St Andrews Plymouth, Deanery of Plympton

Chanter 225A, 398-399

1. Population and dissenters: In my Parish of St Andrews Plymouth there may be between 8 & 900 Families; exclusive of those contain’d in the Chapelries of East Stonehouse, St Budeuax & St Pancras or Pennicross; & exclusive of Six Companies of Soldiers constantly barrack’d in the Fort & Island of St Nicolas: of these Families 250 or upwards may be Dissenters, Presbyterians & Independents, Anabaptists, Quakers, & French Calvinists. There are two licensed Meeting-Houses one of Presbyterians taught by Mr Baron, & one of Anabaptists taught by Mr Binnick.

2. Public or charity schools: There is a Publick Grammar School with about Forty Scholars, endowed besides a Dwelling-House with an Annuity of Thirty Pounds paid by the Receiver out of the Town Revenues. There is a Charity School in the other Parish.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is in my Parish a work-House incorporated by Act of Parliament under the Management of 52 Guardians chosen annually, & supported by the Poor Rates & by several Lands & Benefactions contained in Tables hung up in the Work-House into this are sunk all the unendowed Alms Houses, which are become Out-Members of it. There is besides an Alms-House for twelve widows supported by Lands under the Care of two wardens chosen annually by the Corporation. There are besides three Hospitals of Blue Red & Green Boys each supported by their several Lands the Blue (the number at present 18) under the Care of Trustees chosen successively by virtue of the original Donation of Sr John Maynard & Ellis Stort Esqr: the present are Sr John Rogers Bartt Mr Deeble, Dr Yonge, Dr Martyn & Mr Ridout but one Red Boy whose Trustees are the Mayor & Eldest Justice for the time being. 15 Green Boys whose Trustee is the Justice for the time being who had been Mayor in preceding year. I neither know nor have heard of any Abuse or Fraud committed in the Management of them. No Lands or Tenements left for the Repair of the Church.

4. Residence upon cure: I do reside personally upon my Cure in a hired House; there being properly no Vicarage-House, but a great many Dwelling Houses belonging to the Vicar, which are all tenanted & in good repair.

5. Curate: I have no Curate; but there is belonging to the Church a Lecturer chosen by the Magistrates & supported by the Voluntary Subscriptions of the Inhabitants; the name of the Present Lecturer is Mr Robert Forster, who is duly qualified according to the Canons.

6. Divine service at other churches: I performed Divine Service in no Church besides my own.

7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service is perform’d in my Church twice every day in a week, with two Sermons every Sunday, a Lecture every Wednesday, & an Exposition on the Gospel every Holy-day.

8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament is administer’d <in my Church> sometimes nine & sometimes ten times every Year.

9. Number of communicants: There may be, including Dissenters of every kind, upwards of 3000 Communicants; of them 300 or more usually receive at the Church; at the great Festivals & last Easter particularly I believe upwards of 400.

10. Catechising of children: Once in a year generally, at some time in Summer, at the Wednesday Lecture the Charity Children both Boys & girls, together with the Blue Red & Green Boys are publickly catechized in my Church. No others are sent; but I have reason to believe that it prevails very generally to catechize Children at home.

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: Besides a Chapel in the Garison which is served by a Curate to the Chapel there is a Chapel at East=Stonehouse about a mile distant from the Parish-Church served by my Curate Mr Josiah Foot, & likewise a French Episcopal Congregation served by Mr Foriel: there are two other Chapels St Budeaux & St Pancras commonly call’d Pennicross the former 3 miles & the other 2 Miles from the Parish Church, both served according to antient usage by one Curate who at present <is> Mr Thomas Alcock, & preaches twice at St Budeaux one Sunday & the next at St Budeaux in the Forenoon & St Pancras in the afternoon. I have no Chapel in Ruins.

    St Andrews Plymouth V.—Zachariah Mudge inst. Aug. 26. 1732. Presb. Septr. 29. 1729. Steph. Exon. [Explanation]
    Zach: Mudge.