Frithelstock, Deanery of Hartland

Chanter 225B, 832-833

  1. Population and dissenters: May it please your Lordship.
    Before I answer these Queries, I crave Leave to acquaint Your Lordship, that I serve this Ch: at Frithelstock together with that at Marland, where I am licensd, only in the Absence of the Revd. Mr Anthy Risden the licens’d Curate of this Parish, who is now abroad Chaplain to one of his Majesty’s Ships of War. The tithes of Frithelstock are impropriated & belong to Willm Tonken Esqr, by whose Favour I’ve serv’d the Ch: since Mr Risden’s Absence, & am with Your Lordship’s Leave, to serve it till his Return. Mr Tonken allows me £25 per Annum: with ye Surplice Fees.
    There are, My Lord, in this Parish ninety Families, of which there is only one Family of Dissenters consisting of a Brother & two Sisters, who are professedly Presbyterians & Who there being no Meeting-House of any sort in this Parish attend Publick Worship at the Meeting-House in Great Torrington.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is no Publick or endowd Charity School of any sort in this Parish. There is a small School or two, where Children are taught to read, where Care is taken to instruct them in the Principles of ye Xtian Religion as contain’d in our Excellent Ch: Catechism & where they are taught to attend duly the Service of ye Ch:

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-house, Hospital, or other charitably endowd House in this Parish. There is a House rented by the Parish where in some of the Poor dwell. There are a small Estate set for £2 5s 0d per Annum which was left for ye Use of the Poor. This Estate is under the Direction of Feoffees, & the Income of it is, I am inform’d, duly applied to the Purpose it was intended to serve.

  4. Residence upon cure: There being no Parsonage-House, nor any Place in this Parish where I can conveniently reside, my Personal Residence is at Great Torrington, which is not above a Mile & a half distant from the Church at Frithelstock.

  5. Curate: This Query is answerd by what has been said already.

  6. Divine service at other churches: And so is This.

  7. Frequency of divine service: Since I have serv’d this Ch: together with my own at Marland my constant Method has been to perform Divine Service with a Sermon at each Ch: once every Lords-Day, In the Morning & Afternoon alternately. I likewise perform Divine Service at these two Chs: Alternately on extraordinary Holy Days. on Ash-Wednesday, Good-Friday, 30th of Jan: 29th of May 11th of June &c:

  8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administred in this Ch: at four Seasons in ye Year at Xtmass, Easter, Whitsunday & on the Sunday after Michaelmas Day; or, when I administer at Marland, on these Festivals, on the Sundays immediately following.

  9. Number of communicants: There are between ninety & a hundred Communicants of this Parish About thirty of them usually receive, And as near as I can recollect, the Number of Communicants at Easter last was between forty & fifty.

  10. Catechising of children: I catechize the Children of this Parish every Sunday-Fort-night after ye 2d Lesson in the Afternoon thro’ ye Summer Season. And with Pleasure I tell your LordShip; that the Parishioners are not backward in sending their Children & Servts at such Times to be instructed.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is no Chapel in this Parish; nor any Chapel in Ruins, except that which formerly belongs to ye Priory at Frithelstock.

    I am, Your Lordships most Dutiful Servant.
    July ye 4th. 1744. J. Fisher. Minr of Frith:

    Frithelstock Impropri: - Thos: Fisher A.B.
    licensd to Marland. June 21. 1736. Presb: Feby: 26. 1737.
    Stephen Exon. [Explanation]