Scope and Content
Depositions ex parte complainant:
John Odell of Pixhill, farmer, 78, has lived there 50 years; has lands & tenements worth £30 per annum. The 2 aisles of the church are much decayed, and part fallen down. It has always been reported that the owners of the manor or courthouse should repair them. This for 20 years has been Sir Thomas Alston. For 40 years the owner of the manor or courthouse & his tenants have sat in the North aisle; and the owner has usually been buried in the South aisle & allowed no other burials there. Deponent has heard that Robert Brumall, while tenant of the manor or courthouse, buried his wife 's daughter in South aisle & refused fee.
William Pestell of Milton Ernest, farmer, 60, has lived there 20 years. [nothing new].
George Houghton of Stevington, labourer, 61, has lived there from birth. Katherine Brumell, widow, died about 30 years ago, and then her son Robert occupied the manor or courthouse, & sat in North aisle; & they were buried in South aisle; & so was daughter of Robert 's wife. He has a cottage & land, value £3 per annum.
Vincent Wheaton of Stevington, mason, 66, has lived there from birth. About 60 years ago, when he was 'a schooleboy at Stevington', John Bromhall, who lived at the manor or courthouse, repaired the North aisle of the chancel & caused a beam to be laid at the East end of the North aisle to bear up the chancel roof. Later his son Robert had the two seats in the North aisle repaired & made into one by the carpenter, John Lockett (deceased.) & himself (he underpinned the seat with stone) he has a cottage in Stevington. Says that part of the chancel belongs to Francis Dive esquire.
Thomas Cox of Stevington, farmer, 60, has lived there 26 years. He (being a newcomer) demanded a burial fee from Bromhall, but was refused - Bromhall said the aisles belonged to the Earl of Derby. and that he himself was responsible for repair. As churchwarden about 15 -16 years ago, seeing the aisles get out of repair. '& the ecclesiastical laws being then laid aside - it being in the time of the late rebellion' - he presented the decay to the justices of the peace, & they promised to compel Bromhall, but never did. His own lands in Stevington are worth £8 9s per annum.
Margaret Bromhall of Stevington, widow, 70, has lived there 28 years. Sir Thomas Alston is owner of manor or courthouse, & has been since her husband's death 7 years ago. Her lands are worth £20 per annum. She & her husband once suggested that they should repair the aisles if freed from church rates.
Depositions ex parte defendant:
William Creamer of Pavenham, glazier, 70, has lived there from birth; 7 - 8 years ago, by direction of William Morris & John Cox, then churchwardens, he glazed windows of both aisles, except a little one of North aisle, which was run over with ivy; & they paid him for it. His father, also glazier, did it 50 years ago & churchwardens paid.
John Ridge of Odell, plumber, 63, has lived there from birth; 34 years ago, the churchwardens (Taylor & Browne) employed him to mend leads of both aisles, which he did with George Pollard, plumber, of Bedford; they were paid over £4 & gave bond that it would last 7 years. A carpenter, Marshall, & his servant Thomas Adams, put in several joists & wall-plates in the South side. 7 - 8 years ago he & William Creamer repaired windows of aisles by order of William Morrice, churchwarden.
Ralph Harvey of Stevington, mercer, 61, has lived there 27 years. He & Bernard Hopkins were churchwardens 1643-8 and mended leads of North aisles by parish rate. Sir Thomas Alston has lands & tenements in Stevington to very considerable value, usually
taxed towards church repair.
(Stevington) (After 1660) dates of birth indicate c.1665