compared with later days. Thus in 1833 I find this entry in Llanychan Book: Eatables differed in value from what they are now. I will give a few extracts on this subject: Bettws G. G.,1721.-" Paid for a botle of wine 00 00 11 0 2 0." Some things, however, were dearer in the last century than in our days. Candles and oats and barley may be mentioned as instances. The study of prices as compared with the value of labour in the last two and a half centuries, is a subject for the economist, and he can derive much valuable and reliable information on the subject from our churchwardens' accounts. The searcher after old customs, the folk-lorist, can revel in the entries made by our churchwardens. Customs that have ceased to exist are there to be found. I will allude to a few of these. First comes the early service on Christmas morn, called the Plygain. This was common to all churches, and there is no parish without proof of its existence. I will transcribe references to this custom : Cilcen, 1731.-" Paid for 3 pound candles to Llanelidan, 1679.-" It. for candles for morn- 20 00 00 10 00 00 09 0 4 0." These items are repeated year after year, and come far into the present century. It would appear that the carol-singers were paid, and that they wandered far from church to church to take part in carol-singing. Thus I find the following and like entries: Llanfair D. Clwyd, 1821-2.—“ For singing carrols at 1824. "Singing carrols on Christmas Ditto Eyster day Llanychan, 1822. "To a man for singing a carol at Tryddyn, 1770.—" To the singars att Cresmas Day 2 0 2 0 0008 6 6 5 0." Ruthin singers are mentioned as having been paid for their carol-singing at Tryddyn. Evidence of strewing the churches with rushes is very This custom continued long into this century, as proved by entries made by the churchwardens. Proof is forthcoming from these books that large numbers communicated in church on the chief festivals. Special provision was made for Allhallowstide, Trinity Sunday, Whitsuntide, Michaelmas, Christmas, Easter, Candlemas, and Lent. This statement is further corroborated by entries made in Registers of the numbers that communicated on this or that holy day. Light is thrown by these entries on the mode of burying. They inform us that bodies were carried to the grave on horse-biers. Thus I select from among many extracts the following: Gwyddelwern, 1749.-"To David Roberts for fol lowing the Horse Bier to carry the body of "Expences attend the Burial 0 0 8 0 0 6 But I will not further quote from these entries. I may state, though, that the churchwardens' accounts were audited and then read of a Sunday publicly in church. I find a note to this effect at the foot of Clocaenog accounts: "This account was read in Clocaenog Church on Sunday, viz. 2 die Decembris 1711.” I will now refer briefly to another book well worthy of careful reading; that is, to THE VESTRY-BOOK. It would seem that formerly vestries were held in church of a Sunday. Our forefathers saw no impropriety in this; they rather clung to the custom. În a vestry held in Tryddyn, in 1810, I find the following entry on this matter: "This Vestry was to be held in Church, as every other ought to be, and no person has a right to adjourn to be held any where else but the minister only. "J. Williams." The subjects discussed and resolutions passed in these vestries, where they are fully recorded, constitute the history of a parish. It is difficult to make judicious selections of the minutes passed by these vestries; but I will try to do So. One of the great difficulties that the parishioners had to contend with in former days was pauperism, and many resolutions passed at vestries refer to this matter. Thus at Tryddyn, in 1820, I find the following minute of the transactions of the parishioners in vestry assembled: "1820. Agreed that all the Paupers be called in church, and have a patch put on, according to Act of Parliament." It was made difficult for a poor outsider to become a legal parishioner, and various minutes on this matter were passed. One only will I give : "Gwyddelwern, Dec 29, 1749. Agreed at the Vestry held by the minister & ch. wardens & other inhabitants of the parish of Gwyddelwern, that no Person or Persons shall be admitted or suffered to Live in the said parish unless they pay ten pounds rent yearly, or produce a certificate to keep the said parish from all damages, or unless the Landlord undertake and promise to pay all manner of taxes for the said person so admitted. As witness our hands, "Robert Evans, Minister, & others." But when a tradesman, a journeyman workman, was wanted in a parish, as an inducement for him to settle in it, he was made a parishioner. An instance of this I find in Llanelidan, which is as follows: "January 20th, 1754. Att a vestry then held in the parish church of Llanelidan by the unanimous consent of the minister, churchwardens, and other parishioners then present, have ownd and acknowledged John Simon Taylor, now living in Denbigh Town, to be an inhabitant legally settled in the said Parish of Llanelidan, and have at the same time granted him a certificate of the same. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our hands the 20th day of Jan. 1754. "William Evans, Minister, & others." Many curious entries are made in Vestry-Books relating to the pastimes of the people. Thus I find that reference is made to ball-playing on church walls. The following is an entry in the Vestry-Book of Newtown: "May 25, 1722. It is agreed by the inhabitants of the town & parish of New Town that persons playing Ball upon the church or against the walls or steeple thereof, shall forfeit for every such offense the sum of five shillings, payable to the churchwardens for ye time being, to be laid out in the repairs of the windows of the said church. As witness our hands ye day year above said. & "Jon Pryce It was but right to spend the money in repairing the windows broken by the ball-players. I may here state that this is the only instance I have met with of a layman signing before the clergyman. Many churches had, until lately, lines a short distance from the ground, on the outside walls, below which the ball would not be in play. Buttington was one of these churches; and even now this line can be traced on the north side of Llansilin Church. Shutters were put up to protect the windows from the ball; and the hinges and staples in many churches have reached our days. Llanelidan and Cilcen may be mentioned as instances. The scorings are still to be seen of matches played on Llanelidan Church. They are on the wall of the doorway to the vestry, or singers' gallery. We have, however, seen in the resolution of the Newtown Vestry that ball-playing on church walls had become distasteful to the leaders of the people in 1722; but all changes that contain the elements of permanency are gradual, and it is, therefore, not to be wondered at that the people clung to their games of ball in churchyards notwithstanding episcopal injunctions and vestry resolutions, and that it was long before they relinquished their churchyard and Sunday sports. A resolution passed by the parishioners of Cilcen in 1700 refers to the matter under consideration : "June ye 10, 1700.-We, the parishioners of Kilkin, whose names are subscribed, in order to prevent ye profanation of the Lord's Day, do agree amongst ourselves that we will give our children & servants free liberty from three a clock every Saturday evening, to goe & recreate themselves in all lawful recreations, & that we will take care that our children & servants shall duly on the Ls day repair to church, & demean themselves the rest of the day as Xtians ought to do. "Ellis Lewis, Vic., & 17 parishioners." A singular resolution was passed in the end of the last century by the parishioners of Llanwddyn, which was, to limit themselves to the consumption of a certain quantity of wheat, so as to tide over the scarcity then existing, and to provide a sufficient quantity for sowing. But there are many singular resolutions to be found in vestry minute books. Enough extracts, though, have been given to show that these documents are not only interesting, but highly valuable, and that they constitute a sort of parochial history. |