l66 CHESTERFIKLD CHURCH CUSTOMS. 



at a cost of one shilling ; we should doubt if there are any Derby- 

 shire folk who would now know what such a term meant ; but we 

 find that Grose explains — " Camperknows : ale-pottage, made with 

 sugar and spice, etc. ; " probably the old widow was at the time 

 seriously ill, and was thus comforted at the church's expense. 



In 1752, we find the first entry relative to giving coals to the 

 poor. The coals were extraordinarily low in price, and probably 

 the " load " of those days was something very different to what 

 we understand as a load now-a-days. George Sheldon received 

 IIS. 8d. for "20 U^. Coles." In 1755, 167 loads of coal were 

 purchased for ^4 17s. 5d. ; and in 1757, there is an entry of 

 " 162 loads of coales given to sundrey," at a cost of ^4 14s. 6d. 



The churchwardens of Chesterfield had the distribution of the 

 bread doles in their hands, and this volume contains various 

 entries with respect to them. They not infrequently added to 

 these doles out of the sacramental fund. The first entry with 

 regard to bread is in 1747, when j£i was spent in loaves for the 

 poor on St. Thomas' Day. On March 24th, 1748, being Good 

 Friday, ;£i iis. od. was given by the churchwardens "to sundry 

 persons when we gave Naylor's dole." Naylor's dole was a 

 charity founded by Ralph Naylor and his son, of the same name, 

 consisting of ^60, the yearly produce of which was to be given 

 on Good Friday in bread to poor housekeepers of the town of 

 Chesterfield. The accumulation of several years interest sub- 

 sequently brought up the principal to ^95 8s., the interest on 

 which remained for many years at ^2 7s. 8d., at the low rate of 

 2- per cent., and was scrupulously given in accordance with the 

 bequest, generally with some further addition. 



The other bread- dole was originated by Theodosia Winchester, 

 who in 1737 left ;£2o to be invested, the interest on which was to 

 be expended in the purchase of bread for the poor of Chesterfield, 

 to be distributed on St. Matthias' Day (February 24th) by the 

 churchwardens. Theodosia left instructions that the bread was 

 to be baked by her nephew, Humphry Winchester, and his 

 descendants, so long as any of them should exercise the trade of 

 a baker and were careful in the baking. The name of Winchester 



