JUNE 241 



baptisms or marriages. Thus at Bedingham in the year 1558 

 it would appear that there was but one baptism, as against twelve 

 burials a comparative rate which must soon have extinguished 

 the population. I suppose that the reason of this discrepancy is 

 that whereas everybody in due course came to be buried, there 

 being no other reasonable and decent way of disposing of a 

 corpse, everybody did not come either to be baptised or married. 

 Here are a few extracts taken from these registers ; quaint 

 enough some of them. It will be observed that all of these are 

 entries made during the incumbency of a single clergyman, 

 Mr. Joseph Parsons, M.A., who was instituted in 1725. 



Baptisms 



' 1737. John, son of George Smyth, Esq : of Topcroft Hall, 

 the inhabitants thereof paying a pension annually of thirteen and 

 tourpence to the vicar by ancient custom. 



'1739, Elizabeth, baseborn daughter of Mary Fulcher, by 

 oath laid to Will Smith Jun r . 



* 1 740. Cornelius, base son of Anne Hickleton, Tho : Smith 

 of the Priory the supposed father. 



' 1 743. George, son, base-born of Mary Fulcher. A sad one ! ' 

 (Here it is evident that when called upon to make this second 

 entry anent the peccant Mary Fulcher, the feelings of the worthy 

 Mr. Parsons got the better of him. His note, * A sad one ! ' 

 refers, I imagine, not to the infant, but to Mary's character.) 



Marriages 



1 1741. James Alderson, Sarah Tower both of this parish, 

 single, did penance for ante-nuptial co-habitation.' 1 



Burials 



'1742. Susannah Gowing, single woman aged 79. A 

 miserable object, Thro' a fall in the Fire while an Infant, but 

 always inoffensive, and always pitied. 



1 This is not the word used in the register, nor is the penance stated. 



R 



