Bampton with Pettin & Shillingford Chapels annexe’d, in the Deanry of Tiverton.

Chanter 225A, 84-85

1. Population and dissenters: I beleive there may be about Four Hundred Families in the Town and Parish of Bampton.
   There may be Forty Families of Dissenters.
   They are all of them Anabaptists.
   There is one publick Meeting House of Anabaptists in the Town but whither Licenc’d or not, I cannot tell.
   The Present Teacher is call’d Elkanah Widgery.
   Thomas Wood Vicar of Bampton

2. Public or charity schools: There is no Publick, or Charity School Endowed; or otherwise maintain’d in my Parish.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no alms-house, Hospital, or other Charitable Endowment nor any lands or Tenements left for the Repair of the Church, or other pious uses – as far as I know.

4. Residence upon cure: I reside personally at Bampton – and in the Parsonage House.

5. Curate: I have no Curate at Bampton.

6. Divine service at other churches: I perform Divine Service at no other Church, but at the Mother Church in Bampton, and in the Two Chapels in the same Parish, annex’d to it.

7. Frequency of divine service: When I was first instituted to Bampton, I found, agreable to an Order made by Offspring Ld Bishop of the Diocese, that on Two Sundays in the month there was only a Sermon and Prayers one Part of the Day at the Mother Church; the Minister officiating the other Part of the Day at one or other of the Chapels. But I have taken care by performing Divine service Thrice every other Sunday, that there is Every Sunday Divine Service Morning and Afternoon in the Mother Church. We have publick Prayers Wednesdays, Fridays and all Holy-Days.

8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper is administred nine Times in the year at the Mother Church – and Four Times in the year at the Chapels.

9. Number of communicants: There may be Seven or Eight Hundred of age to be Communicants. There are usually Three or Four Score Communicants. At Easter last past about an Hundred at the Mother Church and about Thirty at the Chapels.

10. Catechising of children: I usually Catechize the Children of my Parish in the Church Every Sunday from Trinity Sunday to Michaelmas. Several Children are sent by the Parishioners for that Purpose.

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: I have Two Chapels within my Parish. One of them called Petton – Four Miles distant from the Parish Church. The other now called Shillingford but as I have been inform’d, formerly Dipford Two miles distant from the Parish Church. I serve them myself – some part of the First Sunday in the month at Petton and of the Third Sunday in the month at Shillingford – which was the service appointed by Offspring late Lord Bishop of the Diocese.

    Thomas Ward Vicar of Bampton

    Bampton. Vic: ___ Thomas Wood, A.M.
    inst: Febr: 1. 1730. Preb: Sept: 23 1722.
    Lan: Exon. [Explanation]