Editorial Method

The 1744 and 1779 replies to visitation queries were returned by the incumbent or his curate, and so each set of replies has been written in a different hand. In preparing the text for publication the objective has been to provide an accessible edition that does not deviate substantially from the original documents. Original spelling has been retained and punctuation and use of capitals left unaltered. Most common contractions have been silently expanded. For example, 'abt' = 'about', 'fm' = 'from', 'cd/shd/wd' = 'could/would/should', 'wn' = 'when' and 'wth' = 'with'. Likewise, contracted forms of the suffixes –ment and –tion have been expanded. The use of the 'y' character for 'th' varies between different authors and has been retained. Therefore, contractions such as 'yt' = 'that' have been preserved on this occasion. Less frequent contractions have been retained, as have abbreviated versions of personal names and months of the year. Questionable readings have been preceded by a question mark. Each set of replies concludes with a statement of the dates on which the incumbent received his priest's orders and presentation to the living. These contain a number of standard abbreviations that have not been altered. Place names are spelt as in the text. Abbreviated Latin phrases (such as variations on per annum) are silently expanded. Sparing has been made of squared brackets to extend unusual or questionable abbreviations. Words that appear to have been omitted are placed within squared brackets. Editorial comments appear in italics inside squared brackets. Crossings out are enclosed in brackets {} and insertions above the line are denoted by angled brackets <>. Variations on li have been modernised to £ and the pound sign placed in its modern location before the numerical value. Occasionally the respondents place their dates of institution and priest's orders in a position other than at the end of the manuscript. In these cases, the information has been relocated to the end of the return.

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