Parochial records

CHAPTER XXVI - PAROCHIAL RECORDS

Registers (fn. 1)

Vestry Minute Books.

Trustee Minute Books.

Restoration Minute Books.

Preachers' Books.

School Minute Books.

Other Books

Registers of Documents.

The Registers are in good condition and indexed to date. They are kept in the iron parish safe.

The earliest (No. 1) commences in the year 1616. There is no record as to whether one was begun under Thos. Cromwell's injunctions of 1538 (fn. 9) or after those injunctions were re-issued in 1547. A paper register was probably started, as directed by Queen Elizabeth in 1559, which would have been transcribed into a parchment book as directed by convocation in 1597. And Pink in his History of Clerkenwell refers to a marriage of Minors in this church in April 1615, but no such reg ster now exists. The early registers here were occasionally used for other purposes than the registration of baptisms, marriages, and burials; thus the first entry in the baptismal register of 1616 is 'received of Thomas Back the third of December 1623 the some of Twenty and one poundes, fower shillings to the use of Elnor Wilkinson wch. was given to the said Elnor by her father Mathew Wilkinson, I say £21 4s.' In the same register, p. 199, is the licence granted in 1639 by Rector Westfield to Mary Anthony to eat some meat in Lent, already referred to; (fn. 10) and the Latin verses (fn. 11) probably written by the same Rector, are on the last page; whilst on the fly-sheet at the end is recorded a marriage in the 'ffleet' on the 23rd April 1737.

The names of titled parishioners recorded in this and the two following Registers have already been given in the chapter on the Inhabitants. (fn. 12)

On the first page of Register No. 2 is a list of those who subscribed to the building of the present tower of the church, called the steeple in 1628.

On the title-page of Register No. 3 is the record of the election and admission to office of Robert Downinge as Registrar on the 29th September 1653, and of Henry Downinge on the 4th July 1654. In this register occur the Long Parliament marriages which took place in the years 1653–1658, some of which are signed by the Aldermen. Also the burials during the Great Plague of 1665, to which reference has already been made. (fn. 13)

When indexing register No. 3 Mr. John Hope, the parish clerk, made the following notes which bring out many of the points of interest in this and the other early registers.

Register No. 3 contains 3,535 names, of which

One entry of marriage omits the lady's name.

Baptisms for the years 1653 and 1654, he points out, are duplicates of the entries for those years in the previous register.

The following names, apparently given to 'foundlings', of which there seems to have been a good number, occur frequently among the baptisms. (fn. 15)

The names most common in this register are, on the whole, much the same as those most in use now. There is an occasional 'Alice': and 'Edeth' appears for the second time in a century. 'Margery' and 'Constance' each appear in this register for the first time.

Some curious Christian names are:
Gathias Powell
Arelons Newman
Gamaliell Willson
Moluirey Baubie
Phresweld Bullock
Beattle Presson
Sinolphus Bell
Argabus Powell
Chrispiano Brett
Ollinas Charnock

The names of Phenton (sometimes ffenton) and Hull occur frequently as in the previous registers. The descendants of the former no doubt stayed long enough to give their name to Fenton's Buildings. Hull is still with us.

Marriages. The number of marriages per annum (80) is of course out of all proportion to the population of the parish and seems to indicate that St. Bartholomew's was a favourite church for marriages, and as there was at that time no obligation to be married in the parish where one of the parties resided, they came from far and near. In the year 1657, in which there were as many as 92 weddings, only 13 of the 184 persons married are described as 'of this parish'.

The Long Parliament marriages are curious reading. The following is a sample entry:

'Collonel Edward Salmon a widower, aged 38 years and Mrs. Mary Deane, widow, aged 32 years, both of this parish were married the second of January 1654 by Alderman Tichbourne, publication of their intention being made in Smithfield Markette being a common market place, thre several Markeett days without any exception made against them, as by the Registar's certificate to the sayed Alderman did appeare'.

In some cases the signature of the Alderman is affixed, in others only stated as above.

The banns were sometimes published in Smithfield Market, sometimes in Newgate Market, in Cheapside Market, or in the Church.

There are several entries of Publication of Banns apart from marriages. These are interspersed with the Long Parliament marriages. Previous to this there is no mention of Banns.

The Burials averaged about 8 a month until the year 1665 when they were largely increased by the Great Plague (fn. 16), the largest number recorded being 18 in one day (August 28). Those who died from the plague are marked 'plague' at the end of the line, but it is interesting to note that when the plague was at its worst every one is stated to have died from it.

Some of the plague burials are recorded in the previous register, as this one became filled up by September 1665; so they brought out the previous register and filled up the gaps.

Many persons, particularly those brought from elsewhere, are described as being 'buried out of the house of Mr. Downinge'. This gentleman was the parish registrar.

The large number of people who died from infectious disease apart from the 'plague' is clearly shown by the frequent occurrence of burials of several members of the same family within a few days or weeks of each other.

It also seems that when parents lost a child and another of the same sex was born to them, the dead child's name was given to it. Perhaps this circumstance may explain the following:

Ann daughter of Richard Pybourne was buried 6 July 1654.
Ann daughter of Richard Pybourne was buried 19 Oct. 1654.
Joseph son of Michael Temple was buried 17 Dec. 1653.
Joseph son of Michael Temple was buried 23 Mar. 1654.

The following are more or less curious or interesting:

Persons of Rank and Title.

This register contains no signature of any Rector or Minister of the church, (fn. 21) but the signatures of some of the Aldermen are affixed to the marriages which they performed under the Act of the Long Parliament, as 'John Wallaston, Robt. Andrewes & Sam Hyland'. The signatures of Aldermen Tichbourne and Ireton appear on the first page under certifications of their confirmation of the election by the parishioners of two 'Registars', one on the death of the other.

The handwriting varies a good deal and would seem to indicate that more than the two 'Registars' mentioned above made entries. The first one, Robt. Downinge, writes in a style closely resembling that found in the register beginning 1616, except that he uses the modern 'h' and more modern capitals. As the register progresses several changes in the formation of letters are made, among which I principally noticed that the old gives way to the more modern c, the old o to e, the old w to r, and the y to g. In one instance the capital 'f' is used in spelling Fox instead of ff.

On page 143 is a note to the effect that 'This is the first of Will Thornton's registarin', and most of these changes occur after this.

There are 334 burials entered from Jan. to Sept. 1665 as stated by Malcolm. (fn. 22) In many cases the names are omitted: there are blank spaces evidently intended to be filled in afterwards, which was never done; but I do not recognize the handwriting of seven individuals as he states. My experience has been that whenever there is a change of handwriting there is also a change of spelling the same family names. I should say that there are at least four changes in the year. There is the usual variety of ways of spelling the same family name, 'Roycroft' appearing in one instance as 'Wriecrafte'.

Register No. 4 contains the burials in due order from the years 1678–1716, and Register No. 5 the baptisms from 1681–1716; but commencing at the end of Register No. 4 are recorded, not the baptisms, but the births of quakers and other nonconformists who were not baptized infancy, ranging from 1695–1710. It was among these that by mistake the baptism of William Hogarth in 1697 and of Mary Hogarth in 1699, were entered instead of in Register No. 5. The burials of several nonconformists are recorded in Register No. 4, thus in 1704 'a Quaker was buried at ye Quakers ground Cloth Fair', and similar entries occur in 1705 and 1706. In 1698 occurs 'Att ye meeting house ground in Glasshouse yard 20 May 1698'. In 1692 occurs 'A Chrisome (fn. 23) of Mr Thomas Dixons was buried in ye new Ground by ye Artillery ye Feb. 10th 1692'. Entries of burials in woollen begin in 1678 and continue to 1711. The first Act, passed in 1666, was probably ignored, for no note is made of its observance until the Act of 1678 ordered an affidavit signed by a magistrate to be brought. In the same Register (No. 4) is recorded (as already mentioned (fn. 24) ) the observance of the Act of 1694 'for carrying on war against France with vigour', (fn. 25) which imposed a tax on burials of 4/-, on births of 2/-, on marriages of 2/-, and on bachelors and widows of 1/- annually; for in 1695 is entered 'gave account to ye collector thus far' and 'Elizabeth born . . . and paid Mr Marsh 2/- for ye birth for ye Kings taxes'. In 1702 is entered against a birth 'Ye parents poor and not able to pay ye dues', and further on we are told that the tax expired 1st August 1706.

Register No. 6 is carelessly written and on paper: entries made in 1762 and 1770 had to be corrected by affidavit in 1816 and 1824 respectively. In register No. 7 are recorded the four marriages taken by John Wesley (already referred to (fn. 26) ). Only a third of this book was used, which is explained by the entry 'Refer from this to the new book of Marriages according to Act of Parliament'; this was Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1753, 'for the better Preventing of Clandestine Marriages'.

In Register No. 8, in September 1765, the ages of those buried are entered for the first time.

Registers No. 10, 12, and 13 (baptisms, burials, and marriages) all had to be discarded in 1812, when only partly filled, for new registers with printed forms to comply with Rose's Act of that year: copies of the entries had to be sent to the Diocesan Registrar. And in 1836 Register No. 18 had to be discarded when only a third full for the new marriage register, still in use, issued under the general Registration Act, copies of the entries in which have to be sent each quarter to the District Registrar and through him to the RegistrarGeneral.

In Register No. 13 we are reminded by the record 'Inspected and Duty paid' of the Stamp Act of 1783 (which imposed a duty of 3d. on each entry). This Act was repealed in 1794. The Burial Register No. 22 ends in 1853, when only 38 out of 200 pages had been used, the burial grounds being closed after the 15th May 1853.

Vestry Minute Books.

The earliest volume in the church commences in 1662, but reference is made to an earlier 'vellum covered book' commencing in 1619, of which, however, there is no trace. (fn. 27) What earlier ones there were we do not know, but we have already shown that vestry minutes were kept from the time that vestries were created by Statute in 1555, because Rector Westfield in 1635 referred to 'the ancient Vestry Books of the previous 80 years'. (fn. 28) The minutes from 1662 to the present time occupy seven volumes, from which many quotations have already been made in the chronological chapters.

The Trustee Minute Books.

These consist of four volumes and record the doings of the Parish Trustees in carrying out the private Acts of Parliament of 1755 and 1768. (fn. 29)

The Registers of the Documents of the Parish.

These consist of three volumes and were commenced in the year 1812. In them is copied every deed of importance in connexion with the parish.

Preachers' Books.

These were commenced by Rector Westfield in 1628, and continued to 1647; but they were then discontinued until 1777, when Rector Edwardes again started-the practice; since when they have been used continuously up to the present time, though vol. x, 1888–1892, is unfortunately missing. Since 1884 they have been called Service Registers. Such information as they yield will be found dealt with in the chronological chapters of the Rectors.

A Collection Book.

At the end of the first Preachers' Book commences the 'Collection Book 1641 for Great St. Bartholomew's'. (fn. 30) It shows how wide were the sympathies of Dr. Westfield and his parishioners at that time. Thus, when the Irish war between Romanists and Protestants broke out in December 1641, the following entry occurs:

When civil war broke out in England in 1642 the collections were for the maimed soldiers as well as 'for the Clerges of Ireland'. But the sympathies were wide, for there was

The sympathies were avowedly for the Parliament, but evidently not very warmly felt, for a collection made on the 23rd April 1644 for 'the poor prisoners at Oxford', taken apparently by the Royalists, only 14s. 5d. was received. On the 19th May a collection was made 'for Robert Edwardes prisoner in aryear of the parish of St. Clemants Deanes Temple bar 13s. 8d.'

The good work went on after Westfield's death and the remainder of the book is occupied by records of collections made during the rectorate of his successor, Mr. Burgess. On the 8th September 1644 there was a collection 'for Zacharias Raphefett of Macedonia a poor orthodoxe minnester of the Greeke church in Constantinople, 18s. 5d.'; on 22nd October 'On this day of humiliation £1 11s. 7½d.' 'For sick and maimed soldiers' the collections were frequent, and averaged over £2. Outside subjects did not appeal in the same way; for the collection for 'John Brem by a letter for the Prince Electer Pallentine (who married Elizabeth daughter of James I) only amounted to 13s. 11½d. But when on the 28th August 1645 the collection was 'for the poor distressed of Taunton', who had been holding out under Robert Blake, the amount was £12 1s. 6d. On the 23rd November there was collected 'for ye Cornish people in the towne of Plimmoth £3 3s. 4d. When Cromwell attacked Manchester because, although on the Parliamentary side, the inhabitants allowed the King to escape, there was collected on the 14th December 1645 'for the poor distressed Towne of Manchester £1 15s. 4d.' On the 5th of February following they collected £1 12s. 4d. 'for Sir Thomas Farfax'; and the same month 'for raising of a trope (troop) of horse for Corrinet Line for Ierland £1 13s. 0d.' and 'for the sicke and weake souldiers of Chester £1 10s. 0d.' Charles I stormed Leicester in May 1645, Fairfax retook it on the 18th June. On the next day there was collected 'for the poor of Lester £4 14s. 8d.' About this time there was great cruelty on the part of the Turkish Pirates, and on the 12th March 1647/8 there was collected 'for a poore woeman that Hure Husband is a slave among the Turks £1 6s. 0d.' On the 1st April 1649 the collection was 'for the poor of the parish at the Sacrament £3 6s. 2d.' and a fortnight later there was 'collected for a poore distressed Minister of Ireland £4 13s. 11½d.' For the next two years the monthly collections were almost invariably for the poor; they averaged over £3 each, after deducting the cost of the bread and wine, which averaged the large sum of over £1 15s. 0d. a month. After 1651 the monthly collections fell off, possibly because collections were made once more by briefs, and these were mostly for places which had suffered by fires. Thus on the 18th November 1653 there was 'collected on a briefe for a ffier near Holborne Tundick £1 10s. 0d.', and on the 27th 'on a brief for a ffire in Long Sutton in Holland in Linckhorneshire 19s. 0d.' There was 'Colected the 20 of June 1665 acording to a espres for his Maiestre & Counsell for Releife of people that are or may be shut up of the sicknes £2 9s. 6d.', apparently at the commencement of the Great Plague. At Christmas the stricken parish, after paying for the bread and wine, could only contribute 3s. 6d.; and on Easter Day 11s. 6d.; 'at the morning Lecture' only 14s.; on the 22nd September 1672 'for the fire in hamblet of ham 9s. 1d.' On the 5th November 1682 occurs 'for the poore at a sacrament ye 5 Novemb gunpowder treason . . . bread & wine paid for 9s. 6d.' The book ends with 'upon a breiff for York Citty 2s. 3d.' on the 26th October 1694. (A further list of briefs collected during the years 1708, 1709, 1710 is entered in the Vestry Minute Book, (fn. 31) but it contains nothing of special interest.)

Brief Book.

In the year 1765 a separate book was started for 'an account of Briefs' read in the church, (fn. 32) which continued till the last was read 23rd March 1828. They were all for country churches, for damage done by fire or by hail storms. The amounts of the collections, which were made in church or from house to house, ranged from 1s. to 39s. Before the Reformation briefs were issued by the pope; they were shorter than Bulls, were written on paper instead of parchment, and ordered collections to be made for specified objects; afterwards they were issued by the king. In the eighteenth century they were issued in groups of 5 to 9 and read, one every two to four weeks. There were usually at St. Bartholomew's about ten read every year, but in one year there were fifteen. The expense of issuing a brief amounted to over £300, and the collection would be hardly double that amount, (fn. 33) so it was a wasteful and undesirable method of collection; it was abolished by Act of Parliament in 1825; though the rubric in the Prayer Book after the Nicene Creed still states that 'Briefs, Citations, and Excommunications may be read'. (fn. 34)

A Book of Directions for Beating the Parish Bounds. (fn. 35)

This is dated 1828, but it does not seem to have been finally passed by the vestry; it was fully dealt with when considering the Parish Bounds. (fn. 36)

Diary of F. J. Withers during the restoration of 1864–1866.

This has already been used and described in preceding chapters. It records 178 visits made during that period.

The Restoration Minute Books.

The minutes 1863–1869 are entered in a 'rough' Vestry Minute Book No. 9, and alternate with vestry minutes. From 1890 they are in two separate volumes (Rest. Nos. 2, 3). They have been dealt with in the chronological chapters.

The School Minute Books.

There are three volumes commencing in 1795.

Deeds and Letters Preserved in the Parish Safe.

Those of general interest are:

A letter from Sir Roger Manwood to Sir Walter Mildmay complaining that Mr. Neale had withheld a subscription to a rated order, dated 14 Nov. 1586. This has already been given in full. (fn. 37)

'A reassignment of 3 messuages in Cloth Fair lately known as our Ladys Green: 6 Dec. 1602.' (fn. 38)

'A grant of unexpired portion of 31 years' lease of 11 booths in Ladys Green for the use of the poor in consideration of £10 paid, dated 26 June 1629.' (fn. 39)

'A lease by the churchwardens for 21 years of the 3 Tuns in Cloth Fair at a rent of £14, and £30 paid. 4 Jan. 1686/7.' (fn. 40)

The first and last of these are copied in the Register of Parish Documents, pp. 363, 378.

There are Bonds to secure the maintenance of children chargeable to the parish: the undertaking is with the churchwardens; one is for £20, eight are for £40, dating from 1614–1639. A specimen is here given.

There are Indentures of Apprenticeship of orphans at the charge of the parish, dating from 1616–1758, a specimen of which is given below.

Here is the Tyburn Ticket. (fn. 41) already referred to; also 'a letter from Thos. Gundry to the vestry concerning' a little house in the Close . . . the gift of the Countess of Bollingbroke (fn. 42) (both documents are printed below), and lastly the shorthand notes corrected, signed by Charles Dickens.

Bond to Secure Maintenance of an Orphan. (fn. 43)

Noverint universi per praesentes Nos Milonem Sargeant de parochia Sancti Bartholomaei Magni London: Carpenter Georgium White de London: Brazier et Willelmum Lee civem et Carpenter London: teneri et firmiter obligari Johanni Malthus et Johanni Rogers Guardianis Ecclesie parochialis Sancti Bartholomaei predicti in quadraginta libris legalis monete Anglie Solvendis eisdem Guardianis ecclesie predictae successoribus vel assignatis suis ad quorum quidem solucionem bene et fideliter faciendam obligamus nos et quemlibet nostrum per se pro toto et in solido heredes executores et administratores nostros firmiter per praesentes.

Sigillis nostris sigillatas datas decimo tertio die Marcii 1639 annoque regni domini nostri Caroli dei gratia Anglie Scotie ffrancie et Hibernie Regis fidei defensoris etcetera decimo quinto.

(On the dorse.)

The condition of this obligation is such that whereas the within bound Miles Sargeant for certain valuable considerations hath agreed & undertaken with the within named John Malthus & John Rogers Churchwardens of the parishe of St. Barthews within menconed to mainteine & bring up Thomas Woolfe the sonne of John Woolfe Victualer deceased an infant born in the said p[ar]ishe, & left to the charge thereof. Therefore the said Myles Sargeant his Executors administrators or assignes doe & shall from hence forth at his & their own costs & charges mainteine & bringe up the said Thomas Woolfe & guide provide & allow unto him sufficiant meat drink apparrell clothinge lodginge washinge & all other necessaryes fittinge & needfull for him, and doe teach or cause to be taught the said Thomas Woolfe some good & lawfull art or trade, & not bind or make him apprentice or servant for longer terme till that he hath attained his age of xxiiii^fe yeares and doe at all tyme and tymes save and keepe harmles the sd parishe of St. Barthews & p[ar]ishioners thereof for the tyme beinge for & concernynge the maintenance & educacon of the sd Thomas Woolfe and all charges hapenninge thereby. That then this obligation to be voyd & of non effect, or else to stand in force and virtue.

Miles Sargeant,
his bond.

Deed of Apprenticeship. a. d. 1666. (fn. 44)

'This Indenture witnesseth that Samuell ffox Sonne of Richard ffox doth by the direction & att the charge of the inhabitants of Greate St. Bartholomewe's London putt himselfe Apprentice unto George Lacy of the parish of St. Sepulchre's London, Glover, to learn the Art & with him & his Assingnes after the manner of an Apprentice to dwell & serve from ye day of the date of these present indentures unto the full end & terme of Tenn yeares from thence next ensueing & fully to be complete & ended during which said terme ye said Apprentice his said Mr. well & faithfully shall serve, his secretts keepe, his lawful comands evry where gladly doe, damage to his said master he shall none doe nor of any othere procure or suffer to bee done but the same to the utmost of his power shall lett or forthwith give notice thereof to his said Mr. The goods of his said Mr. wastfully he shall not spend nor them to any person unlawfully lend purloyne away or deliver, ffornication or matrimony during ye saide terme hee shall not comitt nor contract. Att ye Tables, Dice, Cards or any other unlawfull Games hee shall not play. The Tavernes or Alehouses of custome hee shall not haunt or frequent, unless it be about his M^r.'s business, from his service afore said hee shall not absent himself by day or night unlawfully but in all things as becomes a good & faithfull Apprentice towards his said Mr. and all his gently hee shall use beare & behave himselfe during the said terme, And ye said Mr. his said Apprentice in ye Art which he now useth by the best means that hee can shall teach & instruct or cause to bee taught & instructed (with due correcion) finding & provideing for him competent meate drinke Apparell Lodging washing & all other necessaries fitt & decent for him during the said Terme. In witness whereof the said parties have to these indentures Interchangeably sett their hands & seales dated the ffirst day of January Anno Dni 1665 And in ye Seaventeenth yeare of ye Raigne of Our Sovraigne Lord King Charles the second. Sealed & delivered in ye presence of—

A Tyburn Ticket. (fn. 45)

Whereas by a late Act of Parliament made in the tenth & eleventh years of the reign of Wm. III (1698/9) entitled an Act for the better apprehending prosecuting & punishing of Felons that commit Burglary, house breaking or Robbery in shops warehouses Coach houses and Stables or that steal horses It is enacted that from the 20 May 1699 All & every person who shd apprehend and take any person guilty of any Felony before-mentioned & prosecute him her or them until they be convicted of such Felonys, such Apprehenders & takers, for their reward upon every such conviction without any fee or reward to be paid for the same shd have forthwith a certificate wch shd be under the hand of the judge before whom such conviction shd be had certifying such conviction also within what parish or place the Felony was comitted & also that such Felon was discovered or taken by the person so discovering or apprehending the sd Felon (in case of dispute the certificate to be divided among the people concerned as to the judge should seem just) wch certificate might be once assigned over & no more the original proprietor or the assignee of the certificate by virtue thereof & of the said Act should & might be discharged of & from all & every manner of parish & ward officer within the parish & ward where-in such Felony shd be committed.

Now these are to certify that at the session of gaol delivery of Newgate held for the said City at justice hall in the Old Bailey on the 15th inst. January, before me whose hand is hereunto sett & other her majesty's Justices assigned to deliver the said Gaol of Newgate of the prisoners therein being Francis Collins was convicted & attainted of Felony for that as on the 21 Decemb. last past a Brown Gelding of the price of £6 the goods & chatteles of William Jarvis at the parish of St. Bartholomew the Great did feloniously steal take & lead away & that it doth appear unto me that Peter Phillepott of the above said parish did apprehend & take the said Francis Collins & did prosecute him until he was convicted & I do hereby further certify that by virtue of the said Act of Pt. the sd Peter Phillepott or assigns is Intitled to the sd Benefit of the sd Act & are & ought to be hereby discharged from all parish & ward offices in the sd parish of St. B. the Gt . . . Dated 21 Jany, 1713/14.

P. King.

Below is the certificate in Latin signed by J. Gibson. On the dorse is a declaration by Peter Phillepott that for £11 pd by Purbeck Savage of the parish of St. Barth: the Great, upholder, he has assigned to him this certificate & that he has not assigned it to any other person. Dated 18 Dec. 1714, signed by Peter Phillepott over a small red seal & witnessed by Stephen Lee & Thom. Smith.

Letter from Thos. Gundrey to the Vestry and Churchwardens regarding a House in the Close, dated 19th Sept. 1666.

To his much respected the Gentlemen of the vestrye and the churchwardens of the p[ar]ishe of greate St. Bartholomew's, London.

Gentlemen and somtymes (manye of you) of my olde acquayntance and frndshipp whilst that Reverend man doctor Westfield was yor Rector and teacher I first present my respecte unto you, And wthall a civill request.

There is a little house in the close on the backside of Sr William Wild's house wch as I remember is a p[ar]ishe house, and the gifte of the Countesse of Bollingbroke, whoe was pleased to make me instrumentall for the benefit of the p[ar]ishe, this house I understand is now at your dispose; my requeste is that one Mr. John Howe whoe is burnt out of a farr better house may be yor tenante to yt for his present necessitie his occasions beinge to attend in the Cittie or neere yt and gentlemen I can assure you that his way is such by his & in his profession as he may be verie serviceable to your p[ar]ishe or any of you in particular, And gentlemen, I findinge (when I lived amongst you) soe civill respect from you all (then beinge) as doe almost assure myselfe you will not denye this suite of him that beares still a greate respecte to you and wil be

Yr frend to serve you
Thomas Gundrey.

Chingford in Essex.
19 Sept. 1666.

The School Deeds date back to 1620 in connexion with John Whiting's bequest of Dame's Farm.

Plans in the Safe.

There are numerous plans concerning the disputes over the parish bounds dating from 1747. There is (as already stated (fn. 46) ) a complete set of plans of the Restoration in 1864 by Hayter Lewis & William Slater, presented by Mr. Fredk. H. Reed of the firm of Perry & Reed, architects, through the instrumentality of the late Mr. Phené Spiers, F.S.A.

Photographs in the Safe.

These consist of over fifty photographs of buildings adjoining the church, taken before demolition, etc.

Churchwardens' Accounts. (fn. 47)

The earliest account extant is that of Phillip Scudamore and William Neale, which commenced on the 9th May 1574 and continued to the 9th February 1577/8. It is on one sheet of paper, (fn. 48) and on the same sheet is the inventory of church goods already given in full. (fn. 49)

After this account not one was preserved for nearly 50 years, viz. until that of Humphry Selwood 1625–1626; and during the remaining 75 years of the century there are only eleven left, of which those of 1631, 1645, and 1659 are merely copies made by Mr. Illidge. During the eighteenth century the accounts were preserved with more care, but still there are only 61 accounts for the 100 years, and of these 4 (viz. for the years 1762–1765) are only extracts made by Mr. Illidge. In the nineteenth century there are two gaps, 1801 and 1827; from the year 1845 the accounts were entered in a parish ledger. Several items of interest in these accounts have already been referred to in the chronological chapters, but a few others may be here mentioned. In July 1625 churchwarden Selwood 'payed for pitch and beniamyn (fn. 50) burnt in the church in the sicknes tyme six pence'. In the same account, as the warden had not been able to collect all the rates due he appends a list for his successor, thus:
'arrerages upon dyvers inh'itants for church duetyes wch are sperate, others by death or poverty or their leaving the parish, wch are desperate.

Sperate Arrerages.

Desperate Arrerages.

In 1629 on 24th December there was 'paid to Mr. Pollard for Holly Ive & bayes and Rosemary iiiis.'; and in the same year there was 'paid to Mr. Paulins by Mr. Doctor Westfeild's appoynment to redeem a guift Angell of Mary Joanes wch she had of the king for the king's evill viiis.'; and there was 'given to a poore souldyer that was taken by the Dunkerts vid.' In 1631 the churchwarden 'paied for a pint of sacke for a minister that preached 6d.', 'paied for mending the boxes that we gather in, 6d.' In 1660 'given to An Herne to redeem her Byble 1s. 6d.' In 1663 'to digging a hole under the stairs for a bone house 6s. 6d.' (this was probably at the west end under the gallery). In 1694 'payd christening the foundling 1s. 6d.' Another foundling in 1701 had a sad little life: 'Oct. 18 pd Sarah Taylor for Baptising Bartholomew Close, 2s. 6d. Oct. 24 pd Sarah Taylor 1 week & ½ for nursing Bartholomew Close 3s.'; and the same day 'pd Sarah Taylor for bureall of Bartholomew Close 6s.' Many entries refer to steps taken to prevent children being born in the parish and so becoming chargeable to it. Churchwarden Laming's account of 1697/8 gives an idea of the extent to which this was practised. His account is printed in extenso below; it is full of coarse humour and illustrates (as already said (fn. 51) ) the condition to which the churchwarden's office had been reduced at that time.

Account of Churchwardens Phillip Scudamore and William Neale, 9 May 1574 to 9 Feby. 1577/8. (fn. 52)

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A Reconinge of all such receipts as also payments made by Phillip Scudamore and Wm. Neale churchwardens of the p[ar]ishe of great St. Barthilmewes nere Smythfeld London between the IXth of May 1574 and the ixth of febr 1577/8.

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The Inventory already printed in extenso. (fn. 53)

Mr. Laming's Account, 1697 (fn. 54)

Gentlemen I have served you to the utmost of my power. God bless the parish of St. Bartholomew the Great.

In the Belfry cupboard are kept many other records, too numerous to refer to here, such as the various opinions of Counsel taken from the year 1705 to the present time, some of which have already been alluded to; the Visitors' Book with the signatures of the late King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, and our present King George given on the occasion of their visit to the church in 1893, a copy of Brady and Tate's Psalms, edition 1776, and another by N. Tate and N. Brady, 1836 (Tate was the poet laureate in 1692). In drawer 16 is a series of twenty-six leases of the Glebe houses granted by the Rectors from 1555 to 1738; twenty-five of these leases were acquired by purchase in 1915. The earliest lease, signed by John Deane and Lord Rich, the patron in 1553, (fn. 55) and Edmund Grindall, Bishop of London in 1560, (fn. 56) was the gift of Mr. John Jeffery. (fn. 57) In it Queen Mary is described as 'defender of the faith and on earth of the church of England and also of Ireland the supreme head', which is said to be unusual in deeds of Queen Mary's reign.

The Rate Books are in the lower shelves of the Belfry cupboard. The earliest are those of the collectors of the Poor's Rate, 1636, and of the Orphan Tax, 1698. These records are valuable topographically and genealogically. It was by their means that the birthplace of Hogarth was traced to 58 Bartholomew Close, and the workshop where Benjamin Franklin was engaged, to the upper floor of the building occupying the Lady Chapel. When in 1908 the Corporation took over the overseers' duties in all the City parishes the Rate Books for the years 1903–1907 were handed to the Town Clerk at the Guild Hall.

An Easter Feast. (fn. 58)

The Churchwardens of Great St. Bartholomewe's Parish Aprill 15th 1669 Left to pay in the Bullhead

Aprill 27th 1669

Recd. In full of this bill the some of foure pounds seaven shillings & six pence upon the accompt of the Churchwardens I say reced. of Mr. Birckott pr me Matt, fflower.

(Richard Bellamy, a dweller in the Close and a brother with the Canons in the chapter seal, willed that his executors should keep his month's mind, and then to make a recreacion unto the worshipfull of the parish of 'Saint Bartilmews', (fn. 59) so that feasts were not unknown in 1539.)

Advertisement for a Master of the Dissenting School. (fn. 60)

The following advertisement appeared in the Morning Chronicle on April 20, 1802:

'Protestant Dissenting Charity School, Bartholomew Close. Wanted, a Master for the above school, who, besides being able to instruct the children in Reading, writing, and the common rules of Arithmetic, must produce unexceptional testimonials of his piety & moral conduct. He will be expected to attend with the children at the different places of worship directed by the committee.—None but real Dissenters need apply.—Whoever wishes to engage is desired to send his testimonials, qualifications, & address to Mr. Nathanial Child, Treasurer, No. 62 Bishopsgate Within, on or before the 11th May.'

Reminiscences of the Rev. J. Abbiss. (fn. 61)

By W. H. Jackson, vestry clerk; in addition to those already incorporated in Chapter XX.

He was an autocratic gentleman of the old style, who never gave his parishioners more than two fingers to shake. He always wore an auburn wig very neatly arranged and, though strongly built, he was only 5 ft. 3 in. in height. After 5 o'clock he would walk to his favourite club along the Strand with no collar visible, but with a black silk handkerchief wound two or three times round his neck. He was somewhat pedantic; he would always use Eau de Cologne in his bath and spell Crystal Palace 'Chrystal Palace', though he well knew it was spelt without an 'h'. He was a good classical scholar and an excellent ecclesiastical lawyer. He would use classical quotations in his sermons though generally over the heads of his congregation. He was a judge of good wine, especially of Madeira: on the occasion of the beating of the last bounds there was a parish dinner at Anderton's Hotel. The Rector presided, but called Mr. Jackson aside and asked him to order for him a decanter of toast and water in place of the sherry that was being served 'as he did not drink strange wines'.

His love for little children was noticeable. He never married, but was studiously polite to the other sex, in strong contrast with his dogmatic, if not antagonistic attitude to his own (at any rate to those in his parish). His tone of voice in conversing was but little above a whisper, but in declamation he almost roared, particularly when in opposition, but he was not in the least deaf. His granite-like methods in the chair were sometimes relaxed when the business was over, and then he would comment on the want of knowledge of the speakers, or instance an experience of his Winchester or Oxford days. He was a man of strong will and grit, which were instanced when, a few years before his death, he underwent an operation by Critchett for cataract in both eyes without an anaesthetic though one was offered to him.

After leaving Charterhouse Square he resided from 1857 till 1863 at No. 48 Myddelton Square, when he moved to No. 41, and in 1877 to No. 39 in the same square. Mr. Magnus, the vicar of Clerkenwell, who also lived in the same square, was one of the few men who enjoyed his intimate friendship, though Mr. Bartleet, the schoolmaster and parish clerk, had some of his confidence.

He was always a sportsman. When at school he is said to have been a good boxer, and he enjoyed shooting. He would have occasional days' shooting at Dame's farm in Essex, which belonged to the schools and which was surrounded by Lord Waldegrave's property. He would frequently say to the narrator, 'When I die they will have nothing to do but to bury me'; it was therefore the more surprising that he should die intestate. His nephew, Mr. F. P. Phillips, inherited his estate, which included a fine collection of Moreland's pictures.