West Alvington, Deanery of Woodley

Chanter 225B, 541-542

    [The words 'sign'd by yourself, at my approaching Primary Visitation, and may be deliver'd either to the Register, or to my Secretary' are crossed through and 'to me by the Post' written in the margin. Dated Apr. 4 1745.]

  1. Population and dissenters: About an Hundred Families, of which there may be about 20 Dissenting Families – one Quaker Family – A Few Anabaptist Families, the Rest Presbyterian – there is no Meeting-house of Dissenters in our parish.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is no Charity or publick School in our parish of W: Alvington or Milton. I take care, every Sunday, to hear & teach all the Children in my parishes the Church Catechism. They come constantly to church.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-house, Hospital, or Charitable Endowment – There are indeed four little Tenements in W: Alvington let out at a yearly Rent of about £1 15s 0d per annum which Rent is punctualy applied to ye Repair of the Church – How, or when, these Tenements were Left for this use I coud never Learn.

  4. Residence upon cure: I reside in my Parsonage House at Alvington.

  5. Curate: No Curate at W: Alvington or Milton because I do the Duty my self.

  6. Divine service at other churches: I perform divine service at W: Alvington & South Milton: viz I read Prayers & preach at Alvington in ye morning every Lords Day, & perform ye same Service at Milton in the Afternoon.

  7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service is performd on Sundays at W: Alvington in the morning & South Milton in the Afternoon. And on all Saints=Days. The Reason why service is not performd twice ev'ry Lords Day at W: Alvington is because in the Afternoon I read prayers & preach at South Milton.

  8. Frequency of communion: Four Times a year, viz: at Xtmass, Easter & Whitsunday, & the Sunday before Michaelmass. Four times also at Milton.

  9. Number of communicants: About Fifty communicated last Easter at Alvington and about twenty at South Milton. These are the usual number.

  10. Catechising of children: The Children are Catechised ev'ry Sunday Morning at W: Alvington & Ev'ry Sunday afternoon <at Milton>, in ye presence of the Congregation. The Parishioners are very exact in sending their Children & Servants to be instructed by me.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: No Chapel within my Parish of W: Alvington. South Milton is a distinct parish, so is Malborough, so is Huish. Milton is two miles distant from W: Alvington Church, Huish two miles, Malborough about three miles. There is no Chapel in Ruins.

    West=Alvington V.... Thomas Pyle A:M:
    inst. 23 April. 1742. Presb: Decemr: 17th 1738.
    Benj: Winchester. [Explanation]