Briddistow, Deanery of Tavistoke

Chanter 225A, 390-391

  1. Population and dissenters: There are in my Parish of Bridestow about 60ty Families; & not a Dissenter of any Denomination, yt I, or my Curate know of at present; There is no Meeting House at all.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is no Publick or Charity School endow’d in my Parish. I give Bibles & other Books to poor Children & others every year, yt They may be instructed in ye Principles of the Christian Religion.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Hospital, or other charitable Endowment. There is a House call’d ye Church <House> inhabited by Paupers & repaired at ye Expence of ye Parish out of ye Church Rate. There is also a Plot or Piece of Land call’d Parish Ham – value about one pound ten shillings per annum. The Rent of which is apply’d to the use of ye Church. The measure of ye Ground is about or near three acres; By whom, or when left to that use, I know not.

  4. Residence upon cure: I do not Reside personally upon my Cure, but in Lamerton a Parish adjoyning; which Favour of Non-Residence your Lordship’s Predecessor was pleas’d to indulge me & to serve ye Curacy of Lamerton under ye Revd Mr Chancelour Fursman as I had done for many years before yt I was Collated to ye Rectory of Bridestow, when I was Vicar of Colyton.

  5. Curate: The Revd Mr Thomas Gotham is my Curate & resides in a House of his own in the Parish not in ye Parsonage House. Having a wife & Family & as I am very frequently in ye Parish & lodge in it myself at Times, 6 or 8 weeks Every year. He is qualifyd according to ye Canons. I allow Him forty pounds per annum. (My House is in exceedingly good repair I having rebuit the best part of it).1

  6. Divine service at other churches: The Curate perform’s Divine Service in the Chapel or Daughter-Church of Sourton with Bridestow.

  7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service is perform’d in my Church of Bridestow, on all Sundays & Holy Days with a Sermon ye Morning, excepting of Every third Lord’s Day or Sunday; when my Curate then performs Divine Service at Sourton with a Sermon in ye Morning, & at Bridestow in the Afternoon then.

  8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of ye Lord’s Supper is adminstred four Times in ye year in my Church of Bridestow.

  9. Number of communicants: About seventy; about Forty of Them usually receive: at Easter last past about {of Them} Fifty of Them communicated.

  10. Catechising of children: The Children are Catachiz’d, about six Times in ye year as my Curate tells me, on Sundays in ye afternoon as require’d by ye Canon. The Parishoners send their Children & Servts to be instructed in their Catachism.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is no Chapel now within ye Parish of Bridestow. The Chapel or Church of Sourton being reckon’d a Distinct Parish, which is served also by Mr Thomas Gotham; & is only a Mile & half distant from ye Church of Bridestow.

    Bridestow R. Pet: Burnaford. A.B. coll: 10th. Oct 1734. Presb. 20th Oct: 1717. Lancelot Exon. [Explanation]

    1. Text entered in the margin, partly lost in binding. [back]