Rushden Research Group: Vestry Notes

List from the Parish Catalogue at Bedforshire Record Office, Bedford

Vestry Notes

Parish Reference at Bedfordshire Record Office is P119/8, for
the Vestry Minute Book and it has some interesting items.

Regular business includes election passing accounts, rates and rating, poor law business and leasing of "Constable's land" or parish estate.
Year	Occasional business includes:
1835	Adaptation of vestry room for meetings and "for the relieving office to pay the poor in" etc.
1836-7	Carriage of highway materials
1837	Agreement for letting the parish lands (9 acres in the open fields known as The Constable's Land) to William Wylde, shopkeeper, with clauses for tenancy etc., 7th April
1843	Repairs to the church ordered by the Archdeacon
1844	Sale of poor law property - a building containing two tenements in the occupation of Elizabeth Boswell and Ann Chamberlain, widows
1846	Agreement for letting the Constable's land to Joseph Rootham, carpenter, 2nd April
1847	Estimate for repairs of church leads [roof]
1847	Emigration of John Smith and his family, Susannah Smith, and George Knight to Australia
1852	Parish pound to be erected by the Lord of the Manor
1854	New churchyard fence - dispute with adjoining landowners
1855	Agreement for letting the Constable's land to Joseph White, 2 April
1864	Agreement for letting Constable's land to Thomas Wagstaffe, 25 April
1869	Congregational collections to be made "instead of the accustomed Church Rate now abolished"
1873	Agreement for letting the Constable's land to George Shelton, 29 April
1875	Gift of a church clock by the late Peter Bunting Esq., on the condition that the parish should wind it up and keep it in good repair
1880	Agreement with George Shelton re Constable's land to be cancelled.
1880	New agreement with John Wagstaffe of Yelden, 27April
1882	Church tower to be examined and reported on [see P 199/1/1 f.37d]
1887	New roads in the parishes of Yelden and Newton Bromswold - resolution that they should be maintained by the Sharnbrook Highway Board District Fund
1888	Constable's land (9a. 3r. 3lp.) to be let to parishioners in roods
1892	Construction of and organ chamber and removal of the organ [see P 119/1/1 f.38d and P 119/2/2/1-2]
1896	Retirement of J. Holyoak as Sexton
1899	Payment of ringers - 4 ringers to be paid 10s. each a year to chime for service and for ringing on special occasions
1901	Discontinuation of payments to ringers
1905	Increase in salary to sexton

Also in the Parish documents are:-

P 119/25/1 dated 17 Nov 1803

A declaration by the Rev. Edward Bunting, Rector, and Peter Creak gent, both of Yelden – that £53 8s. 0d. in 3% annuities invested in their names is held in trust for charitable uses, being £20 bequeathed by Thomas Wylde, late of Higham Ferrers, Northants, deceased, to the use of the poor at Yelden, and a further £20 left by some person unknown, the income from the £53 8s. 0d. annuities to be appropriated in the purchase of bread for distribution to the poor at Christmas.

P 119/25/2 dated 28 Jun 1823

Extract from report of the Charity Commissioners concerning Yelden Charities – Poor’s Money Charity. (printed)