Stoke Damerell, Deanery of Tamerton

Chanter 225B, 443-444

1. Population and dissenters: I believe there may be near a Thousand Familys. The Dissenters of all Denominations are few considering the number of Inhabitants is so great. There is no Dissenting Meeting House of any sort.

2. Public or charity schools: There is no Publick or Charity Schoole in the Parish.

3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: No.

4. Residence upon cure: The Parish of Stoke=Damerell is very small, and had but very few Inhabitants (perhaps betwixt 2 and 3 Hundred) till the year 1692 when a Royal Dock=yard was begun, and has been carrying on and improving ever since: and on occasion of great numbers of People employ'd in and resorting to the same a large town has been built where before was not a single House, which is every Day increasing. This Town is half a mile from the Parish Church and Parsonage House and it being very inconvenient for the Minister to live so far from his Parishioners (his attenance at the Dock=Town on account of occasional Dutys, being requir'd almost every Day, frequently several times in a Day) my Predecessor bought a House in the Town in order to be near his constant Duty: I have also done the same, where I now reside.

5. Curate: I serve my own Cure: my House is inhabited by a Tenant.

6. Divine service at other churches: No, except occasionally to assist any of my Neighbours.

7. Frequency of divine service: Divine Service, with a sermon, is perform'd [illegible deletion] twice every Lord's Day; and Prayers every Holiday.

8. Frequency of communion: At the 3 great Festivals; as also on every first Sunday of the Month, except it be near one of the Festivals.

9. Number of communicants: The Number of Persons capable of communicating may be guess'd at from the Number of Parishioners which I believe may be about five Thousand: the usual Number that actually communicated is, at the Festivals about two Hundred and thirty, at other times one hundred and thirty or fourty.

10. Catechising of children: I catechise the Children every Lent.

11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: There is a Chapel (not endow'd) in the Dock yard for the use of the Officers there residing, and of the Seamen in Ordinary or belonging to Men of War not in Commission.

    Stoke=Damerell R. William Barlow A.M.
    Inst. Apr. 19. 1728. Presb. Sept. 23. 1716. Edm. Lincoln. [Explanation]