Taken by W. H. Dewhurst from the same MSS.

Extracts from the churchwarden’s accompts of the parish of St. Helen, in Abingdon, Berkshire, from the first year of the reign of Philip and Mary, to the thirty-fourth of Q. Elizabeth, now in the possession of the Rev. Mr. George Benson.
With some Observations on them, by the late professor J. Ward.

Ann. MDLV. or 1 & 2 of Phil. and Mary.s.d.
Payde for makeinge the roode, and peynting the same54
for makeinge the herse lights, and paschall tapers111
for makeinge the roode lyghtes106
for a legend50
for a hollie water pott60
Ann. MDLVI. or 2 & 3 of P. and M.
Payde for a boke of the articles02
for a shippe of frankencense020
for new wax, and makeinge the herse lights58
for the font taper, and the paskall taper67
Receyved for the holye loof lyghts334
for the rode lyghtes at Christmas232ob.
at the buryall and monethes mynd of George Chynche022
for 12 tapers, at the yeres mynd of Maister John Hide021
at the buriall and monethes mynd of the good wiff Braunche124
Ann. MDLVII. or 3 & 4 of P. and M.
Receyved of the parishe of the rode lyghts at Christmas219
of the clarke for the holye loft368
at the buryall of Rich. Ballerd for 4 tapers06
*****
Payde for peynting the roode of Marie and John, the patron of the churche68
to fasten the tabernacle where the patron of the church now standeth08
for the roode Marie and John, with the patron of the churche180
for makeing the herse lyghts38
for the roode Marie and John, and the patron of the churche70
to the sextin, for watching the sepulter two nyghts08
to the suffrigan for hallowing the churche yard, and other implements of the church300
for the waste of the pascall and for holye yoyle510
Ann. MDLVIII. MDLIX. or 4 & 5 of P. & M. and 1 & 2 of Eliz.
Receyved for roode lyghts at Xmas, 1558.186
for roode lyghts at Xmas, 1559183ob.
at Ester, for the pascall lyghte, 1558340
for waxe to thense the church on Ester daye020
at Ester, for the pascall lyghte, 1559350
for the holie loff, 1558340
for the holie loff, 1559348
*****
Payde to the bellman for meate, drinke, and cooles, watching the sepulture019
for the communion boke50
for takeing down the altere020
for 4 song bokes and a sawter68
Ann. MDLX. or 3 of Eliz.
Payde for tymber and makeing the communion table60
for a carpet for do28
for mending and paving the place where the aultere stoode28
for too dossin of morres belles10
for fower new saulter bockes80
for gathering the herse lyghtes40
Ann. MDLXI. or 4 of Eliz.
Payde for 4 pownde of candilles upon Cristmas daye in the morning for the masse012
for a table of the commandementes and cealender, or rewle to find out the lessons and spallmes, and for the frame20
to the somner for bringing the order for the roode lofte08
to the carpenter for takeing down the roode lofte, and stopping the holes in the wall, where the joisces stoode158
to the peynter for wrigting the scripture, where roode lofte stoode and overthwarte the same isle34
to the clarkes for maynteyning and repeyring the song bokes in the quyre40
Ann. MDLXII. or 5 of Eliz.
Payde for a bybill for the church100
Ann. MDLXIII. or 6 of Eliz.
Payde for a boke of Wendsdayes fasting, which contayns omellies06
Ann. MDLXIV. or 7 of Eliz.
Payde for a communion boke40
for reparations of the cross in the market place52
Ann. MDLXV. or 8 of Eliz.
Payde for too bokes of common prayer agaynste invading of the Turke06
for a repetition of the communion boke40
Ann. MDLXVI. or 9 of Eliz.
Payde for setting up Robin Hoode’s bowere018
Ann. MDLXXIII. or 16 of Eliz.
Payde for a quire of paper to make four bokes of Geneva salmes04
for 2 bockes of common prayer new sett forth04
Ann. MDLXXIV. or 17 of Eliz.
Payde for candilles for the church at Cristmas015
Ann. MDLXXVI. MDLXXVII. or 19 & 20 of Eliz.
Payde for a new byble400
for a booke of common prayer70
for wrytyng the commandements in the quyre, and peynting the same.190
Ann. MDLXXVIII. or 21 of Eliz.
Payde for a booke of the articles010
Ann. MDXCI. or 34 of Eliz.
Payde for an houre glasse for the pulpitt.04

Observations, &c. on the preceding Charges.

The churchwarden’s accounts of a particular parish[115] may in themselves be thought, justly, as a matter of no great consequence, and not worthy of much regard. But these seem to deserve some consideration, as they relate to a very remarkable period in our history, and prove by facts the great alterations that were made in religious affairs under the reigns of queen Mary and queen Elizabeth, together with the time and manner of putting them into execution; and may therefore serve both to confirm and illustrate several things related by our ecclesiastical historians.

1. We find mention made in these extracts of the rood and rood loft. By the former of which was meant either a crucifix, or the image of some saint erected in popish churches. And here that name is given to the images of saint Mary and saint John, and to saint Helen, the patroness of the church. These images were set in shrines, or tabernacles, and the place where they stood was called the rood loft, which was commonly over or near the passage out of the body of the church into the chancel. In 1548, the first of king Edward VI., all images and their shrines were ordered to be taken down, as bishop Burnett informs us. But they were restored again on the accession of queen Mary, as we find here, by the first article.

2. The ship for frankincense, mentioned in the year 1556, was a small vessel in the form of a ship or boat, in which the Roman catholics burn frankincense to perfume their churches and images.

3. The boke of articles, purchased in 1556, seems to be that which was printed and sent over the kingdom by order of queen Mary, at the end of the year 1554, containing instructions to the bishops for visiting the clergy.