Silverton, Deanery of Plymptree

Chanter 225A, 132-135

    [Note: in the preamble to the queries the words, ‘at my approaching Primary Visitation, and may be deliver’d either to the Register, or to my Secretary’ are crossed through, and in the margin has been written, ‘by the common post to Exeter.]

  1. Population and dissenters: [No answer given, but see below]

  2. Public or charity schools: My Lord: There is a Publick Charity School endow’d, The number of Children taught is very uncertain, All ye parish having a right to send their children, there is a very good master & I believe ye Children are well instructed. Peter Beavis Rector.

  3. Alms-house, hospital or charitable endowment: [No answer given, but see below]

  4. Residence upon cure: My Lord: I reside at Warkley. Peter Beavis Rector.

  5. Curate: My Lord: I have a Residing Curate, his name is Staplin, I beleeve he is duly qualified, was Licens’d by your Lordship, he lives in ye Parish but not in ye Parsonage house I allow him £37 per annum. Peter Beavis Rector.

  6. Divine service at other churches: [No answer given, but see below]

  7. Frequency of divine service: My Lord: Divine service is perform’d twice every Lord’s day with a sermon, Wednesdays, Frydays & all Holydays. Peter Beavis Rector.

  8. Frequency of communion: My Lord: it is administer’d Seven Times. Peter Beavis Rector.

  9. Number of communicants: [No answer given, but see below]

  10. Catechising of children: [No answer given, but see below]

  11. Chapels or chapels in ruins: My Lord: we have none within or belonging to ye Parish. Peter Beavis Rector.

    Silferton R... Peter Beavis, LL.B: inst. Apr: 3d: 1733. Presb: Jul: 10th 1720: Lan: Exon.

    [Bound into the volume after the Silverton form are two separate pages of plain paper containing the following information.]

    Silverton
    Answ: to the first Que:
    We have about three hundred families. About ten Dissenters; one of which is an anabaptist, two Quakers, the others are call’d Presbyterians. There is one licenc’d meeting-house at which there is a meeting every Sunday; there is a Malthouse (as I am told) likewise licenc’d at which some Quakers meet about once in a year. The teacher of the Presbyterians is called Joel Orchard.
    2d There is one publick Endow’d School, in which are about thirty Free Scholars and fifty in all instructed in the principles of the Xtian Religion, and brought to Church on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Holy-Days.
    3d There is no Alms-house or Hospital; but there are some charitable endowments, which (as I am informed by various hands) are rightly dispos’d of. There are Lands, to the value of about £7 per Annum left for the repair of the Church under the direction of the Church-Wardens.
    6th I serve no other Church besides that of Silverton.
    9th There are about an Hundred Communicants who usually receive four times in a year.
    10th The Children are catechiz’d in our Church on every Sunday in Lent, at which the Children and servants duely attend.