NOTES ON A DORCHESTER MINUTE BOOK. 77 



bias from my notes. At the time under our view Puritanism 

 virtually, although not yet legally, was dominant here. Now I 

 am the last man lightly to condemn, or over exalt, the party of 

 which \vere Baxter and Bunyan, Peters and Barebones. Further, 

 is it not likely that if Ambrose had been rector of Trinity, and 

 Augustine of All Saints, they would have been snarled at as much as 

 were Master "White and Master Ben ? " Those are Papist laws" 

 "A Chard drunkard is more to be believed than a Dorchester 

 Puritan" such recriminations recall " I am of Paul and I of 

 Apollos." I now give a few bits showing how the 17th differed 

 from the 19th Century in the treatment of religious delinquencies. 

 On January 17th, 1629-30, Hugh Baker, for leaving church before 

 prayers were over, was put in the stocks for two hours. Excuses 

 were not lightly allowed. On February 26th, 1635-6, J. Gray was 

 fined Is. for absence from St. Peter's, although "he allegeth" that 

 he was visiting his sick mother at Monkton and went to church 

 there. On October 12th, 1632, Ursula Bull was fined Is. for 

 absence from church, although " she saith she was amending her 

 stockings." I fear that the Bull family were not exemplary, for 

 on February 4th, 1631-3, Elizabeth Bull was "charged .... 

 to be an ordinary dpter before prayers endd at All Sts." On 

 November 10th, 1634, J. Colleford, an absentee from church, and 

 with other faults, " is to be whipt in the hall psently in the view 

 of his Mr. or else his Mr. is to do yt himself there right." Here 

 follows a puzzling extract. On January 2nd, 1634-5, J. Hoskins 

 went out of church before the end of service and entered a 

 neighbour's house to warm himself. Then he went to " Broad Close" 

 to serve cattle, found a bull, put him into pound, baited him with a 

 dog, then went to church, but late. Now the odd thing is that the 

 very secular midday amusement is unnoticed, but John is fined Is. 

 for absence from church, where he had twice put in an appearance, 

 although short. The pleasing duty of noting and presenting 

 absentees appears to have rested on the churchwardens, who seem 

 to have been thought sometimes guilty of favouritism. On April 

 24th, 1632, Elias Fry told by Churchwarden Williams, of All 



