CHAPTER III. Old Registers and Parish Books. Origin and Commencement of Registers.-Early Entries.-Excommuni- ENRY VIII, in the thirtieth year of his In 1538, Registers were ordered to be kept in every parish, of all marriages, baptisms, and burials. The earliest Register now in existence at Ealing, begins in 1582. It shows the average number of baptisms for the ten years ending 1592, was 29, and the average of burials was 29. The Register is imperfect during part of the seventeenth century. Great pains have, however, been taken to preserve the more ancient records which, in spite of some mutilation, afford a rich specimen of the old legal penmanship, and attest the nicety and exactness with which they were kept. The eighteenth century entries are seemingly intact. After a while, the beautiful though difficult characters disappear, but the writing is for the most part in a good legible hand. Unfortunately there is a gap from 1653 to 1668. Thus several years are lost during the incumbency of Beveridge; the remaining years are filled up with great minuteness, the writing firm, careful, and peculiarly distinct. The second entry in the Baptismal Register is that of Bridgett, the daughter of William Fleetwoode, esq.; the 26 daie of Julie 1582." This William Fleetwoode was Recorder of London in the reign of Elizabeth, and held a considerable estate at Ealing. Another name of interest is that of "Rowland, the sonne of Thomas Penruddock, [baptised] the twentie daie of Maie 1602." In the previous year, part of the demesne lands had been leased to the Penruddock family, and as we shall see there is good cause to believe that the tenure was disastrous for Ealing. These old Registers throw much light on the earlier history of the parish, and certain of the entries reflect in curious manner the local mind, the progressive stages of religious, social, and political thought. An Act, 23 Elizabeth, enjoined that "every person over sixteen years of age who should refrain from attending at church, chapel, or some usual place of common prayer, . . and should be lawfully convicted thereof, should forfeit for each month after that session the sum of £20 lawful money." Also, such absentees were in danger of excommunication, and an instance of this is noted in Ealing Parish Register. July 25, 1613, in the tenth year of James I, the then Vicar of Ealing, Edward Abbot, enters the names of certain of his parishioners, recording that they are excommunicated, and the nature of their offence. The notice is headed by the single word "Excommunicants", as appears in the accompanying illustration, Amongst other transgressors are "John Lyons and John Ffoydait for absenting themselves from the church." Probably they were also fined as "recusants" under the above-mentioned Act. On The gaol deliveries under this statute were very frequent 1 Middlesex County Records, vol. i, p. 126. ство сль Art A Bolly of the Jonhabitants of the hand Paucht dies this day fidest and Grood that James wil dos Bay unto At & this me Spf EXTRACT FROM PARISH REGISTER BOOK. From a Photograph by E. C. Porter. |