England Churchwarden Records - International Institute

Churchwardens (cont.)
Bell Founders Invoice in Churchwardens Accounts





Churchwardens Accounts
The tithes were supposed to support the vicar, whilst the church rate paid for upkeep on the church building and other parochial expenses, however variations did occur. Parishes also differed in what was organized by the vestry (which became more secular over time until 1894 when it reverted to being wholly ecclesiastical) and what was delegated to the overseers of the poor. The researcher should be prepared for much local variation in these records.

Churchwardens accounts record payments for:


 * Goods and tradesmen’s services for the maintenance, cleaning and decoration of the parish church and provision for the services. Reference to a Faculty means that major structural repairs were done requiring such an order from the bishop. Items such as repair and hanging of bells, maintenance of a clock, new musical instruments, washing surplices, wine for sacrament, carpentry and masonry work and many more will be found here.


 * Relief of the poor.


 * Killing animals regarded as vermin, such as hedgehogs, moles, weasels, polecats, crows, rooks, jackdaws and sparrows.


 * Bell ringers for celebrating national events and tolling daily times, and bands for church functions, although the latter were sometimes paid in kind. Christopher Weir in Village and Town Bands recounts an occasion at East Retford, Nottinghamshire when the mug of hot toddy supplied during a winter festival produced a lively polka instead of the expected hymn!


 * Parish clerk, sexton and other parish church assistants. Reference to a knocknobbler or dog-whipper means the person responsible for driving dogs out of church if they became a nuisance.


 * Entertainment of visiting bishop.


 * Churchwardens’ own expenses in carrying out his duties.

The churchwardens accounts for St. Martins in the Fields, Westminster, Middlesex 1525-1603 are on FamilySearch Library and the burials that they refer to pre-date the parish registers by 30 years!

Churchwardens’ Accounts in Sherborne, Dorset 1537/8 This records the making of the sure coffer (parish chest) and purchase of the first parish register book as required by Thomas Cromwell’s injunction of 5 Sep 1837. (Moon)

Churchwarden’s Accounts in East Hanney, Berkshire 1780

Church Rate Expenses 1810-1811 Whippingham, Isle of Wight, Hampshire

Churchwardens Presentments
At the time of the periodic Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s Visitations the churchwardens had to write up answers to several questions regarding how their parish fared spiritually and temporally. Information on the shortcomings of parishioners would be gathered by an inquisitor who reported to the churchwarden. Below shows contented churchwardens and dutiful parishioners in Pluckley, Kent. The chart further below from Thorncombe, Devon and the illustration from Doddington, Kent are interesting in that several things were amiss and needed to be commented upon. These presentments are usually found in diocesan papers but do show up, perhaps as copies, in the parish chest.

Churchwardens Presentments for Pluckley, Kent 1730

Churchwardens Presentments for Thorncombe, Devon (Now Dorset) 1885

Other Churchwarden Activities
A wide variety of other duties befell the churchwardens; consider the example below found in Marystow, Devon. A copy of this was kept in the parish chest together with a report on the subsequent legal proceedings.

Memorandum in Marystow, Devon Parish Chest



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