Thorverton, Deanery of Cadbury

Chanter 225A, 220-221

  1. Population and dissenters: My Lord,
    Here are in this Parish about three hundred and two Families of these eleven are Presbyterians, and nine are Anabaptists. Here is a licenced Meeting-House of Anabaptists, and Mr Jones of Exeter sometimes teaches in it.

  2. Public or charity schools: Here is an English Free School in this Parish and a salary of eight Pounds and ten shillings yearly allow’d towards the maintenance thereof. About forty children are taught in it. And good care is taken to instruct them in the Principles of the Christian Religion, according to the Doctrine of the Church of England, to bring them duly & orderly to church, and to see that they behave quietly & reverently there.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: Here is no Alms-house, Hospital, nor any charitable endowment in this Parish. There have been no Lands nor Tenements left for the Repair of the Church; but some gifts and Legacies for The minister and Churchwardens have the Direction of such Benefactions. I don’t know of any Abuses or Frauds comitted in ye management of them.

  4. Residence upon cure: I do reside personally upon the Cure, and in the vicarage House.

  5. Curate: The Reverend Dr Foulkes is the Vicar of this Parish. I have the honour of being his curate, and my name is Richard Freke. I had leave from the late Bishop your Lordship’s worthy Predecessor to serve the cure. And am allow’d thirty Pounds a year for my salary.

  6. Divine service at other churches: I do not perform Divine Service at any other Church unless requested by a sick, or absent neighbour.

  7. Frequency of divine service: I constantly perform Divine service twice on every Lord’s Day with a sermon in the forenoon and afternoon. I also observe all Holy Days and Fasting days, and preach as often as commanded by Authority.

  8. Frequency of communion: I administer the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper on the first Sunday of every month.

  9. Number of communicants: Here are about sixscore communicants in this Parish. About fifty of them usually receive. I believe there were about fifty five who communicated at Easter last past.

  10. Catechising of children: I generally begin to catechise the children of this Parish the fifth Sunday after Trinity. As I go on I expound on the Church Catechism and end the seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. The Parishioners send their Children and Servants, who have not learned their catechism, to be instructed.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: Here is no Chapel in this Parish.

    Richard Freke.