Clist=Hydon, Deanery of Plymptree

Chanter 225A, 116-117

1. Population and dissenters: There are in my Parish of Clisthydon 57 Familys, of which one only, lately come thereinto, is a Dissenter, of the Presbyterian Perswasion. There is no Meeting House in my Parish, nor any dissenting Teacher.

2. Public or charity schools: There is one School in my Parish, which for about 36 years past has been a Charity one. It was endowed by Dr. Robert Hall, Treasurer of St. Peters, Exon, and my last Predecessor save one with fifteen Pounds a year, charged on his Manour of Broadwood-Kelly in this County. We have also the sum of 53 Pounds in money, which we commonly call the Stock-Money, supposed, but without any Certainty, to have been the Benefaction of some of my Predecessors. This was formerly a larger sum: but is now, by the Failure of Persons to whom it was lent, reduced to £53. Part of the Interest of this £53, viz. £1 19s 0d is paid to the Schoolmaster whose Salary thereby amounting to £16 10s 0d was in the Time of my immediate Predecessor, Mr Elijah Dene paid to his Curates, as Masters of a Kind of Grammar School. But as I saw that a Grammar School was not of any use in this obscure Parish, I obtained Leave of Bishop Blackall, and the Chapter, who were Trustees of Dr Halls will, to convert my School into a Charity one, the Master to be obliged to teach 18 poor Children, if so many could be found. Thus it has continued ever since: And the present master, Mr. David Webber, a very discreet and sober Person, teaches all my poor Children with a great deal of Diligence, and instructs them in the Principles of Christianity according to the Doctrine of our Church.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-house, nor Hospital in my Parish. But the above-mentioned Dr. Robert Hall, together with the 15 Pounds for the use of a School-master, bequeathed the sum of 5 Pounds yearly for binding forth Apprentices poor Children born within my Parish: which sum arising out of the same Manour, my Church-Wardens apply to the use appointed by the Benefactor. And as our stock money above-mentioned yields 14 shillings a year more than is paid to the Schoolmaster, that money is yearly distributed to the Labourers, who have not Pay of the Parish. This, I find has been anciently done, tho' by what Direction I could never learn; our old writings, by leaving the Church coffers exposed to the weather in the Time of my Predecessor when the Tower was rebuilding, having been Defaced, and utterly spoild.

4. Residence upon cure: I have constantly resided personally upon my Cure, and in my Parsonage House for near these forty years, upwards of which Time I have been Rector of this Parish.

5. Curate: I have not, nor ever have had any Curate Since my first Residence here.

6. Divine service at other churches: I have never performed Divine Service in any Church besides my own, except occasionally for a sick or absent neighbouring Brother.

7. Frequency of divine service: I perform Divine Service in my Church every Lords Day, and every Holy-Day: And every Lord’s Day I preach both Morning and Evening.

8. Frequency of communion: I administer the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper seven Times every year, that is to say, on the three Grand Festivals, the first Sunday in Lent, the Sunday next before Harvest, the Sunday next before Michaelmas, and Advent Sunday.

9. Number of communicants: The number of Communicants in my Parish, or such of my Parishioners as have ever communicated in my Church, is 92. By looking over my memorandums of the number of Communicants at each of the 7 Communions last year I find the sum to be just 293, which sum divided by 7 gives 42, the number of Communicants that I am to compute I had one Time with another. Last Easter my number was 47.

10. Catechising of children: I catechize the Children in Church after the second Lesson in the Evening every Sunday in the months of May and June every year. And as I have done the same for so many years, I believe there is scarcely a Person educated in my Parish who has not learn’d his Catechism.

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There was anciently in my Parish, about a mile from the Church, upon an Estate belonging to one Edward Searle, who lately became an Inhabitant of my Parish, and whose Family is the only dissenting one therein, a little Chappel, dedicated, as Tradition says, to St. Michael but whether for publick or private use at first erected, is not said. This Chappel had long been in Ruins, and has lately by the said Searle been level’d with the Ground.

    Clisthydon Rectory, Francis Huysh. A.M.
    Inst. Sept. 14. 1703.
    Presb. Dec. 3. 1699. Johannes Ossoriensis.
    
    Francis Huysh [Explanation]