Visitation Articles

( 102 ) VISITATION ARTICLES. IlY THE REV. FRANCIS HA.SLEWOOD, F,S.A. THE Documents known as "Oomperta and Detecta" in the Cathedral Library at Canterbury have peen carefully searched for entries relating to Pluckley. ARCHDEACON'S VISITATIONS, CANTERBURY. COMPERT.A. ET DETECT.A.. 1561-62. Pluckley. It ys p'nted that o' p'son (John Pickard) hath besyde Pluckley the Vycaredge 0£ 0haryng, and he ys also 0hapleine to tha Archdeacon 0£ Canterbury ( Oomperta et Deteota, lib. iv., £. 66, .A..D. 1561-62). 1551. Will'mus quidler de Pluckley detectus qd duas het uxores viventes (.Arclideacon's Visitations, 1550-55, Cant.). 1576. Pluckley. Detectu est that the church yarde lacketh repayringe xxix N ovembris 1576 ( Oomperta, Canterbury). 1569. Detectu est that the mi'ster dothe mi'ster the lwlye communion in fyne como1i breade. Detectu est that the p'sonage house is in greate Decaye. ,, ,, ,, Willim hethe aparte from his wy£e. 1576. xiij Decembris 1576, compt Robtus Hudson, xvj April 1577, pronounced contumacious. xxj May 1577, Mr Pycker, Rector 0£ Pluckly, reported the cherch yard is repayred et tune dns. absolvit dom' Hudson a Snia. excoiacois, et restituit, etc., unde d'n's e'u dimisit. 1563-4. Rector dns. Will'mus Lancaster, Comperta, £. 2. It is presented all things is well saving onelie bet the sepacon betweene the church and the Chauncell. D'n's Will'mus Lancaster clicus. Presentments made iu ecclia parochiali Tenterden 3 Oct. 1564. 1577-1582. Or book of com'on prayer is not as it ought to be, our churche is not su:ffycentlye repayred. We p'sent Josua Benett and .A.gnes Gylles £or lyvynge unlawfully in adulterye (Contumacious, excommunicated, £. 70). 00:MPERTA AND DETECTA. 103 Thomas Syxeweeks 0£ or paryshe hath not come unto the church this xij monethes and more, and what the lett is you have to demaunde, he being at home and havyng his healthe, we thinck not well 0£ it (Contumacious, £. 86). 1582-90. Our churchyarde is not well fenced by cause the walles be some what be gonne to reparacons. Nov. 18, 1585 (£. 3). 1590. Or churche is at reparatyons by reason of the winde. 2 July 1590 (£. 17). 1591. Our olde surples is almoste done, wherefore wee request to have a tyme to make a lardger one. 20 Jau. (f. 97). We p'sente unto yo.u that the church is very much decayed and g'v'n to reparatyons and the lyke dayly more to doe yf it be not loked unto in tyme, But we do mynde and intende to make a Sesse to amende it (f. 87). 1600-3. We p'nte unto you George Barton for a corn' on Dronkard (£. 16). 1608-1610. It'm we p'nte further that one Daniell of Pluckley using land in our p'ishe refuseth to pay his cesse to our poore for the yeare past (Oomperta, f. 51). 1609. We p'nte Thomas Moater refuseth to pay ij viij (f. 58). 1603-1606. To the Rt Worshipful Mr doctor Newman, Commissary of Canterbury. May it please you to understand that the borer hereof John Mersface being often moving by us to reconcile himself (as christian duty binding him) to the church is now thereof most willing, and hartily sory for the delaing of time so longe, we therfore whose names be here subscribing do intreat you to restore him again from his excom'nication : he is in truth a very poor man greatly chargng with a lame, impotent, and sensles child and in part releving by our contributing. Thus we leve you to the lordes good keping. Pluckly the xxiiij of Janury 1607. Y or loving frenes, R. DERINGE, JOHN PICA.RD. (Pinned on to folio 77.) We doe also present ,John Mer:ffas of our sayde p'rishe for yt he had his mayd servant wth childe before he married with her as the forme & speech in owre p'rishe. 13 Decembris 1604. 1608. 7mo .Aprilis 1608 compuit d'nus Mofras a s'nia excois pred absolvit. 104 VISITATION ARTICLES. P'nted frome Smareden. We p'nte Thomas WillR of Pluckley for not paying his cesse or churche scott made for the repareiug of the p'rish Church of Smarden, his cesse being ij• vjd. This cesse is pd to ye churche (same vol., f. 90). 1607. There was controversie as it is knowen by Mrs Anne Betenham, wife of John Betenham, gent., by pulling or shoving out a mayden sitting in one of the seates w011 have benn and yett are in controversye betweene the sayd John Betteuham, gent., and Sir Anthony Deering, knight, the 26 of July last past, and therefore not yt due reverence in time of divine service as ought to have benn. 3 Dec. 1607 (Oonvperta, 1606􀃕1608, f. 189). VISITATION ARTICLES. CoM::eERTA ET DETECT.A.. 1610-1615. Plucklie. Item wee present John Tayler and Thomas Hugget for a crime for playeinge at cailes upon Whitsouday in the eveninge prayer time. 5 July 1610 (f. 20). Wee heare that there was a quarrelling in our churchyard Dec. 6, 1611, by one Mark Davye of our P'ishe & one Thomas Pell of Smarden w011 is dead, but the saide Mark hath had the lawe for yt att the last Assises houlden att Maidstone, but here 0£ noe blowes strucke in the churchyarde (£. 66). Comperta et detecta exta in Visitacce & te'nt apud Ashforde. 24 Aprilis 1612 (f. 125). Pluckley. All is sufficientlie maynteyned except in sr Anthonye Deering's Chauncell where some hath byne buried, it ys not paved as yett. ARCHDEACON'S VISITATIONS. CoM::eERT.A.. 1615-1620. 10. Wee kuowe none of that age w0h are fitteing, but have receaved this laste Easter : except s1• Anthonye Deering and his Ladye, and M1·• Harnden w011 doe purpose to receave shortlye : Thomas Motter y0 yownger was wth ye minister for a token to receave but hath not receaved yett, neither hath Mrs Marye Bell reed the Co'ion yett, & George Gadbies wyffe, w0h hath not reed yett. 4 Junij 1618 (f. 155). sr Anthonye Deering and his Ladye p'nted. 4 Junij 1618 (f. 156). VISITA'l'ION. ARTICLES. 105 Sentenced to communicate by Michaelmas 1618. 3 Dec. 1618 he produced evidence he had communicated. Dismissed. The next day after our faire beinge Sonday we found some disordered in the ale house, well we carried before a Justice of the Peace, well took a fyne of x5 of. the .Alewife for suffering such disorders in her house, and the other which we brought before him paid fynes. The name of her well doth kepe victuallinge is Joane Nepeckar, widowe. 1 July 1618 (£. 164). 1615-1620. Samuel Greenstreete et Johannes W olton, Ch'wardens. Informations concerning Plucklye. 1. The Steeple of Plucklye Churche is much ruinated and decayed, and hath beene thease many years. 2. One of the bells allsoe is broken, and ye mending thereof hath beene this twelve monthe neglected. 3. There is noe silver plate to minister ye breade upone yt, at the Comunion. 4. There hath beene a greate neglecte of moste of my p'ishioneres in receaving thrice a yeare, according to the Cannons in that beehalffe. 5. Manye of my p'ishioners have often gone to other p'ishes when I have p'ched and reade service: and some receaved allsoe at other p'ishes, neglecting thereowue. 6. Manye of my p'ishioners never or very seldome come to service in the afternones one the Sabothe dayes, of wch omissions I desire the Churchwardens may bee admonished to observe and examine the reasons of them, and to note whoe they are. By mee, Jo1rn COPLEY. 15 June 1620 (f. 267). 1626-7. Mr Copley. Our Chauncell doth want paveinge where some hath been buried, and the windowes do want glaseinge, but our minister doth promise to have it repaired in shorte tyme. 9 June 1624 (f. 150). Wee p'nt James May lam, £or he hath not received the Comunion this last Easter. 26 May 1624 (£. 145). 9 June .1624. Allegavit that indeed he did not receave the holy comunion at Easter last by reason he was so much indebted that he 106 ARCHBISHOP'S ENQUIRIES. durst not come to Church for feare of arrest unde d'nus monuit ip'm ad p'ticipand citra px post mich. 6 Oct. 1624 (f. 145). Our churchyard walls are lately fallen downe, and shal be repaired with as much speed as wee can. 26 May 1624 (f. 140). Wee pn't Thomas Moter for not payeing of his Church Cesse, being iiij8 • 21 June 1624 (f. 151). 1627-1637. Agreed unto by most of the p'ishioners of better rancke for the totall demolishing of the said vestry upon good grownds and reasons as they hope will be deemed, welt they intend p􀃚ntly to p'sent to his Grace with hope of obtayning, and therefore humbly desire further time for the urging thereof in case they shall not be freed from the same. 26 June 1635 (f. 171). Wee present James Maylam and also wee present Ellin the wife of Stephen Rayner for that they doe not diligently resort to our Church to heare divine service on ye Sundayes, and the said Ellin did not receive the Communion at Easter last past (£. 203). 20 Nov. 1633. Fatetur et allegavit tamen that he is in debt and feareth to be arrested, welt is the only cause of his absence. xd paid. Wee p'sent Samuell Greenstreet for that hee cometh not duely to church on the Sabboath dayes, but wee think it is not for any contempt against the orders of the church, but onely that hee is in danger to come hither by reason of suite in law welt hee is in. 15 June 1636 (f. 283). 1758. PLUCKLEY. ARCHBISJIO:P's ENQUIRIES. The extent of the parish from east to west is three miles and a half, its width from north to south is three miles, its circumference is ten miles and a half. · It consists of one village, three hamlets, twenty-two £arm-houses, and fifty cottages, containing in all ninety-three families, and 411 inhabitants. Sir Edward Dering, Bart., is the only gentleman who lives in the parish. There is only one Papist in the parish, a labouring man and very old. No one has lately been perverted. to Popery, neither is there is any place in ys parish in which Papists assemble :for worship, nor doth any Popish Priest reside in it. There is no Popish schole kept in it, neither hath any Confirmation or Visitation by any Popish Bishop been held in it. ARCHBISHOP'S ENQUIRIES. 107 There are four Dissenters in the parish, aJl Anabaptists. Two of them are married men, whose families go to Church. The third is a farmer's servant, the fourth a very old woman. There are no Meeting Houses, nor any Dissenting Teacher in it. The number of Dissenters has lessened of late years. There are no Quakers in ys parish, nor any Meeting House. The people in general come regularly to Church, nor do any of them according to the best of my knowledge profess a disregard £or religion. I reside every year in the Parsonage House about four months, am four months resident in my Parsonage House at Canterbury, and the remaining four months I am in town in attendance upon the King in his closet. I have a Resident Curate, his name John Howdell, A.M. He is in Priest's Orders. He serves no other Cure, and I allow him £40 a )'ear, Easter Offerings and Surplice Fees to the amount, I suppose, of seven or eight pounds more. Public Service is duly performed twice every Lord's Day, and one sermon preached. Prayers are read all Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent, every day in Passion Week, and on all Holidays. There is no Chapel in the parish. The children are cathechized every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, and Lewis's exposition chiefly made use of. The children in the schole are frequently catechized, at other times also by the Curate and constantly by the Master. No persons frequent Publick worship who have not been baptized. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administered eight times a year. About fifty commt•. There is no Free Schole, Hospital, or Alms House in the parish. There is a voluntary Charity Schole in the parish for twelve boys and eigl1t girls. It is supported by Sir Edward and Lady Dering and the Rector. They are taught reading, writing, and arithmetick. The girls are also taught to sow and knit, the boys work at proper times, always in harvest and hopping time, and whenever their parents particularly want them. They are lodged, fed, and clothed by yr parents, and disposed of by them when they leave schole. About seven acres of land of the clear yearly rent of five p' ds have been left to the parish, and the money given to such poor as recevie no other allowance from it. There is likewise one acre of land, value £1 pr an., given for the repairs of the Church. And it appears by the parish books that y• money, for fifty years last past, has been faithfully applied to the uses for which it was given. 108 ARCHBISHOP'S ENQUIRIES. The money given at the Offertory is disposed of by the Minister alone to such persons of the parish as he judges to be the most proper objects of charity. There is no other matter relating to the parish that I know of, of which it is proper to give his Grace the Archbishop information. J. HEAD, Rectr of Pluckley. (Diocese of Canterbury, MS. 1134,, vol. iii., f. 187; Larnb Lib. Enquiries are dated, Deanery of St. Paul's, May 1, 1758.)