Population and dissenters: There are in ye Parish of Sidmouth 180 Families: of which Number there are 142 of ye church establish’d by Law; & 38 Families of the Dissenters call’d Presbyterians, & no other. In ye Time of ye late Rt Revd Bishop Blackbourn (as appears by a List now before me) the account stood thus. 165 Families of ye establish’d Church; & 48 Presbyterian. There is a Meeting-House & has been almost ever since the Act of Indulgence granted them. And they tell me they have had a Licence above twenty years. The Teachers Name is John Berry.
Public or charity schools: There is a School wherein 30 poor children are constantly taught to read, & when able, every one has a Bible with Common-Prayers given. The schoolmaster is allowed 6 pounds a year out of some Lands partly given for that use, & the Interest of 40 Pounds for teaching them to say their Church Catechism distinctly, & also a morning & evening Prayer & other Devotions, contain’d in a little Book, entitled, Prayers for ye use of ye Charity-Schools – They are brought to church almost on every Holy-day, & examin’d in all ye above particulars.
Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment:
There is an Alms-House, wholly maintain’d & repaired at ye Charge of the Parish. No Lands left for ye Repair of the Church, or other pious use, besides what is above Specified.
Residence upon cure: I do reside upon my Cure constantly; having not been from it the Distance of above 15 miles from the Time yt I took Deacons-orders, which was 7ber 1708, to this Day, nor absent from the vicarage house, I believe a full week in all that Time.
Number of communicants: There are, I believe, as near as I can judge, upwards of a Hundred; 70 of them pretty constant Communicants. Last Easter & ye Sunday before, I believe there were about 80.
Catechising of children: The Children both in Town & Parish are yearly call’d over & examin’d and such as are of the establish’d church, are generally pretty careful to send them for that Purpose.