From the Parish Magazine, March 1901:
Notes from old parish books – From the year 1761 the Churchwardens’ accounts enter the particulars of expenditure. Here are some of the items:-
For bread and wine (4 times in the year) 10s. 4d.; for a fox, 1s.; for 25 hedg hogs, 4s. 2d.; for 16 stotes, 2s. 8d.; for 72 dozen sparrows, 12s.
Here we have evidence of the neglect of the rules of the Church. The Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was only celebrated 4 times a year, a state of things which continued apparently until the time of Dr. Baron. The days on which it was celebrated appear to have been Christmas day, Easter day, Whitsunday, and All Saints’ day. It is a little curious too to find that the destruction of vermin came into the churchwardens’ accounts and was paid out of Church rates. This custom continued to 1854. Sparrows figure largely and vary in price. They generally fetch 2d. a dozen, in 1801 they rise to 3d. a dozen, in 1827 they are at 4d. a dozen, in 1828 251 dozen were killed at a cost of £4 3s. 8d., but the churchwardens had to protest against such reckless extravagance, and we find
“We, the undersigned, do agree for the year ensuing to pay 2d. a dozen for old hen sparrows only.
John Neat,
Andrew Pearce,
Stephen Knight.”
There were only 24 dozen next year. The experiment does not answer and sparrows go back to 3d. a dozen.
In 1762, for 7 pole catse, 2s. 4d.
Then comes a notice I cannot understand, can anybody say what it is?
“It was allowed to the overseers to collect Goaile and Marshall money for ye year 1761.”
The ringers got 5s. on November 5th.