Rackenford, Deanery of South=Molton

Chanter 225B, 631-632

  1. Population and dissenters: Sixty three Families, but then thirty four are small Cot houses near the Church, The rest are Farmers, whose Families are much larger. There is not one Dissenter of any Denomination, consequently no Meeting House, in my Parish.

  2. Public or charity schools: There is neither Publick nor Charity School, endow’d or otherwise maintain’d; in my Parish; about a year since I rais’d a little School, & pay for ye Education of Some Poor Children, a few of my Parish do ye same, And I hope soon to increase the number of Subscribers & Scholars; which at present are about Eighteen; The Person who has ye Care of them is of sober life & conversation, Instructs them in the Principles of ye Establishd Church, & duly brings them to Church, as required.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: There is neither Alms House, Hospital, or any Charitable endowment nor lands, or Tenements left for ye repair of ye Church or pious uses within my Parish.

  4. Residence upon cure: I do reside personally in my Parsonage House.

  5. Curate: I keep no Curate.

  6. Divine service at other churches: No.

  7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service is perform’d in my Church on all holy days, & twice every Lord’s day with a sermon in ye morning & afternoon.

  8. Frequency of communion: Four times (viz) at Christmas, Easter, Whitsunday, & Michalmas.

  9. Number of communicants: The number of Communicants at my first coming were not more than Eight or Ten, now increas’d; about thirty receiv’d ye sacrament last Easter & near forty the Whitsunday following.

  10. Catechising of children: I began to Catechize ye Children Whitsunday last, as ye School advances, I shall increase the number of Children, & intend to keep on catechizing all the Summer. The Parishioners do not send their Children nor servts to be learn’d their catechism by me.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is no Chapple in which Divine Service is perform’d. Indeed I have a Barton house in my Parish call’d Little Rackenford, one of ye out houses is by tradition said to have been a Chapple. I have narrowly examin’d the Fabrick, but there is nothing appears from it’s Structure, to think it ever was a Religious house, nor could I ever learn to what Order it belong’d.

    Rackenford Rectory – Andw Beatty A:M: Inst: Augst 16 1742. Presb: Sepbr. 19th 1731. Stephen Exon. [Explanation]
    Andw Beatty Rector of Rackenford.