Lynton, Deanery of Sherwill

Chanter 225B, 713-7141

    [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 the Bp by the post’ entered in the margin.]

  1. Population and dissenters: The Families are Eight-five in Number: Of these there is one Man, in one of the said Families, that seems to Dissent from the Church of England; a Scot by Extraction, & initiated in the Principles of the Church of Scotland. There is no licensed Meeting House of Dissenters within our Parish, & consequently no Teacher.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is not any Publick or Charity-School, endowed or otherwise maintain’d, in our Parish.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-house, Hospital, or other Charitable Endowment, no Lands or Tenements left for the Repair of our Church or any other pious Use, within our Parish.

  4. Residence upon cure: I reside upon my Vicarage at Barnstaple constantly having there a large Cure of Souls. Thos Steed.

  5. Curate: I have a residing Curate. His Name is Edward Nichols. He is duly qualified according to the Canons in that Beh[alf]. He does not live in the Parsonage or Vicarage House but in a House more commodious for Himself & his Family. His Allowance is Thirty Pounds per Annum.

  6. Divine service at other churches: [No answer given]

  7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service is perform’d in our Church, on Sundays and Holy-days, once a Day. ‘Tis not practicable to perform Div[ine] Service twice every Lord’s Day in this Church, on Account that My-self or Curate must preach in the Church of Countisbury the same Day, & whoever performs Divine Service in the one Church. He always does – it in the other: Besides, the Declivities & Eminence are so difficult, that your Lordship has not the like <Road> in your Diocese.

  8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administred fo[ur] Times in the Year in our Church, and this Year it is intended (God willing) to be administred five Times in our Church.

  9. Number of communicants: There are about Seventy Communicants in our Parish; Sixty of whom do usually receive. And at Easter last, there was about Seventy-two Persons who Communicated.

  10. Catechising of children: The Children are Catechiz’d in our Church between the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of St. Michael the Arch-angel Yearly. The Majority of the Parishioners do send their Children and servants to be instructed in the Catechism, & some do not.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is no Chapel, nor any Chapel in Ruins, within our Parish.

    Thos. Steed admitted to the Perpetual Curacy of Linton Sepbr. 11. 1734. Presb: July 7th. 1728. Step: Exon.

Chanter 225B, 715-716

  1. Population and dissenters: The Number of Families in the Parish of Linton is Seventy-six. Of which, the Master of one Family is a Dissenter, of the Kirk of Scotland. There <is> no licensed or other Meeting-House of Dissenters in the said Parish, & consequently no Teacher.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is no regular Publick or Charity School, endowed or otherwise maintain’d, in the said Parish.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-house, Hospital, or other charitable Endowment in the Parish.

  4. Residence upon cure: I keep a Curate who resides in a proper Place of the Parish.

  5. Curate: The Name of my Curate is Edward Nicholas. He is qualified according to the Canons in that Behalf; to whom I allow Thirty-Pounds per Annum for serving the Cures of Linton & Countisbury.

  6. Divine service at other churches: My Curate keeps the Churches committed to his Care, regularly serv’d.

  7. Frequency of divine service: Divine-Service is perform'd in the Church of Linton only once a Day, on Account of his being oblig’d to serve the Church of Countisbury.

  8. Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administred in the Church of Linton four Times in the year.

  9. Number of communicants: There are about Sixty-three or Sixty-four Communicants in the Parish. And there <are> from forty to forty-five that usually receive. And the Number of Those who Communicated at last Easter was Fifty-eight.

  10. Catechising of children: The Children are catechiz’d in our Church in the Summer-Time, once in a Fortnight. In the Winter Season it is render’d impracticable, on Account of the difficult Roads & Waters surmountable between Linton and Countesbury. And some of the Parishioners send their Children & Servants who have not learn’d their Catechism to be instructed at Ch[urch].1

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is on Chapel within our Parish, nor any Chapel in Ruins.

    Linton R-- Edward Nicholas Curate Presb. Sep. 20th: 1741. [Explanation]

    1. The right hand side of page 714 is partially damaged. Missing parts of words are enclosed within squared brackets. [Back]
    2. Word obscured by volume binding.[Back]