Population and dissenters: There are, My Lord, in this Parish two & fifty Families of which Number there is one Family of Dissenters consisting of a Mother & her Daughter, who are professedly Presbyterians, & Who, when they go to any Place of Publick Worship, there being no Meeting House of any Denomination in this Parish, go to the presbyterian Meeting-House at Gt. Torrington.
Public or charity schools: There is no Publick or endow’d Charity School of any kind 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 the Xtian Religion & where They are taught duly to attend the Service of the Church.
Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is no Alms-House Hospital or other charitably endow’d House in this P[ari]sh. There is a Tenement with Lands belonging to it left for ye Repair of the Ch: which is set at this Time for £12 per Annum. This Estate is under the Direction of Feoffees, & the Profits arising from it are now & have been, since I have <been> concern’d in the P[ari]sh, duly applied to the Purpose they were at first intended to serve. Whether due application has been formerly made of them I can’t affirm.
Residence upon cure: There being no Parsonage House nor any other Place where I can conveniently live, in Marland, my Personal Residence is at Great Torrington, which is distant from Marland about four Miles. WIth Truth I can assure Your Lordship that I am careful to repair to my Parish on every Occasion, & therefore hope that your Lordship will not oblige me to personal Residence which, as there is no Parsonage House would be highly inconvenient to me.
Curate: I serve this Ch: myself & was licens’d by the late Bishop under the Annual Stipend of £25. The Tithes of this Parish are impropriated & did, when I was licensd, belong to Danl. Cory Gent: Who had a Lease of them. At his Death about two Years since they fell into Mr Rolle’s Hand of Stevenstone, by whose Favour I have since enjoy’d Them.
Divine service at other churches: Since the Absence of the Revd Mr Anthy Risden ye licens’d Curate of Frithelstock I have perform’d Divine Service there as well as at Marland. Frithelstock is about four Miles distant from Marland & hardly two from Torrington the Place of my parsonage Residence. The tithes at Frithelstock are impropriated; And I serve the Ch: there during the Absence of Mr Risden, Who is abroad Chaplain to one of his Majesty’s Ships [of] War, by the Favr of Mr Tonken Impropriator; Who allows me £25 per Annum with the Surplice-Fees.
Frequency of divine service: Since I have serv’d the Ch: at Frithstock with this 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 Aturnately. I perform Divine Service also aturnately at these Chs on extraordinary Holy-Days viz: on Ash-Wednesday. Good-Friday. 30th of Jan: 29th of May. 11th of June &c:
Frequency of communion: The Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper is administred in this Ch: at four Seasons in the year at Xtmas. Easter. Whitsunday & on ye Sunday after Michs: Or, (if I administer the Sacrament at Frithelstock on these Festivals) on the Sundays immediately following:
Number of communicants: There are in this Parish between fifty & sixty Communicants. Twenty of these usually communicate And, as near as I can recollect, I administred to abt thirty at Easter last past.
Catechising of children: I catechize the Children of this Parish every Sunday-Fortnight after the 2d Lesson in the Afternoon thro’ the greatest Part of the Summer Season: & with a Pleasure I assure Your Lordship that the Parishioners are very ready to send their Children & Servts: at such times to be instructed.
I am, My Lord, Your Lordship’s most dutiful Servant.
July ye 4th 1744. Thos: Fisher Minr: of Marland.
Marland Impropri: - Thos: Fisher, A.B.
licens’d June 21. 1736. Presb: Feb: 26. 1737
Stephen Exon. [Explanation]