Oct. 28. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



337 



LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1854. 



PARISH REGISTERS. 



Those who have had opportunities of looking 

 over parish registers have doubtless often been 

 amused at reading many of the entries which are 

 to be found therein, not a few of which are cal- 

 culated to throw a light on the customs, manners, 

 and habits of the good people in the olden times, 

 which are interesting, not only to antiquaries and 

 those who are admirers of venerable antiquity, but 

 also to the general reader ; it is as it were looking 

 through Time's telescope, and viewing through 

 the vista long-past events, which are brought out 

 jn full review before the eye, like objects in a 

 panorama. The following extracts, compiled from 

 authentic sources, part of which have been tran- 

 scribed from the originals, will serve to illustrate 

 the foregoing remarks. The first on the list relates 

 principally to the town of Braintree. 



"Anno 1580. — April 2 was baptized Joseph Mann, son 

 of Joseph Mami. ISIeni. That the said Joseph jNIann the 

 son, in the year 1631, did lay open the street called New 

 Street, and also built the New Cross, at his own proper 

 costs and charges, and afterwards sold the same to the 

 Right Hon. Robert Earl of Warwick, for the sum of GOO/., 

 being then bailiff to the said Earl of the town of Brayn- 

 tree. — 2o Hen. VIII., Robert Pucklow gave a crown for a 

 light before St. Nicholas ; Richard Norfolk the like before 

 St. Catharine ; John Tomkin the like before St. Michael ; 

 and Henry Evet the like before Trinity. — A drinking iu 

 Lent, towards which, besides what private persons paid, 

 was given by Ravne, 4.s. ; Cressing, 3s. ; Black Notley, 

 3s. 8d. ; Bocking, 3s. ; and Braintree, 5s." 



These were in Popish times. There was a ca- 

 non against these drinkings ; but Whitsun ales, 

 which were similar things, Avere allowed in King 

 James's Book of Sunday Sports. Images in 

 churches do not appear to have been entirely 

 removed till 1588 (1 Eliz.), when the church- 

 wardens received for three images, 26a\ Sd. 



" 1.574. Received for six almanvyvets, 22s. (Qy. Ger- 

 man music-books? which seem to have been superseded 

 b}' the more solemn music adapted to such psalmody as 

 that of Sternhold and Hopkins.) — Received for the organ 

 pipes " 



The almanvyvets and organ pipes seem to have 

 fallen before the Puritanic spirit which was at 

 this time prevailing. 



" 1581. Payd for lynging on crowenation-day, 2s. Qd. ; 

 layd out for yenk and paper [ink and paper], id. ; payd 

 the hie constable for Cataway Bridge, 10s. : payd to Fa- 

 ther Wod, for helling [healing"] of Widow Matthews, 20s.'* 



Father Wod was most likely a Popish priest, 

 but that " occupation gone," he practised physic. 

 It is well known that at the present period, in 

 Roman Catholic countries, the priests, actuated 

 by a kind and benevolent feeling, study in some 

 degree the healing art, in order that they may be 



enabled to prescribe remedies in cases of sudden 

 illness among the poorer members of their flock, 

 when medical aid through a surgeon, from dis- 

 tance or other causes, is not attainable. 



" 1585. Pa}'d for discharging Father Andrew howt of 

 the Cowrte, being cited for reading the servyce, lijd." 



This, probably, was another Popish clergyman, 

 who had committed himself by performing some 

 duty contrary to the Reformed doctrines and 

 laws. 



" 1586. Payd to Persom fbr rushes and flaskes gather- 

 ing when the byshope Avas here [to strew the church 

 with], 12d." 



Strewing churches, and even private houses, with 

 rushes, was at this time a common practice. 



" 1593. Received from ' The Hart ' 24 quarts of wyne, 

 at 8d., 15s. 4rf. ; and 11 quarts of muskydrne, at ild., 

 10s. Id. ; and 8 quarts of wyne, at 9d., Gs. Item, received 

 from the coke [cook] 27 quarts of wyne, at 8d., 18s. ; and 

 23 quarts of wvne, at 9c?., 17s. 3d. ; and 1 quart of sack, 

 12d. Payd for' bread, 3s. 2d." 



That is, 94 quarts of wine (nearly 8 dozen) in 

 one year fbr the Communion, in a town with a 

 population of abou^ 2000 ; but this was at a 

 period when almost every adult communicated ; 

 and there are some intimations that at this period 

 our ancestors drank deep on those occasions, in 

 order to evince their sincerity. For instance, it 

 is said of " Rare Ben Jonson," that he was twelve 

 years a Papist, but was afterwards reconciled to 

 the Church of England, and that at his first com- 

 munion, in token of his true reconciliation, he 

 drank the full cup of wine. The quantities and 

 the prices charged do not in several instances 

 agree ; but our ancestors were in general very 

 bad arithmeticians. 



" 1625. It is agreed that Hugh Wises's wife shall have 

 some barley allowed her, at the best hand, to bake 

 bread." 



Poor persons at the present time would not evince 

 much gratitude for such a gift as this. 



« 1635. J. M. hath payd to Mr. W. 5s. Gd., which he 

 layed out to send Burnham with a letter to my Lord of 

 Warwick, in London [distance 40 miles]. — 1637. It is 

 agreed that J. M. shall liave 2s. for his journey to Heding- 

 ham, about ship-money." 



The levying "ship-money" at this time wns one 

 of the principal causes which led to the civil v.'nr. 



1662. In an inventory of the goods belonginjj 

 to the parish is enumerated a sheet for harlots to 

 do penance in. It appears as if the parish .autho- 

 rities at Braintree, at this period, were desirous of 

 establishing a high standard of morality in their 

 town. Whether the article in question Avas fre- 

 quently called into use or otherwise, we arc not 

 informed. 



" 1719. Ordered, to allow John Wilkinson's Avife 9s., to 

 redeem a piece of gold touched by the king." 



This was a relic of the ancient practice of touch- 

 ing for the king's evil. The practice had been 



