that much over a thousand interments must have been made in that limited area, assuming the date usually assigned for the present structure (1480). The modern "sanitary authority" may well stand aghast at such defiance of sanitary laws. The greatest number I find in any one year is 14 in 1644. I am told that the soil under the church is deep, but the area was some years ago sealed with concrete, and is now tiled, details are therefore forgotten . There are no vaults. The vestry took alarm in 1677, and passed the follow- ing resolution, 1 1 May. Wee the ministers and twelve men of the said P.ish whose names are subscribed taking into consideration the pr.sent condicon of the P.ish Church and that most of the Allyes within the same, as well of the church as chancell have been of late broken vpp by the buriel of many more p.rsons therein than hath beene heretofore att any tyme practiced, to the great annoyance and pr.judice of the p.ishe church and the inhabitants of the p.rishe by breaking vpp of newe graues, which said practice hath beene occasioned by the smallness of the sum which hath beene heretofore paid for breaking upp of the ground within the sd church Doe therefore thinke fitt, and vnanimously consent agree and (as much as in vs lyeth) order direct and appoint, that for time to come the Church wardens for the time being shall not p. mitt or suffer any p,son or p.sons whatsoever to breake the grounde in order to make any grave for the buriall of any p. son or p.sons whatsoever in either of the three chancells of the sd p.ishe ST. NEOTS, CORNWALL. 7 church vnless such p. sou or p. sous doe first pay downe in money to the scl Church wardens for the time being the sum of ten shillings for each grave, and that the sd Church wardens for the time being of the sd p.rish shall not p. mitt or suffer any p. son or p. sons whatsoever to breake the ground for the making of any graue within the body of the sd p.rish church vnless these be first paid downe to the sd Church wardens for the time being the sum of seaven shillings for such graue for the buriall of every married p. son or widdow and fine shillings for the buriall of euery p. son vnmarried Signed Tho, Philpe Vicar and eight others. Parish Armour, or Church Armour. v ' The custody of the requisite equipment for two or three foot soldiers, was one of the duties of the churchwardens down to 1639 involving several contingent expenses which are charged in the parish accounts, one of the chief of these is sending it annually to muster, and a very pretty subject for a painter is suggested by the thought of the stout pack- horse with its picturesque burden, guided by a half-armed peasant, wending its way by one of the many deep lanes of the neighbourhood, to the appointed rendezvous in a neighbouring parish. The articles mentioned under different dates are : — Two payer of corsletts with their swords, daggers, and pikes. Two payer of almon rivets, one of them wanting the head peece, one muskett with his bandoleere molde and bullet bagge and head peece in custodye of Nicholas Wharton (1602), one paire of corsletts furnished in the keeping of George Pomeroy. One Curatt and ij paire of Almond Rivets remaining in the church, one musquett in the vestry, and j pike in the keeping of John Smith the younger (1612). Two pare of corsletts, ij pare of almond rivets and iij pikes now in the church, flower swords and two daggers in the keeping of Phillip Combe and one muskett furnished (1615). Almon or Almayne rivets were a device of German armourers to give flexibility to the protection of the thigh joints, and gave their name to one species of body armour which carried protection halfway down the 8 PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, thigh. These were old suits, as they belong to a period earlier than the reign of James I. The Curatt on the contrary protected nothing but the trunk, but was made as long as possible in front. Illustrations of both are given in the admirable treatise on Ancient Armour by the late Mr. John Hewitt, vol. iii. (18G0). The corslett is nearly represented by the modern cuirass, and covered little more than the chest to the waist. This armour is not borne on the parish books after 1620, but there are occasional entries of small sums paid for cleaning it and sending to muster down to 1639. Distraction of vermin. The year 1609, given above, only presents two entries of disbursement on their account ; but the fox-catcher appears as a recognised personage, like the mole-catcher of the present day. In other years they are numerous. The animals paid for were badgers, fitches, fitchets, or fitchews (pole cats,) foxes, wild cats, occasionally rats, kites, vautors (vultures), once or twice an otter, and very rarely " a grave." This last animal is defined by Johnson as a badger, but such does not appear to be the case in these examples. Both badgers and grayes appear in the same years, and where- as Ad. is the tariff for a badger's head, one shilling was paid for " agraye ; " it is possible, however, that a tough patriarchial, much-respected badger, might be honoured by a distinctive name. They are paid for in 1629, 1630, 1640, 1658, 1666, 1682, 1690. I subjoin a statement of the total quantities of vermin paid for in certain years, which are fairly representative, Paid for by the churchwardens of St. Neots, Cornwall. Rats. Kites. Year. Fitches. Foxes. Cats. Badgers. Gra 3 1616 5 • . . 1 1620 3 2 . . . . . . . . . 1621 36 2 1 • . • KM 1630 7 • « • 4 1 1640 28 4 2 1 1650 17 ... . . - • . • 1658 33 9 4 2 1660 32 2 6 . • • 1663 36 2 2 1 1670 37 9 . . . 1680 53 11 2 1682 44 6 5 t • • 1 1687 35 9 22 1 1690 34 • • • 2 • . ■ 1700 56 * . • 5 , , 15 5 6 28 18 *6 Rats to the number of 52 were paid for 1677- ST. NEOTS, CORNWALL. 9 Peter's farthings or Peters Pence were paid to 1G42, they usually amounted to xijc?, and went to Exeter Cathedral. Provision oj Sacred Elements* The large sums paid for a provision of bread and wine for the Holy Communion on Church festivals, especially at Easter, are very notice- able. Ten gallons of sacke are mentioned at 6d. the quart, £2 13s. 4d. in 1664, a quantity so much in excess of what could be consumed in any devout or decent celebration, that there can be no doubt that it was put to other purposes, probably used for dinner, or other social meeting of the Select Vestry, even this sum however was exceeded on some occasions. Thus in 1618 the change is xxxiiijs., and in 1619 xxxvs. vij(/. the quantity not stated, but the usual price in the first half of the century seems to have been ()d. a quart. In one instance we have a protest against its bad quality, " we have examined this account, but finding that the 23 quarts of wine which was provided for the communion at Easter to be soe exceedingly bad and that the church wardens have charged 2s. 4c?. for each quart of it, whereas the wine was not really worth Y2d. a quart. However wee are contented to deduct out of the supfiuous charge only 13s. 9d. for the whole " (3 May 1695). Communion Plate* " One communion cupp of silver with a cover to the same " was the provision for sacred ministrations down to 1612, in which, and succeding years, we find " one fayre communion cupp of silver, guilt with a cover for the same, and a lether boxe for the keeping of it. One lesser communion cupp of silver with a cover to the same." The silver gilt cup bearing the Hall-mark for 1609 is still in use, and is a handsome piece of Church plate, standing 10^ inches high. It is not known what has become of the earlier silver cup. The object I had the pleasure of exhibiting to this Society some months ago, in the mistaken belief that it was a leathern-cartridge case, is in all probability the Pyx or " lether box for the keeping " of one or other of these cups ; most likely the silver one, as it is not deep enough by some inches to take the other. As Mr. St. John Hope pointed out, it very closely resembles one exhibited a few years ago by 10 PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, the late Mr. Bartt, which also came from this neighbour- hood. Church Books. G The Paraphrases of Erasmus and Jewell's Apology for the Church of England were apparently required by law to be in possession of the vestry, in as much as other Parishes also specify them. In Liskeard a note of admiration follows the former, on account of its costliness. " Cost three pounds !" No time was lost after the Savoy conference in providing the new Book of Common Prayer, which we find charged in the accounts of 1662-3, 12s. Speaking generally, I observe no evidence of the Puritan reign between 1648 and 1660, having interfered at all in S* Neots with the ministrations of the episcopal church. It is otherwise at Fowey where the marriages entered into the Parish Register from 9 September 1653 to 6 March 1655-6, are expressly stated to have been by the Magistrate. Gunpowder. 11 A small quantity of this explosive is mentioned every year as a Gunpowder in a Bagge," "Gunpowder in a Barrell," down to 1617 ; but I do not find the weight stated. It was apparently obsolete parochial property, and was occasionally sold to the credit of the account at xijc?. a pound e.g., in 1610. Received for three pounds of Gunpowder iij.s. " Match in bundles " was also kept in the vestry. Collections by Briefe or Royal letter begin to be a conspicuous feature in the Parish accounts in 1661, but are occasionally found as early as 1620, and it is remark- able how varied, and in some instances how remote, the objects were to which the inhabitants of this Cornish parish were asked to contribute, and how liberal their contributions frequently were The following are examples : — 1632 Given by consent to the redemption of Captives ijs 1661 Towards the releife of the distressed Protestants of Lithuanie 00 6 Towards the repairinge of Eipon Church in York- shire 00 4 6 1665 Collected for London in the time of the Plague 3 13 10 1666 Collected for London for the fire 2 10 1669 For the redemption of Captives from Turkish slavery 6 6 6 1680 Collected for the redemption of Captives from Turkie 2 8 8 1681 Collected for the French Protestants 2 2 4 1686 Collected for the French Protes' ants 3 3 9 ST. NtiOTS, CORNWALL. I L 1 8 ■1 9 G 00 13 1 ir- u 00 is 6 18 4 1688 Collected for the [French Protestanta 1689 Collected for the Irish Protestants 1691 Coll. a second brief for Irish Protestants 1692 Coll. for Captives in lurky 1694 Collect 8 for the fFrench Protestants 1700 Collected for the captives in ffess and Marocco Beside these evidences of the sympathy which united countries of the Keformed Religion, and of the impunity still allowed to the subjects of Turkey to prey upon Christian commerce and consign Christian men to' a hopeless captivity, there was scarcely a year in which collections were not also taken for the relief of parishes in England suffering under some calamity. It is, perhaps, to be noted that they all took place in the incumbency of the Eev. Thomas Philpe, vicar from 1660 to 1704, who may have been a man of exceptional zeal and sympathy. It is difficult to imagine such appeals to have been responded to all over the kingdom. 1635 Collected within our Parish Church at St. Neots towards the reparation of the Church of St Paul's London 9 June 1661 Towards the reliefe of inhabitants of Ilminster in Somerset id Fakenham Norfolk id Pontefract Yorkshire id Oxford id Drayton in Salop Fupon Church in Yorkshire id Anwalters? Surry for a beefe (sic) for Nuberry for Sawerby in York for the fishing craft for Hexham in Northumberland for Harwitch in Essex for East Hendred in Berks for great Grymsby in Lincolne for Grantham in Lincolne for Witheham in Sussex for Sandwitch in Kent for Newport in Salop ffor Shellford in Norfolk ffor "Will 1 " Massy John Jessup etc ffor Isleham in Cambridgeshire ffor Somershem in Huntingdon ffor Michael ffowler of in Kent ffor Kiplic in Surry 1671 ffor Meere in Wiltsheire burnt 2 7 10 28 July 4 August 1 Septem 8 Septem 15 Septem 26 January 1062 1663 Joseph Rowe signs as Vicar 1706 1664 1667 1669 1670 00 00 9 5 3 4£ 00 6 8* 00 4 8 00 4 4 00 4 6 00 2 6 00 5 5 00 4 10 00 14 8 8 2 00 5 00 2 4 1 6 00 8 6 00 5 00 ■J 00 9 00 7 2 00 5 00 8 6 00 G i; 00 6 00 O 00 7 9 12 PAROCHIAL ACCOUNTS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. August 10 1673 ffor ffording bridge burnt witthing the county of Southampton 00 15 1\ 1681 for Colomton in Devon 00 13 1 (for the same place in 1622 viij*') for S* Albans church 00 11 10 for Newmarket burnt 00 13 for Wapping burnt 00 1 2 2 1686 for Stepney and white chappell 00 10 6 Aprill 1688 for Leonard Stanley in Gloucestersh 00 7 8 Aprill for Kettlewell in Yorkshire 00 9 6 1689 for Crues morchard church in Devon 10 13 (The church was struck by lightning in 1689, when the steeple was shattered and the bells melted.) May 11 1690 for Bungay in Suffolk 00 15 8 for St lues (S* Ives) in Hunts 00 9 6 August 1690 for East Smithfield 00 5 2 for Bishops Lavington Wilts 00 4 10 Sept 28 for the sufferers by fire in the Parish of St. George, Southwark 00 7 6 Nov for Cruismorchard Church in Devon, (see above) 00 13 1691 for Tinmouth in Devon 00 6 6 for Bealt in Wales 00 7 1692 for Chagiord in Devon 00 8 2 1700 for St. Mary Magdalen Edmondsey* 00 10 6 for Beccles'in Suffolk 00 5 9Jr There are no more of these entries down to May 1708, when the book ends. In 1632 we have several entries of relief to soldiers — Thus, — Given to a soldier by consent iijd again \\d To a maymed soldier ijrf To two maymed soldiers iiij^ i \fc/ 2I55 "gOc if pz £&o2 Z< W ** z">2 8 rn > o m > •»5 Si 3 a A A 000 241606 THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. CA 93ip* RETD APR12 1993 50 Series 9482