Scope and Content
The first section of this volume includes the accounts of various parish officers, and rate assessments etc., and some similar material is also to be found in other parts of the volume. Details of this foreign material may be summarised as follows, and it should be noted that it occurs at the front of the volume except where otherwise distinguished:
Poor rate assessments, 1596, 1597
Accounts of expenditure on the poor (names and amounts, and details of weekly payments etc.) 1596, 1597
Note on collection of poor rates, 1596
Church rate assessments (names and amounts, listed by "Ends", e.g. 1608 - Shillington Burie, Woodmar end, Shillington Street Upton end, Chibley end, Stondon, Green end, Church end, Handscombe end, Brideman end, Pegsden end, Aspley end, Holwell cum Ikleford et Falckswell) 1605, 1606, 1607, 1608, 1609, 1610, and also 1611 (names, but no amounts)
Lists of contributors towards the Gaol, and "the marcialceis and lame souldiers" [i.e. maimed soldiers, and the Marshalsea] 1609, 1610 (names and amounts), and 1611 (names only)
[between accounts for 1637-8]
Note on the will of William Chapman and agreement for the maintenance of William, his eldest son, 29 June 1628, with note of expenditure etc. in 1631
Note on Charitable bequest by William Elmar, 10 August 1628
Lists of names of Churchwardens, sidesmen, Overseers and Surveyors, 1610, 1612-1622, 1625-1629 [see also P44/28/2 for later lists of parish officers]
Note of payment of "part of the towne stock for the Poor" to the Overseers, 14 April 1613
Note on removal cases (2 names) and a vagrant, 1613-1614
Various receipts, c.1610 List of goods "remaining in ye cofer in ye vestrie - 43 organ pipes, half a littel sow of leadd and other peices of led, certen old Iron, ye clock plummets and tow great sowes of ledd, n.d. [c.1640]
[among entries, sub anno]
Accounts of the distribution of the legacy of Thomas Pearson to the Shillington poor (names and amounts) 1649, 1650, 1651, 1652, 1653 and 1658
The regular expenditure recorded in the accounts includes purchase of Communion bread and wine, new bell ropes, clock lines, cleaning and cleaning materials, washing church linen, purchase of books, minor repairs, glazing windows, parchment for writing the register etc. Also Visitation expenses, gifts to the Poor, relief to travellers etc., collections upon Charitable briefs (loss by fire etc.), and repairs to the School House, Almshouses, and properties on the Church Estate.
Note Communion was generally celebrated only at the Visitation, and at Christmas, Easter, Whitsun, and Michaelmas
Occasional expenditure recorded in the accounts may be summarised as follows [verbatim extracts and contents notes are used, but quotation marks are only supplied in 'mixed' entries below]:
1605 Repairs to windows "of both the scooles and the church" and repairs to the school
1606 Digging stone for the belfry [accounts entered twice in volume - once (undated) at front, and again in sequence later on] 1607 [accounts entered twice, as for 1606] Repairs to the clock, 26s. 8d. For two dayes worke for mendinge the ston work & plasteringe about the windowes 2s. 6d. Purchase of a "hode & for tafetye", cloth for the Communion table, and "two flagons for to serve at the Communion table of the waight of 131b."
1608 For new locks, 2s. 4d.
1610 Payments for paving work and carriage of stone etc.
1611 For the church gate, 3s. Paide for the poore mans boxe with the lockes, 5s. 8d. Repairs to the Almshouses, 20d. Purchase of a cover for the pulpit, 13s. 4d., and for ironwork, 16d. Paide to William Goodale for a mattocke, 2s. 6d
1612 To Thomas Hare for "Two newe doores for the Almes house and mendynge two old doores" 4s.
1613 Archbishop's Visitation Paide to Matthew Goodale for makeinge a springe for the clocke 12d. Repairs to the almshouse walls, £3 13s. Repairs to the bells and frame, new brasses, etc., total cost over £5. Bellhanger named Honour.
1615 Paide for stones to amende the palme crosse and other work, 4s. 2d. Paide to Thomas Bacon for amendinge the palme cross and other work, 3s. 4d. Paide to Mr. Parratt for two grounde sels for the Church lofte, 12s. 10d. Paide to Mathew Kytchener for mendinge the Churchlofte and for the grounsel and a ladder, 16s. 6d.
1616 Paid for a sance bell rope, 16d. Item paid for one Loade of Reed stone and the carriage of them to amend the Churche withall, 4s. 4d. Item paide for one Load of gravell & the carriage, 15d. Item paid to Tho : Bacon for amendinge one of the Church buttrisses underpinninge of the gatehouse and amendinge the Almeshouse, 6s. Item paid for four dozen of paving tylles 2s. Item paid to Tho : Bacon for Laieinge the paveinge tile in the church allies, 2s. 1d. Paid to William Hare for amendinge the schoole house and hanging the saunce bell 16d.
1617 paide for iiij corkes & mendinge the clocke house, 7d. paide for mendinge the clocke, 16s. 2d. paide to Daniell Cotton for painting the clocke watch, 12d.
1618 Item paid to Thomas Favell for a newe wheelle for the fourth bell, 16s. Item paid to Thomas Favell for worke about the bells, 4s. Item paid to Thomas Fowler for Iron worke about the bells and frame, 7s. 3d. [and further payments] Item paide to William Ruste for a new doore for the Almshouse 18d. Repairs to lead roof Item paide to Peter Gouldesmith for amendinge a seate in the Chancell, 6d. Item paid to John Crouch for a plancke and pininge wood for the same, 10d. 1619 Paide for a daies worke for dressinge of the walles and flowre of the lofte, 2s. 2d. Paid for windniges and nayles for the same, 17d. Paide for bookes from the Clarke of the markett, 6d. Bestowed upon the ringers the vt of November, 12d. [This is the first mention of ringing for Guy Fawkes - recurrs yearly Paide to him [Thomas Fowler [for makeinge eye for the greate bell clapper, 3s. 8d. Paide to Mathew Hare the Joyner for fyve corkes for the clappers, 5d.
1620 Paid to the Carpenters for making the church gates & for boardes for the same, 7s. 2d. [and other related expenditure Paid to Mathew Hare for 19 foote of timber for bell stocke, 7s. 6d. Expences for carriage of lead costing over £36 [purpose not specified]
1621 Paide to the free masons for mending the vestre windowe and the other windowes and for beare to make the mortar and for wood, 22s. 7d. Paide to Daniell Stratton for helpeinge the free masons, 16d. Paide to the glazier for mending the vestree windowe and the other windowes and for wood, 11s. 7d. Paide for pavements, 16s Paide for eightene daissen of pavementes and for lime and the carriage, 23s. 6d.
1622 Paid for tyles for mending the Alms howses, 4s. Paide to Bacon for tyleing the Almes howses and for worke in the Church, 6s. 8d.
1623 Paid for repayring the pipes, 15s. Paid for writing of Mr. Pilsworth booke 10s, and paid for carrying it up to London, 4s. 2d. Paid to Thomas Bacon for workmanship about the Church, £5 10s
1624 Detailed payments for recasting the bells [nos. 4 and 5] at St. Ives, seeing the founder, taking down the old bells, making a bargain with the founder, a gift od 2s. to the founder's man when the bells were cast, and for casting the bells and brasses, £11 1s. 2d. [detailed]
1625 [Accounts in arabic numerals for the first time] Paide for mending the pavements in the church and for a bell rope, 10s. 4d. Paid for the table in the Vestry and formes and parchment and writing and perfecting our bookes, 8s. 4d. Paid for making the doore for the Church porch, £1 1s. Paid for Iron worke about the same doore, 8s. 10d. Paid to the Smith for mending the Chancell doore, 10d. Given to Mr. Cockin when we was at ye Quarter Sessions about Robert Hanscombe his land & other of his neighbours, 5s. Note on sale of timber and lead
1626 [again in Roman numerals] Given to Gipsyes, 3s. Paid to Mr. Noble for halfe inch boord 5s; paid for measuring of it & bringing it home 8d. Paid to the painters for painting the church, £3 Paid to Thomas Hare for timber used about the Church 15s. 4d; [also for] 24 foote of halfe inch boord 21d; [and for] 4 dayes worke & for swayers worke 9s. 2d; paide to Peter Hare for nyne dayes worke for sawinge, 15s. 4d.; and other similar payments, but no details of work given Given to three distressed gentlemen licensed to travell into Yorkeshire from ye low countreyes, 2s. Repairs to Almshouses, for two days work, 2s. 7d; for making up the walls about the almshouses, 18d; and for "fower studds" 2s. Paid to Mathew Hare for the Chest in ye Vestry, 7s. 8d. Paid to the Clarke for stones & tile sheards used about the church, 6d.
1627 Item paid for stones & carrying of them, 4s. 4d. Item paid for a ladder for the Church loft, 2s. 4d. Item for a warrant and for sending to Sir William Briers, 8d. Item paid to Calvert towards the cure [2 payments] 16s. 8d.
1628 Item for seaven quartes of wine & for three penyworth of bread for the Communion at Whitsontide, 9s. 7d.; [twelve quarts of wine and six pennyworth of bread at Michaelmas] [many travellers relieved] Purchase of half a thousand of tile & thirty bricks, carriage and associated work [detailed], repair of steeple stairs, doors and latches, porch loft, belfry window etc.
1629 Item paid to William Kitchener for a dayes work & for two spars for John Keys his chimney, 2s. 10d. Item given for ringing upon the Kings holy day, 2s. Item paid to Peter Edwards for helping the glasyers Item paid to the glasyers for mending the glass windoes, 9s. 2 Item paid to William Bacon for closing a sheete of led, 2d. Item paid to Mr. Tuthill for scooling of William Meade, 9s.
1630 Item paid for 200 of pavements 21s. 8d, & carriage of the lime and paveing tiles, 4s. Item paid for castinge of the brasses for the third bell, 13s Item paid for carrying of a loade of sand from Clopwell, 3s. 2
1631 Payments for making indentures [apprenticeship?] Repairs to almshouses Item paid to Thomas Burrow for conveying a wench to Ampthill Item paide for a loade of redstone & for the carriage, 4s. 8d Item paide for digging of clay & carrying it to the Almshouse 1s. 6d. Item paide to Tho: Henscome for his man for a bottle of wine which he broke, 2s. 4d. Item paid to Richard Wallin for an Inditement for the towne wch he paid at ye Sessions, 12s. Item paid to Martin Clarke for a pare of hye shoes for William Chapman, 3s. 4d. Item paid for the burial of a poore man for all charges, 4s
1632 Rehanging the bells in a new frame; going to seek timber; bargaining with John and Richard Cheese, the bellhangers, and payment of expences; purchase of timber; sawyers work, and "making the sapitt"; casting bell brasses; measuring timber; etc. [detailed] [These and later a/cs. in arabic]
1633 Repairs to the clock, including going to Northill to have clock lines made, and going "to Shefford to have them made longer". Repairs to the clock by George Clarke. Item spent upon the plomer that came to view the leds, 6d.
1634 Item paid to the plumer, £4 18s. 0d. Item paid to Richard Laurans for two courtes at Laiton being called about the tarrie [terrier] of ye glebe & delivering in their presentment, 12s. 5d. 1635 Purchase of six trees, £11 11s., cutting wood etc., and carriage of timber. Item paid for Glazing of the Chappell windoe & for Iron bars, 9s. 6d. Item paid the free masons for their worke about the church, £3 0s. 8d Item paid to William Kitchener for spoyling his sawe, 6d. Item paid to Matthew Hare for making the Communion rayling, £3 Item paid to Edward Lacey for carrying of one loade of flintes 7s. Various payments to masons, plumber, carpenters, & for material
1636 Item paid for a locke for the Chest, 1s. Item laide forth at the Visitation for charges and for a day to provide ornaments, 13s. Item paid for matts 3s. 6d; Item paid for a Matt for the Communion table 7s. Item payd to Mrs. Parratt wich she laid forth towards the ornaments of the Church, £2 13s. 8d. Spent upon the workmen that wrought at the Church 2s. 6d. Paid for the Pulpitt cloth and Cushion & Carpett for the Communion Table, £10 Item paid for silke lyning & feathers, £1 15s. Item paid to the Tayler for making the Church ornaments & loopes for the ornaments, 10s.
1637 Repairs to the lead roof, carriage from Hitchin etc., carriage of the mould. Paide to William Goodale for Iron bars for the Church windoes, 4s. and 1s. 2d. [column of figures - possible a rate collection] Between the accounts for 1637 and 1638 are various notes and memoranda, all listed above before the chronological extracts from the accounts.
1638 Recasting a bell by Robert Oldfield, bellfounder, at Hertford [detailed accounts] Item for the Church bible and service booke, £3 3s. 8d. Item for beere for the worken and ringers when the bells were mended, 8d. Purchase of timber at St. Albans and carriage and work etc., lead work [substantial roof repairs] Item to William Smith for Iron worke about the dungeon & windoes, 1s. 4d. Item paid to Matthew Hare for the frame of the Marriage table 1s. Item for a bond given by Richard Lawrence for suppressing of Nodwell's house, 6d.
1639 Purchase of 328 paving tiles, and asociated expenditure Item paid to Mr. Hill for coming to see the clocke, 3s. Item paid to Thomas Wright for the clock, £8 Item paid to Thomas Elmer for bringing the Clock, 1s. 6d. Item to Thomas Hare for his pulleyes & rope, 1s. Item paid to Thomas Fowler for a paire of henges for the Clock howse door, 2s. Item paid to Wrighte for the frame of the Clock, 10s.
1640 Item paide for taking downe of the Communion rayles, 6d.
1641-2 Purchase of paving tiles, repairs to the clock dial and clock. Ringers still being paid on 5th November [not in 1643-4]
1643 Item spent at Potton when we tooke the Covenant, 4s. Item paid to Francis Carter for three sheets of parchment, 2s.
1644 Delivered the old organs to Matthew Hare for 7s. due to him for writing
1645 Item paid for making of Cushions, 5s. Item paid to the widow shippe for the Ringers the 5th of Novbr
1646 [all routine]
1647 Item paid to the Clarke for wood used about the Churchyard and for worke, 1s. 4d. Item paid to him for beere given to the Carters that brought wood to the Church Yard, 6d. Item paid for poles of wood to hedge the Churchyard, 9s. 2d. Item paid for carriage of the said wood, 4s. Item paid for hedging of the Church Yard, 2s. 2d.
1648-9 Item paid for the booke of ordinaunce of Parliament, 6d. Item given to a poore ministers wife, 1s. Item paid for one hoope for the hearse, 3d. Item paid for pulling down the crosses & other worke about the Church & Church lofte, 6s. Item paid for nailes used about the wethercock, 1d. Mathew Hare paid 7s "and the olde organ boords" for writing the transcripts. Received for organ pipes solde, £1 18s. 0d.
1650-1 Work on the church [unspecified, but materials noted]
1652 Note of election of Richard Kitchener and Edward Lacy as Churchwardens "accordinge to an ordinaunce of Parliament of the 9th of Februarye 1647" ... [signed and sealed] Similar notes and auditing of accounts by J.P.'s occur in the account between 1652 and 1661.
1653 Note of collection of £5 9s. 7d. towards the relief of Marlborough, Wilts., following a fire which destroyed 224 houses, a church, and goods etc., the loss being estimated at £70,000
1652-3 Item paid for making of the seat for the Clarke, 2s.
1654 Paid to Francis Carter for a hower glasse for the Church, 8d. Paid in charges going to Cambridge about the Minister 3s., and [second time] 4s. 6d. Paid for the standord for the hower glasse mending, 6d. Lent to Thomas Elmer 22 pounds of led
1655 Item paid for a spade used for making of Graves & Church business, 1s. 7d.
1656 Payment to the ringers on 5th November
1659-60 Paid to the painter for setting up the Kings armes in ye church & for beere & wood, 15s. 4d.
1661 Paid to Thomas Goodall for mending of ye schoole house locke and making a key for ye Chancel doore, 1s.
1662 Item paid for 3 pulpitt basses, 5s. 6d. Item paid to Robert Collis for brasses for the bells, £1 6s., and other work on the bells Item paid to Thomas Goodale for mending of a hang for the Chauncell doore, 6d. Paid for one book of homineys & a service booke for the Clarke, 17s. Various payments of expences for Mr. Oliphant [Vicar]
1663 Item paid for the Deske and a plat of yorn, 7s. 10d. Item paid for a chaine for the desk, 6d. Item paid for 2 bell rop tailes, 3s. Various repairs & materials, including repairs to the steeple. Item paid for matting and basses for Mr. Oliphant seate, 4s. Going to Clophill and Ickleford to look for sand. Item paid to Henry Poulter the Smith for yorn worke for the weather cok, 14s. Item paid to Thomas Hare for mending the weather cock & other work about the Church, £6 1s.
1664 Further repairs Vermin payment - Thomas Field for killing of a fox, 1s. Item for carrying of a Certificate concerning the Glibe land in our parishe, 11s.
1665 Item paid to William East for mending of the pulpitt cushion, 2s. 6d. Item paid to Stephen Constable for mending of the Clockhouse lock, 4d.