Lelant parish officials 1722-1802

Churchwardens, overseers of the poor, and constables

Version 15 February 2006

This list of officials of Lelant parish is taken from two sources: for 1722-1800 the accounts of the

churchwardens in the Church council book 1722-1800 (CRO P/120/5/1) and for 1770-1802 the accounts of

the overseers of the poor in the Lelant poor book 1770-1802 (CRO P/120/12/1). The Church council book

records the names of the churchwardens and very occasionally constables. The Lelant poor book records

churchwardens and the overseers of the poor. Only names in these books are recorded here.

The years in the two books run from Easter to Easter. The names and dates in the Church council book are

clear and unambiguous, apart from the very beginning of the book and I have used this as the sole source

for the churchwardens up to 1799-1800. The churchwardens in the list for 1800-01 and 1801-02 only are from

the Lelant poor book. There are difficulties for some years with the names and dates in the Poor book: the

dating of some years in this book is ambiguous and in some instances awry. If I have interpreted the year

in the Poor book right, this means that for some years the names of the churchwardens do not tally with

those in the Church council book; they are basically a year out. Additionally in the Poor book, the names of

the overseers of the poor in the prospective rate-making records, at the beginning of the Easter-Easter year,

are different in some years from the names of the overseers in the record of the disbursements for that year.

Where they differ I have listed both.

This list therefore represents my interpretation of the entries for the ambiguous years and officials in the

Poor book.

What did overseers of the poor and churchwardens do?

The churchwardens and overseers levied and collected taxes, called rates, from the owners of land and

property in the parish.

The unpaid churchwardens, elected for a year by the better-off parishioners at the Easter vestry meeting,

used their rates to pay mainly for the maintenance and repair of the church building, including the bells, and for

other items connected with the running of the church such as the bread for communion and washing the church linen.

They also paid for the work of the parish constables, road maintenance, and organised the recruitment of the

parish members of the militia.

The unpaid overseers of the poor, elected in the same way as the churchwardens, used their rates to provide

money and goods for the poor of the parish and to commission paid work from people for paupers to do, such as

making clothes for a pauper or looking after someone in labour or for the funeral of a pauper. The rate also paid

for young parish paupers to become apprenticed to a skilled worker such as a carpenter in the parish and paid for

support for the family of militia substitutes and for the maintenance of the poor house and administrative work to do with

the settlement of people in the right parish.

The same names of officials recur: Lelant apparently had only few men willing to do this work. Only men

served as these officials and in a few years the same men were both churchwardens and overseers of the

poor. The rates were prospective, that is they were for the year to come. The year of office for

churchwardens and overseers ran from Easter to Easter.

Also see on this website:

The poor in Lelant

What is in the churchwardens' Church council book?

This is an account book, recording separately what was collected in as rates and what was paid out by the

churchwardens. Some people also paid for graves; these are presumably the well-heeled paying for special

graves. The names of the churchwardens and occasionally constables are recorded in the book; the names

of ratepayers and the amounts they paid are recorded; and the names of those paid by the churchwardens

for work done and services provided (as set out above in What did the churchwardens do), along with the

amounts paid. The outside edge of the book are damaged and the details are in some cases lost entirely or

partially. Only years are given for receipts and disbursements in the book; there are no months or days.

What is in the Lelant poor book?

The Lelant poor book is primarily an account book. It records separately what was received and what was

paid out. The accounts are detailed and record the names of ratepayers and their property and the names

of recipients and what they received (for relieving poverty or services set out above in What did the

overseers of the poor do). The names of churchwardens and overseers of the poor are recorded in the

book. Only years are given for receipts and disbursements in the book; there are no months or days.

1800-1802 accounting device

In the Lelant poor book the years 1800 to 1802 for disbursements and rate-making are divided thus: Easter

1800-September 1800, September 1800-Easter 1801, Easter 1801-October 1801, October 1801-Easter 1802.

This is an accounting device: the officials served a full year.

Parish name

The parish is called Uny Lelant in the Lelant poor book, very occasionally spelt Uni Lelant.

YEAR

CHURCHWARDENS

In Church council book

1722-23

Henry HOSKING, …STEVENS

1723-24

Edward BANFIELD

1724-25

Henry BANFIELD, William CURGENVEN

1725-26

Henry BANFIELD, William CURGENVEN

1726-27

Edward BANFIELD, James STEVENS

1727-28

Edward BANFIELD, James STEVENS

1728-29

Edward BANFIELD, James STEVENS

1729-30

Edward BANFIELD, James STEVENS

1730-31

Hugh PAWLEY, John PEARCE

1731-32

Hugh PAWLEY, John PEARCE

1732-33

1733-34

Andrew HOSKING, John PEARCE

1734-35

Christopher EDWARDS, Andrew HOSKING

1735-36

William MICHELL, John SANDOW

1736-37

William MICHELL, John SANDOW,

1737-38

Christopher HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1738-39

Christopher HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1739-40

John EDWARDS, Henry HOSKING

1740-41

John EDWARDS, Henry HOSKING

1741-42

John EDWARDS, Henry HOSKING

1742-43

Hanniball HOSKING, George KELWAY

1743-44

Hanniball HOSKING, George KELWAY

1744-45

Hanniball HOSKING, George KELWAY

1745-46

Hanniball HOSKING, George KELWAY

1746-47

William CURGENVEN, Thomas RICHARDS

1747-48

William CURGENVEN, Thomas RICHARDS

1748-49

Richard HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1749-50

Thomas KNIVETON, Richard HOSKING

1750-51

Andrew HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1751-52

Andrew HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1752-53

Andrew HOSKING, Thomas KNIVETON

1753-54

John EDWARDS, Richard STEVENS

1754-55

John EDWARDS, Richard STEVENS

1755-56

John EDWARDS, Richard STEVENS

1756-57

John EDWARDS, Richard STEVENS

1757-58

John EDWARDS, John [sic] STEVENS

1758-59

John EDWARDS, John STEVENS

1759-60

Henry HOSKING, Thomas SANDOW

1760-61

Henry HOSKING, Thomas SANDOW

1761-62

Henry HOSKING, Thomas SANDOW

1762-63

Thomas CURGENVEN, Thomas EDWARDS

1763-64

Thomas CURGENVEN, Thomas EDWARDS

1764-65

Andrew HOSKING, Hannibal HOSKING

1765-66

Andrew HOSKING, Hannibal HOSKING

1766-67

Andrew HOSKING, Hannibal HOSKING

1767-68

William HAWES, Andrew HOSKING

1768-69

William HAWES, Henry [sic] HOSKING

1769-70

William HAWES, Henry [sic] HOSKING

CHURCHWARDENS

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR (rate-making)

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR (disbursement)

In Church council book

In Lelant poor book

In Lelant poor book where different from

the rate-making record

1770-71

William HAWES, Henry HOSKING,

Thomas EDWARDS, Stephen NEWTON

1771-72

Henry HOSKING, Edward RICHARDS

Stephen NEWTON, Lewis PENBERTHY

1772-73

Henry HOSKING, Edward RICHARDS

John COOPER, Henry PEARCE

1773-74

Henry HOSKING, Edward RICHARDS

(Captain) Isaac PENBERTHY, John KEMP

1774-75

Henry HOSKING, Edward RICHARDS

James MOORSHEAD, Silas THOMAS

1775-76

William HAWES, Henry HOSKING

1776-77

Hannibal HOSKING, James SANDOW

1777-78

Hannibal HOSKING, James SANDOW

1778-79

Stephen NEWTON, John STEVENS

James SANDOW, John STEVENS

Stephen NEWTON, John STEVENS

1779-80

Stephen NEWTON, John STEVENS

1780-81

Henry HOSKING, John STEVENS

Thomas EDWARDS, Thomas RICHARDS

1781-82

Henry HOSKING, John STEVENS

John BENNATS, John WHITE

1782-83

Henry HOSKING, John WHITE

William MITCHELL, Richard SAMPSON

1783-84

Henry HOSKING, John WHITE

Richard SAMPSON, Thomas SYMONDS

1784-85

Henry HOSKING, Clement UREN

Richard HARRY, John RICHARDS

1785-86

Henry HOSKING, Clement UREN

Henry PEARCE, John STEVENS

1786-87

John COOPER, Hannibal HOSKING

John RICHARDS, James THOMAS

1787-88

John COOPER, Hannibal HOSKING

James RICHARDS, John RICHARDS

1788-89

John COOPER, Hannibal HOSKING

John RICHARDS, Richard UREN

1789-90

John COOPER, Hannibal HOSKING

John RICHARDS, Richard UREN

Darcus PEARCE, Edward RICHARDS

1790-91

Henry HOSKING, William MICHELL

Darcus PEARCE, Edward RICHARDS

Sampson HOSKING, Henry PEARCE

1791-92

Henry HOSKING, William MICHELL

Sampson HOSKING, Henry PEARCE

John COOPER (Senior), Clement UREN

1792-93

Henry HOSKING, William MICHELL

John COOPER, Clement UREN

John KEMP (Junior), Henry BANFOLD

1793-94

Henry HOSKING, Thomas LAND

Henry BANFIELD, John KEMP

Richard HALL, John SANDOW

1794-95

James HARRY, Thomas SYMONS

Richard HALL, John SANDOW

Andrew HOSKING, John STEVENS

1795-96

James HARRY, Thomas SYMONS

Andrew HOSKING, John STEVENS

Hannibal HOSKING, Joeph THOMAS

1796-97

Andrew HOSKING, John SANDOW

Hannibal HOSKING, Joseph THOMAS

Francis BANFIELD, John ROACH

1797-98

Andrew HOSKING, John SANDOW

Francis BANFIELD, John ROACH

Thomas RICHARDS, John WHITE

1798-99

Joseph THOMAS, John STEVENS

Thomas RICHARDS, John WHITE

John BENNATS, William CURGENVEN

1799-1800

Joseph THOMAS, John STEVENS

John BANFIELD, William CURGENVEN

Thomas BOHENNA, John GLASSON

CHURCHWARDENS

In Lelant poor book

1800-01

John BENNATTS, Andrew HOSKING

Thomas BOHENNA, John GLASSON

John EDWARDS, William PENBERTHY

1801-02

John BENNATTS, Andrew HOSKING

John EDWARDS, William PENBERTHY

Notes on churchwardens and overseers

Edward RICHARDS and Stephen NEWTON are described as Captain.

Discrepant years for churchwarden entries in the Poor book are: 1778-79, 1786-87, 1794-95, 1796-97, 1798-99

No year is given in the Poor Book for the rate-making 1784-85 and 1785-86, though it is for the disbursement

1789-90 is entered in the Poor Book as 1788-89, a year which has already been recorded in the Poor book

1790-91 is entered in the Poor book as 1789-90

1791-92 is entered in the Poor book as 1790-91

Some of the surnames in the Lelant poor book are spelt variously: Kemp, Kempe, Symonds, Symons, Mitchell, Michell.

Thomas Symons regularly signs his name without a d and William Michell regularly signs without a t.

John Bennatts signs his name like that but it is also spelt in the Poor book with one n and one t.

John White signs his name with an h; it is also spelt without one in the book. The forename Hannibal

is spelt with one or two n's and with one or two l's. The signature is abbreviated.

From 1798 the disbursements and rate accounts are signed not only by the churchwardens but also

by other parishioners. They are mainly the people who are appear in this list and I put them here

in the years of their signatures omitting the two churchwardens.

1797-98

Henry HOSKING, Sampson HOSKING, William MICHELL, John STEVENS, Thomas SYMONS

1798-99

Hannibal HOSKING, Henry HOSKING, Sampson HOSKING, Thomas RICHARDS, John

SANDOW

1799-1800

Thomas BEHENNA, John BENNATTS, John COOPER, John EDWARDS, John GLASSON,

Henry HOSKING, Thomas HOSKING, William MICHELL, John STEVENS, Thomas SYMONS,

Thomas THOMAS

1800-01

Henry BANFIELD, John COOPER, Thomas HOSKING, William MICHELL, John PENBERTHY,

John SANDOW, John STEVENS

1801-02

Thomas BEHENNA, Henry HOSKING, John SANDOW, John STEVENS.

Constables

The Church council book occasionally records the names of Lelant parish constables, either specifically as

constables or as people paid jail and bridge money.

1722-23

George STEVENS

1736-37

John EDWARDS

1741-42

Hugh STEVENS, Richard STEVENS

1742-43

Richard WILLIAMS, …UREN, Richard SAFEGUARD

1744-45

Christopher UREN

1745-46

Christopher UREN, Edward BANFIELD, John EDWARDS

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