THE DIARY OF BENJAMIN GRANGER, OF BOLSOVER. 57 



These Inquests occupy only 22 pages of a book of 195 pages. 

 The rest has been used, after the manner of ancient books, by two 

 individuals of Bolsover ; one Benjamin Granger, whose name 

 heads this article, who has used 54 pages ; and Henry Roades, 

 who has filled the rest. His portion of the book is of small value, 

 except, perhaps, for the prices of things of his date, 1 741-51. 

 Roades was a builder and carpenter, and he worked chiefly for 

 the lords of Welbece, but he gives few details of his work there. 

 Benjamin Granger was a superior person, most probably a lawyer. 

 His entries are generally well written, in a legal hand, and he 

 refers to certain fees, his charges for writing documents. He 

 entitles his portion of the book, 'Accounts Stated 1688-90," 

 during which period, or a portion of it, he was churchwarden. 

 He notes that he was so acting 19 Sep., 1690. He, however, 

 ceased to act in 1691, for he gives the names of these officers at 

 that period. His entries cover a longer period, and extend over 

 1676-1708. He was Sequestrator of the vicarage, and upon 

 the 1 2th April, 1699, he was summoned to the Bishop's probate 

 court at Chesterfield, and passed his accounts, not, apparently, in 

 a very satisfactory manner (except, perhaps, to himself), for he 

 records that he had disbursed jQ 1 2 more than the profits, and the 

 clerks desiring him to let them see the sequestration would not 

 return it to him. It was probably in this capacity that he noted 

 down many curious facts relative to the ecclesiastical history of 

 Bolsover, which are illustrative of the period. 



Bolsover was a poor living. It stands in the King's books as 

 worth only ^14, with yearly tenths worth ^11 n J, and as being 

 of less value than ^30, the vicar could escape the payment of 

 tenths to the king by simply making an affidavit of his poverty. 



In fact, so poor was it that nobody seemed to care to stay, and 

 in the course of a year or two the inhabitants had quite a choice 

 of parsons. They probably were not of the choicest description, 

 lor .Mr. Granger informs us that one of them, Mr. Edwin Feme, 

 was brought before Air. Sitwell (no doubt, an acting justice of the 

 peace), and by him committed to Derby on a serious charge of 

 arson (burning Edward Hinde's barn). This was in Oct., 1695. 



