Ailesbeare, Deanery of Ailesbeare

Chanter 225A, 236-237

  1. Population and dissenters: Neare 117 Families & 436 Souls Old & young. Among those are three <old> Presbiterians, one old Quaker & a Family of Anabaptists consisting of a man & his wife with two or three Children. We have no Meeting House. The Anabaptist did usually keep a School in ye town of Newtonpopleford within this Parish; but I am told he is removing with his Family to Honiton Clist. Whether he intends to teach there I cannot tell, but I believe his Principles will hardly qualify him for such an Employ. I believe he was never Licenced.

  2. Public or charity schools: We have here an Endowment only of thirty Shillings a year, as a help for ye Instruction in Reading [of] six poor children. By mistake I began to increase this answer after ye next Quest. which see.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: We have within ye Town of Newtonpopleford in this Parish a small Endowment belonging to a School, which on Enquiry, I find has not been fully employed to ye uses of ye will. I shall do my endeavour to see it rightly applied for ye future.

  4. Residence upon cure: I do reside personally in my Vicarage House.

  5. Curate: I have no Curate, as I serve my Cure myself.

  6. Divine service at other churches: I perform Service at no Church but my own unless occasionally for a sick or absent neighbour.

  7. Frequency of divine service: I perform twice every Lords Day & preach both morning & evening. As also on days of Humiliation & Thanksgiving appointed by Authority: And on all Holy days, when I have a prospect of having a Congregation and am not prevented by sickness or urgent Business.

  8. Frequency of communion: Four Times, viz. Christmas Day, Easter Day, White-Sunday & about Michaelmas.

  9. Number of communicants: I believe there cannot be less than 250 within my Parish that ought to Communicate; but I seldom see more than thirty at a Time & often not so many. I believe I had about that number last Easter.

  10. Catechising of children: The Children I catechize every Sunday during a good Part of ye Summer or till they are all perfect: And I do not find but ye Inhabitants near ye Church do readily send them. But those of Newtonpopleford, 3 miles from ye Church, I have not yet seen.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: In Newtonpopleford, 3 miles from the Church is a Chappel not subject to any Visitation, unless by ye Representative of ye Person who endow’d it. There were Lands given for ye use of ye Chapel, & ye Feoffment was given to certain Persons who leased out ye better Part; which money they put to their own use. Since that they are all dead or run away. We have no Power left us to demand the Rents. The Tenants refuse to pay. And ye Chapel without timely Relief will fall. It has always been served by ye Vicar but ad Libitum. It was never found he was obliged to it. And at present I do no duty there but Christen or bury. A Congregation being in danger from its decay’d Roof.

    Aylisbere V.—John Lovelace, A.B.
    Inst: Decem: 18. 1741. Presb. Sept. 20. 1741.
    Steph: Exon. [Explanation]