Scope and Content
Paper throughout the volume watermarked "JOSEPH COLES / 1827"
Includes [pp.1-50] Alphabetical index of families on poor relief, with brief biographical details, occupation/employment, numbers of children (and ages) etc., and amount of relief, n.d. [c.1829]
And [pp.19-20] List of paupers on weekly allowances from Lady Day 1830.
Regular business of the Vestry included election of Churchwardens, Overseers, Assistant Overseers, Surveyors, sidesmen and other parish officers, passing of parish accounts, orders for maintenance of individual paupers [to 1834/5 only - too numerous to be abstracted below], Rates and rating assessments etc. Includes attendance lists for Vestry meetings
Occasional business includes:
1829
Any lead required for the church to be weighed
Ashes and dung from Workhouse to be sold for benefit of parish
Appointment of John Chavel & his wife as master and mistress of the workhouse, and various regulations for the workhouse including meal times etc.
Detailed orders for poor relief
Loan of barrows for Shillington labourers by foreman of the works at Barton Hill
1830
Provision of a harness for the fire engine
Subscription to Bedford Infirmary
Medical care of the poor, and innoculation of children
Employment of men on the public drains
Detailed orders for poor relief Appointment of
Assistant Overseer
Appointment of John Munns and his wife as master and mistress of the workhouse
Acceptance of estimate of John Stevens of Clophill for repairs "to the coping of the Church together with the Cornice and Butments connected with the same" for £58 [see P44/5/5/17]
1831
Mr. Gaye to give medical attendance for £16 "on the same conditions as last year", and Daniel Simkins to be assistant Overseer @ £20 and the use of the Workhouse orchard
List of paupers' weekly payments, and detailed minutes
Allowances for ringing discontinued [dates of paid ringing given]
Annual allowance of £3 given to the clerk for cleaning the church and pews and finding brushes and brooms
1832
List of paupers having weekly allowances from Lady Day 1832
Appointment of ringers [10 names] for the following year.
Estimate to be obtained for repairing the north door in the church, and for a new door in the North aisle leading up to the leads
Repair of the lane from the Five Bells to on the left Ion, and to the Bury and to Gravenhurst on the right. Opinion of Counsel to be obtained as to whether the lane should be repaired at parish expence as public highway
Thomas Cherry & wife to take charge of workhouse
Moat at Holwell Bury Farm to be filled by Overseers, and men also to be employed to get stones for sale to the surveyors.
1833
Repair of highways (as above) sanctioned by Vestry
List of paupers on weekly allowances, 1833-4
Subscription towards purchasing a new fire engine at Hitchin for the benefit of that and surrounding parishes
1834
List of paupers etc., 1834-5
Workhouse master to shave men in the workhouse, & to "apply the whole of his time in parish business" at a salary of 6s. a week. Application to surveyors to make a new road between Shillington and Higham Gobion [course specified] in place of the old, and minutes re cost etc.
Employment of surplus labourers on public work in the parish, "and not to be sent in great bodies together". Hours to be from 6.30 a.m., with half an hour for breakfast (8.00 - 8.30 and an hour at dinner (1.00 - 2.00). Committee to be formed to supervise the work. Detailed orders for the relief of the poor
1835
List of paupers receiving our-door premanent relief (Gives name, date of first admittance, residence, description, age, amount of relief, notes on "necessity or occasion" of relief
Repair of churchyard rails
1837
Vestry withholds consent for sale of parish workhouse [property description given]
Repair of road from Higham Gobion
[among these minutes there is a list of the weekly payments to the poor from Lady Day 1829]
1839
Parish to provide a room for the use of the relieving officer of the Ampthill Union paying out relief, & to heat room.
Sale of parish property at Green End
New survey and valuation of the parish by Messrs. Overman, Even and Bennett.
Management of the Fire Engine, and arrangements for manning the engine and drill etc.
Subscription for church clock. Order placed with Mr. Thomas Bingham, No. 21 Meriden Street, Birmingham, for a clock with one 4 foot copper dial painted and gilt, to strike on a bel of 10 to 14 cwt., for £60.
1840
Tenders to be obtained for the repairs to the church roof, and minute re acceptance of tender of Lot Richardson with details of work Salary of 1 guinea a year to John Jepps for winding the church clock.
1841
Use of proceeds of sale of parish cottages towards liquidation of the debt on Ampthill workhouse
1845
Clerk to write to Capt. Boultby [Chief Constable] "to know the reason why they have had no Policeman for the space of three Weeks or more, complaint having been made by the Parishioners"
1846
Repairs to the church undertaken by Lot Richardson and Thomas Francis [full details given]
1847
Whitewashing the church and painting the columns, by Lot Richardson for £15 10s.
Parish fire engine, to be kept in repair out of Church rate
1848 Emigration Fund to be established
1850 Rating of new properties
1851 "Resolved that a Memorial be presented t the Bishop of the Diocese in case the Clergyman should neglect performing the duty twice on Sabbath day"
1854 Cleansing of ditches adjoining the highway, and removal of nuisances "especially during the prevailing disease of cholera" 1855 Alleged damage to land in the occupation of George Godfrey on Pegsdon Hill, respecting materials got for the public highways of the parish
1857 Erection of an organ in the church, and the belfry arch to be closed by a curtain
1858
Enclosed pew to be erected for the organ
Objection to items in the Clerk's account for coal, and to charges for mowing the nettles and cleaning gravelled walks
Resolved "that the clerk be required to dig out all the nettle and also to remove the sheep from the Churchyard on Saturday afternoon, and clear away the droppings; and that no sheep be sent in to graze on the Sabbath day".
Building of the churchyard wall, setting out paths, and erection of iron fencing [details given]
1860 Mrs.John Jepps, widow of the late parish clerk and sexton, appointed as sextoness
1862
Rating of Coprolite workings
Mr. W.Watson of Henlow to be requested to estimate the amount of repair needed for the church roof
1864 Repair of Almshouses, and acceptance of capital sum left by "Mr.Whitbread's grandfather" (£300) to the Almshouses - this sum to be invested
1865 Legal responsibility for cleaning drains and ditches in parish
1866 Proceedings to be taken by Surveyor of the Highways against Mr Joseph Gudgin for ploughing up certain footpaths in the parish. Subsequent application by Gudgin to stop up the footpaths turned down by the Vestry
1867
Poll to determine whether the church expences should be met by rate or Voluntary subscriptions (179 to 132 in favour of rate) Rating of Coprolite workings
1868 Fencing of bridleway to Higham Gobion - parish to take no action
1869
Rating of new premises [details of owner and property given]
Voluntary rate granted for church and churchyard, but account for general purposes to be separated from those for public worship. Drainage scheme proposed by Highway Board
1870
Provision of school accommodation under the Education Act
Rating of new cottages and Coprolite workings [criteria defined]
1871 Completion of drainage and sewage scheme etc. Non residence (by dispensation) of Rev.J.A.Frere, Vicar, through ill health 1872 Diversion of footpath No.26 from Pegg's Close accross Church Close to an ancient footpath leading to Upton End
1873 Obstruction of footpaths brought to notice of vestry
1875
Repairs to leads. Mr.Armour of Shefford to report. Contract for £11 15s. for repairs later accepted [details of work given]
Police Constable to be asked to enforce order in Churchyard
Boarding separating the belfry from the church to be removed, and other repairs ordered.
Eight ringers to be nominated.
Rating of shooting rights and Coprolite mills
Mill Stream, brooks and rivulets to be cleaned out and scoured, "and at the expiration of ten days from notice being given to all owners and occupiers, Mr.Simkins is empowered to order them to be done at the cost of the owners" [Resolutions regarding cleaning of ditches etc. occur regularly from this date until the 1890's]
1877
Office of organist vacant
New list of recipients of the Pilsworth gift to be drawn up
1878-9 Proposal to close the churchyard paths, Closing churchyard for burials, acquisition of land for a public cemetery. Visitors to graves to be admitted to churchyard on application to the parish clerk. 1879 Cleaning of brooks and watercourses
1881-3 Restoration of the church, and installation of warming apparatus etc. [Some brief details given]
1882
Rating of Holwell Bury Farm
Details of Church Restoration Fund, and of work carried out
Bells to be rehung by Messrs.Warner for £72
1883 Cleaning of brook by the Moat Farm, by the Parsonage and Vicarage to Blacksmith's shop, and on to Common Bars
1884 Encroachment on highway at Lower Stondon, on the hill below the Blacksmith's shop, by the erection of a fence - "a source of peril through the narrowing of the road in the steepest part of the Hill"
1890 Gravel pits at Stondon
1894 Duties of Mrs. Jepps, as sexton
1896 James Smith appointed as organist [continued until 1911]
1898 Memorial to the late Rev.J.A.Bonser 1899 Letter from the Rev.L.H.Postgate, Easter 1899
1905 Vicar authorised to sell or exchange for suitable cruets the disused plate flagon, and to remove lumber from the church.
1909 Chairman to write to T.G.Ashton M.P. to ask him to use his influence to expedite the passing of the Bishoprics Bill through the House of Commons.
1910 Death of Mrs.Postgate - expression of sympathy to the Vicar on his bereavement
1912 Motion against disestablishment New part of churchyard - heaps of earth to be removed
near the back of volume: Accounts of Overseers of the Poor, and in account with other parishes for out-relief etc., bastardy cases, and other matters [little use] 1830-1833