Churchwarden Accounts for Fishlake.
Fishlake Churchwardens accounts for 1722.
Fishlake Churchwardens Accounts and Disbursements have survive for 1699 to 1837. These are now kept at City of Doncaster Archives. The accounts I have reviewed range between 1699 and 1732 they are the earliest but sadly incomplete and not is good order.
The office of churchwarden is one of the oldest positions open to laymen in the Church of England. Today it is regarded as an honoured office and is much coveted, but originally it was one to be avoided, if possible, for the responsibilities attached to it were onerous. There is little evidence available as to the precise date when the office of churchwarden was first adopted in England, but the earliest reference is in 1270, from the Oxford church of St Peter-le-Bailey, and five years later at St Mary the Virgin. Taken from Sin and Society by Dr J Addy.
The position of Churchwarden was the most substantial of the four main ancient parish officers (the other three being Constable, Overseer of the Poor and Surveyor of the Highway). Churchwardens are usually elected by the vestry (parish council) on Easter Tuesday. There duties were important, very varied and changed over time as the needs arose. These duties included: custodian of the parish property and income. Upkeep of the church fabric. Providing the facilities and allocating pews for worship. Ensuing parishioners attended church regularly and bring there children for baptism. Attending the Archdeacon’s Court, accounting for the expenditure of the church rate. Helping to keep the parish register. Reporting the incumbent for failings in there duty. Supervising the education and relief of the poor. Arranging for the burial of unknown strangers. Caring for the parish arms and paying the solider. Being responsible for the killing of vermin. Presenting offences to the church court. Thanks to John Richardson, The Local Historian’s Encyclopedia.
The following transcription keeps to the original spellings.
The accts of Jonathon Goodridge Xwarden for ye year 1722.
Imps. Spent at ye Parish Meeting……0.3.0
Spent when Mr Fen ….preached……0.5.0
Spent on Ringers May ye 29……0.6.8
Spent at ye Arch visitation & Court Fees…..2.4.0
WhitSunday Sacramt for Six Bottles of Wine…..0.11.0
For Bread……0.0.2
For Wine at MidSumer Sacamt 3 Bottles……0.6.0
Bread…0.0.2
For Fetching ye Wine at both ye last Savrmt…… 0.1.0
For ye Clock Spring……0.3.0
At Arch Deacons Visitacions spent & Court Fees…..0.18.6
For four Bott of Wine at Michs Sacramt…..0.8.0
Bread two pence fetching sixpence in all……0.0.8
For Ale at a Town Meeting…..0.0.10
Spent on Mr Butterfield wh he Preached….0.2.0
Given to ye Ringers 9 ye 5th….0.16.0
Ale for four Meetings…0.3.4
For four Bott of Wine at Advent Sacramt….0.8.0
Bread two pence fetching Sixpence in all….0.0.8
For four Bott of Wine at Xmas Sacramt….0.8.0
Bread two pence Fetching Sixpence in all….0.0.8
For Carrying a Citacon to Thorn..0.0.2
For a Foulmart head * to Jno Smallpage….0.0.4
For another to Jno Robert’s….0.0.4
Pd Edward Forster for a Piece of Leather for ye Great Bell…0.1.0
Paid for Six New bell Ropes….1.7.0
For two pound of Hemp for Tufting yn……0.0.10
For Stretching ye New Ropes….0.2.0
For an Almanack….0.0.4
A Foulmt Head to David Goodridge…0.0.4
For one to Joseph Taylor….0.0.4
Jno Air Bill…..1.2.6
For one 100 & 1/2 of 12 penny Nails……0.1.6
For Ale at three Meetings….0.2.6
For one sheet of Parchmt For ye Register Bill….0.1.1
For four Bott of Wine Second Son in Lent…..0.8.0
Bread two pence Fetching sixpence in all……0.0.8
For Beesom * For ye Church….0.0.6
10.16.1
Jno Harwood Bill For leads & Window repairing…4.0.7
The Clark Bill…..3.1.0
Ale at a Town Meeting…..0.0.10
Geo Ellis Bill…..0.4.11
To Geo Bedford for mending ye bell Tongue….0.1.6
To Blakiston Lee for two Metts of Coal for ye Church……0.1.0
Pd Geo Willby for Mending ye Stile &c…..0.0.10
Pd Mr Dunwell for a Peck of lime & hair….0.0.2
Pd Jno Butterwood for mending ye Clock….0.2.6
Pd Jno Smalpage for a Foulmt Head….0.0.4
For four Bott of Wine at Palm Sonday Sacramt….0.8.0
Bread two pence fetching sixpence in all…..0.0.8
For Six Bott of Wine for ye Sacramt at Sykehouse…0.12.0
For Bread two pence fetching sixpence in all….0.0.8
For Four Bott of Wine for Good Friday….0.8.0
For Bread two pence fetching sixpence in all….0.0.8
For Six Bott of Wine for Easter Sacramt….0.12.0
Bread two pence Fetching ye wine six pence in all….0.0.8
Pd Mr LIsle for a Copy of ye Register writing & sending to York…0.2.0
for writing ye Accts in ye town Book….0.1.0
For Sixteen Cottages….0.1.4
For Put Town Assessmt Collecting…..0.3.4
Spent at my assessmt Making…0.1.0
For my assessmt Writing….0.1.0
For ye Accounts Writing….0.1.0
Paper….0.0.1
10.16.1
10.10.1
————-
21.6.2
Notes. *Foulmart Head. A polecat and was seen as vermin at this time. There are a many payments for Foulmart heads which can only mean these animal were common and seen as pests due to there habit of killing poultry etc.
*Beesom is a broom.
These surviving accounts are rather repetitive, recording much the same information throughout. There are many references to repairs to the church clock which required regular repairs. The bells and bell ropes were another expense along with glass and lead for the windows
However there are are a number of more unusual entires which I include below.
1699 at the Parambulation (beating the bounds of the parish boundary) being two days…1.0.0
To a g powder for to shoot Jackdaws in the yr (church yard)….0.0.4
1710 Given to eleven seaman….0.4.0
1714 paid to Ed Foster for a wezel head..0.2.0
1732 August Doncaster singers….0.4.0.
October 11. For Ringing on the Kings Coronation….. 0.16.0
A list of Fishlake Churchwardens as gathered from various parish records.The numbers vary from one to six.
1602 Nicholas Waller, Robert Haughton, Thomas Parkin and Edmund Waite.1662 John Doughty, John Jurdie and William Wells. 1685 William Bolton. 1692 Jospeh Hill and Nicolas Fish. 1696 Richard Lane and John Margrave. 1705 Thomas Reed. 1712 John Lee. 1716 Jonathan Goodridge and Robert Laverack. 1719 John Willson. 1722 Jonathan Goodridge and John Moxon. 1726 Thomas Gamble. 1727 David Cass and Thomas Gamble. 1743 William Dickinson and Noah Wood. 1744 John Beardshaw and Thomas Fish. 1748 John Wait and John Cass. 1758 William Bailey. 1759 Richard Wharam. 1760 Samuel Lee. 1761 John Taylor. 1762 Richard Wilson. 1763 Thomas Turner and John Bachus. 1764 John Atkinson. 1765 Mr Balmforth. 1766 Thomas Steemson. 1767 William Hall. 1768 James Pearson. 1769 John Broxworth. 1770 Richard Wharam and John Broxworth . 1771 Thomas France,. 1772 Edward Shepard. 1773 John Steemson. 1774 John Stork. 1775 Thomas Gray. 1776 Nicholas Watson. 1777 William Hunt. 1778 Thomas France. 1779 Thomas Shillito. 1780 Richard Pearson. 1781 John Bladworth. 1782 Chris Steemson. 1783 not found. 1784 Richard Marsden. 1785 Nathan Cook. 1802 Richard Downing and Richard Grey. 1805 John Bladworth. 1809 George Hopwood and Wheatley Wood.1820 John Pearson. 1822 William Downing. 1825 William Dickinson and Noah Wood. 1826 John Beardshaw and Thomas Fish. 1827 Thomas Gamble. 1835 John Waite and Thomas Wilkinson. 1836 Thomas Wilkinson ad James Froggatt. 1837 Richard Amery and James Froggatt. 1840 Samuel Simpson. 1843 Noah Wood. 1843 Thomas Fish. 1853 James Froggatt and John Waite. 1857 Jno Bladworth and James Froggatt. 1861 Jno Bladworth and James Froggatt. 1865 James Froggatt. 1888 Robert and Henry Brooks.