The years 1803 and 1804 show that drastic work was done. One item stands "To expenses of Letting white-washing the Church 8s. 0d."—a sum spent mainly of course in copious draughts of ale. Another is "To writing Contracts of Letting 1s. 6d." The amount actually paid for "mending Roof of Church, and Whitewashing Church in and Out, and Pinning up all Broken places in the Ruff Cast & Plaster," was £8 12s.—certainly a modest one. Church and tower were whitewashed in 1815 for £5 18s., and Edward Wilson, carpenter, received 18s. for a "Craddle to White Wash Steeple." The process was repeated in 1832 at a cost of £2 17s. 71⁄2 d., and again in 1842, when Levi Hodgson was paid £4 15s. 9d. for the work.
The scraping, smoothing, and daubing to which the church was constantly subjected, may account for the mutilated state of such bits of freestone (shallow mouldings, &c.) as are yet visible. In what year Addison's decorations were effaced by a coat of whitewash is not known. It is supposed that the black boards, painted with texts, which yet hang in the church, replaced them, as being more convenient for the whitewashers. If so, the once admired art of the painter was allowed little more than fifty years in which to delight and instruct the people; for one board gives, with the names of the churchwardens, the date 1741. It is singular that in that year the accounts show no unwonted expense.
An item that occurred from time to time for "mending sentences" was changed in 1763 to an annual charge of 1s. for "cleaning church windows and sentences."
Many little odd expenses there were: such as the "hack" or pick, which, from its constant work on the graves, often wanted "laying," or a new shaft, at 3d. A fresh one and a "Cald-rake" were bought in 1715 for 1s. 6d.; while in 1802 "laying Mattock" cost 1s. 9d., and "New Coolrake" 1s. 6d. In 1824 a new spade cost 3s. 9d. Occasionally the church chest wanted "gimmers" or hinges, or new locks, a pair of which cost, in 1752, 1s. 4d. An "iron chest" was bought in 1816 for £7 17s. 6d. The ladder was mended often, and a new one in 1734 cost 9s. The "Corps Cloth," procured before 1798, when it was mended at 4d., required "Dying and Pressing" in 1803 at 3s. 3d.; and it was renewed in 1823 for £2 15s. A new bier cost, in 1812, 11s. 6d. In 1821 a small hearse was built by Edward Wilson, which could travel on the improved, but still narrow roads of the parish. Its use was paid for; but in some years it was not had out at all, so—as its initial cost was £14 9s., and the clerk was paid presently 5s. a year for attending it, and a "Hearse House" was soon found necessary (£11 15s.)—it was not a paying affair.
Edward repaired the "Corpes Stool" for 2s. in 1847.
"A booke of Canons" was bought in 1665 at 3s. 3d.; a register book in 1685 at 11s., and again in 1784 at 8s.; a book of articles in 1691 at 1s.; and in 1692 "a Paper Booke for Registring ye poor" at 2s. 9d., as well as an Act of Parliament "for Setling ye Poor" at 3d.
But besides regular and casual expenses ever increasing, there were special acquisitions too costly to be dealt with in the ordinary yearly accounts. Such was the church plate, and the bells (as we have seen), and, presumably, the clock, which at an unknown date replaced the dial. The present clock was, according to the terrier, presented in 1817, and was supplied by a Mr. Bellman, of Broughton-in-Furness. The bill of 7s. 6d., paid to "Late Mr. Bellman for dressing church clock," was not entered until 1820, though the previous year the regular charge started "To John Watson for attending clock & keeping water from it," which was £1 3s. 6d. for that year and afterwards 2s. 6d. less. The old clock existed till recently.
