Church Wardens
| For Grasmer | Eadwin Green |
| Rob't Hird | |
| For Langdale | Geo. Cowperthwaite |
| Leo. Benson | |
| For Rydal Ambleside and | |
| Loughrigg | Ed. Benson de Highclose |
| Tho Newton de Ambleside |
Memorand. That to promote ye Painting of ye ch'h ye Parson did offer to pay according to ye proportion ye Quire did bear to ye whole ch'h to ye plastering washing w'h lime and painting of ye ten Command'ts Creed L'ds prayer and 30 sentences, tho' y'er had but been 4 or 5 Sentences in ye Quire before and now ye ten Comma'd'ts and Creed were to be painted on each side of the quire windows The Charge of all which was commuted at £8 0 0 and ye K'gs Arms and ye painting of ye pulpit at ye remainder. So that the quire appearing by measure to be a 5 part ye Parson was to pay £1 12s. 0d. but to be quit of the trouble of providing his proportion of lime and hair he did prefer to pay ye 5 part of the whole £9 10s. 0d. ye parish finding all lime and hair which was agreed to. Besides ye £9 10s. 0d. agreed to be paid there was 5s. 0d. given to the painter in earnest to have the work done well.
| £ | s | d | |
| March 29. Paid for ye 5 part of the earnest money given to the painter | 00 | 01 | 0 |
| June 21. Paid to Mr. James Addison for ye parsons share of painting the Church being ye 5 part of £9 10 0 | 00 | 18 | 0 |
The contract included the painting of the pulpit of a cheerful green, as we read. It was a plain structure of wood, and the "Quission" bought for it in 1661, as well as the cloth then procured for the Communion Table, were doubtless worn out; for we learn from the church-wardens' Presentment for 1707 that these and some other points about the church had been found wanting by the higher church authorities. The paper runs:—
The defects found in our church for and at ye late Visitation, viz. The Floor of the Church-porch & Isles uneven Flagg'd; The South wall of the Inside fro' ye Bellfry unto ye East, dirty; A decent Reading-pew, Com'unio'-Table-cloth of Linen, & pulpet Cushio' wanting; A Table of degrees wanting, & a crackt Bell.
All these faults except two (viz. The Reading-pew & crackt Bell) are amended. The porch & Isles even Flagg'd. The Wall made white & clean, A decent Table-cloth, Pulpet-Cushion, & Table of degrees, procured.
A new Reading-pew is in making at present, & will shortly be perfected. & as for the Bell it was referr'd to Dr. Fleming's discerec'on to be amended & made tuneable; & he resolves in convenient time to call together & consult w'th the chief of his Parishion'rs to do it, & in w't time and manner, to the best Advantage."
Accordingly we find entries of the expense incurred by a few of these requirements:—
| li | s | d | ||
| 1706 | For Cloth, Silk, Fring and Tassles for ye pulpitt Cushion | 01 | 02 | 05 |
| For Flocks harden and making ye pulpitt Cushion | 00 | 03 | 011⁄2 | |
| For Cloth for ye Table Cloth and makeing | 00 | 05 | 11 | |
| 1709 | For mending the Stairs and laying ye Flaggs in ye Clarks pew | 00 | 10 | 00 |
Nothing is heard, however, of a new reading-pew, and in 1710 the old one was mended at a cost of 1s. 8d. The bells, as we shall see, had to wait.