Drewsteington, Deanery of Dunsford

Chanter 225A, 176-177

  1. Population and dissenters: I suppose there may be 100 or 120 Families & one Dissenter an Anabaptist, who has lately been Baptized & has conformed.

  2. Public or charity schools: No endowed school but one where reading & writing are taught at ye charge of Parents masters &c the children are also taught their catechism.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: None, but some Lands are given for repair of ye Church, managed by the church warden & I beleive managed without abuse.

  4. Residence upon cure: I reside Constantly.

  5. Curate: I have no Curate; but my son assists me occasionally in reading Prayers, Preaching & Catechizing.

  6. Divine service at other churches: No.

  7. Frequency of divine service: On Sundays with sermons morning & afternoon, except ye winter quarter, when there is a sermon in ye morning only, with Prayers & an exposition of ye 2d lesson in ye afternoon.

  8. Frequency of communion: At ye great Festivals, & monthly throughout the year.

  9. Number of communicants: There may be about 200 of which about 40 or more Communicated last Easter and between 20 & 30 usually communicate monthly.

  10. Catechising of children: I have been quite discouraged from Catechizin in ye church on Sundays, because such little ones come as can only repeat ye words of ye Catechism without ye least meaning. I have now order’d those between ten and twenty to come in ye evenings on Mondays & Thursdays where I or my son instruct them for an hour or more in ye Catechism & ye knowledge of Religion {for an hour or more} which I hope will be attended with better success & therefore will be approved of.

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: None.

    Drewsteington Rectory Tho: Rennell D.D. Instituted Octob: 5. 1711. Presb: June 25. 1701. W. Oxon. Exhibited & paid for 2 or 3 times already. Tho: Rennell R[ecto]r of Drewsteington. [Explanation]