Dunsford, Deanery of Dunsford.

Chanter 225A, 182-183

1. Population and dissenters: One hundred thirty six Families, besides one man in the Alms-House, and one woman there with three Children, and two women with one Child each, and one woman with two Children, and two single women. Of these none are Dissenters, except one Thomas Gray and his Family (or some of ‘em) who a few years since came from Moreton-Hampstead to reside in this Parish. He one while favours the Presbyterians most, at another Time the Quakers. His wife is a profess’d Presbyterian, and goes for the most Part to a Presbyterian Meeting-House. But both of them sometimes come to Church, not only at Funerals, but on Sundays {when} tho' there be no Funeral. Their Children (two in number, a son and daughter) go to Church for the most Part, either their own, or some nigher Church; two or three Churches being nearer to them than their own Parish-Church. There is no Meeting-House of Dissenters in this Parish. On further Enquiry I find, that Thomas Gray’s Son and Daughter go as often to a Presbyterian Meeting-House as to Church.

2. Public or charity schools: Here is a Donation of twenty four shillings yearly, for ever for Teaching four Poor Children to read the Bible. And due Care is taken by the Minister, that the Teacher do instruct them in the Principles of the Christian religion, according to the Doctrine of the Church of England, and bring them duly to Church, as the Canon requires. There is no other Public or Charity School, endow’d, or otherwise maintain’d in this Parish.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: Here is an Alms-House, leas’d by Francis Fulford Esqr deceas’d to the use of the Poor of this Parish for a certain Term of years; whereof (I think) between twenty and thirty are yet to come; reserving a Conventionary Rent of four Pence yearly: which is constantly paid. Here is also a charitable Endowment of an Estate of Land, (situate in the Parish of Moreton-Hampstead) to the use of such of the Poor of this Parish for ever as are not in the Parish-Books: Under the Direction of Seven Feoffees, (when their number is complete) the Minister for the time being to be always one of the Directors. Five twenty-second Parts of the neat Produce of the whole Estate are to be paid to the use of the Poor of the Parish of Doddiscombesleigh. And of the Remainder twenty four shillings yearly are to be apply’d to the use mention’d in my answer to the Second Query. The whole Estate is now lett at five Pounds and five Shillings per Annum neat, for a Term of one and twenty years. There is no other Alms-House, Hosptial, or other charitable Endowment in this Parish. No Lands or Tenements have been left for the Repair of our Church, or other pious use. I do not know nor have heard of, any Abuses or Frauds committed in the management of the above-mention’d Benefaction.

4. Residence upon cure: I do reside personally upon my Cure, and in my Vicarage-House.

5. Curate: I have no Curate, that is curate of Dunsford.

6. Divine service at other churches: No, except as Others do, to assist a Neighbour-Minister upon Occasion.

7. Frequency of divine service: On all Sundays and Holydays, and every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, and every Day in Passion-Week, and twice every Lord’s-Day, Christmas-Day, Ashwednesday, Good-Friday, Easter-Eve, and 30th of January: and every Lord’s-Day a Sermon in the Forenoon, and another in the Afternoon.

8. Frequency of communion: Five Times, viz: on Passion-Sunday, Easter-Day, Whitsunday, the Sunday before next before Michaelmas-Day, and on Christmas-Day.

9. Number of communicants: The number of Persons in this Parish that are sixteen years old and upwards is about four hundred and twenty. {The} At the Communion-Table we have usually about seventy. Last Passion-Sunday and the Sunday following being Easter-Day the Communicants were about sixty five and ninety in number.

10. Catechising of children: My Parishioners do not send their Children and Servants to be catechiz’d, so duly as I would have ‘em; tho’ I often call upon ‘em to do it, and reprove ‘em for not doing it. But some are sent: and the Charity-Children constantly attend. I use to catechize in the Church every Lord’s-Day in the Afternoon from Trinity-Sunday till the eighth of September, the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: To the memory whereof our Parish-Church was dedicated.

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is a Chapel at Great Fulford in this Parish, distant about two miles and half northward from our Parish Church. Wherein Divine Service is often perform’d by the Reverend Mr Chichester Tomkins Clerk. But it was never consecrated: And goes by no other name than {that} of Fulford-Chapel. Here is also a Tradition, that there was a Chapel heretofore Standing on Clifford-Barton in the Manour of Clifford, at the West End of this parish, distant about two miles and half likewise from our Parish-Church. Its name I never heard of. Scarce any Footstep of it now remains. Possibly it might be endow’d with the Sheaf-Tithe of the Manour of Clifford in this Parish. For that is now annex’d to the Vicarage here, and makes it a Vicarage endow’d.

    Dunsford V.--- Thomas Byrdall, A.M. inst. Oct. 23. 1716. Ofspring Exon. Dunchidiocke R. – collat. Dec. 9. 1721. Lancelott Exon. Presb. Jun. 11. 1704. Jonathan Exon. [Explanation]

    Tho: Byrdall, Vicar of Dunsford.