Down St Mary, Deanery of Cadbury

Chanter 225A, 214-215

1. Population and dissenters: May it please your Lordship,
   In ye Parish of Down St. Mary there are about fifty Families, there is only one Family, Dissenters – and this of ye Denomination of Presbyterians. No licenced or any Meeting House &c.

2. Public or charity schools: No Publick or Charity School – only a woman instructs three or four Children.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: About thirty or forty years ago, the Sum of Six Pounds and ten shillings (which was ye Remainder of a Sum formerly given for ye Support of such Poor as had not Monthly Relief) was laid out by the Consent of the whole Parish in Building of a House for the Poor; togethr with another Sum then collected by a Rate towards finishing the aforesaid House. But ye Interest of ye said Sum of Six Pounds and ten Shillings is still contind to be given to such Poor as have not monthly Relief. No Lands or Tenements left for ye Repair of ye Church. Five Shillings per Annum forever were left to such Poor of ye Parish as have not monthly relief – to be paid out of an Estate called Wood in Eggesford Parish the Overseers of our Poor have the management of the Five Shillings.

4. Residence upon cure: No – the last Bishop dispensd with my Non-residence. I live with my Father at Frier-Waddon, near Dorchester in Dorsetshire.

5. Curate: No. His Name is William Churchill. He is duly qualified according to the Canons. He does not live <in> ye Parsonage House, but lives with His Father not above three miles from the Church – there being no Convenient House for his Boarding in the Parish. I allow him Thirty four Pounds a year for His serving the Cure.

6. Divine service at other churches: No – unless to assist a Friend.

7. Frequency of divine service: Divine service with two sermons is always perform’d every Sunday, unless for the Reason given to the sixth Query.

8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament is administred four times a year – on Christmas day, Easter day, Whitsunday, and on one Sunday after Michaelmas.

9. Number of communicants: There are in the Parish between forty and fifty Communicants – about Twenty of them usually receive – and I belive there were about Twenty three or four yt communicated last Easter.

10. Catechising of children: The Children are catechised: six or seven Sundays after Trinity Sunday. The Parishioners send their Children to be instructed in their Catechism, but I belive, their servants, never –

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins:

    No Chapels within our Parish.

    Will: Masterman Rector.

    Down St. Mary R--- William Masterman, A.M. Inst. May 5. 1733 Stephen Exon. – Presb. Sept. 21. 1729. Guil. Bristol. [Explanation]