COLEBROOKE

Two rates survive for this parish located five miles west of Crediton. In this parish church ales continued through to 1637 at least. That of 1621 brought in £5 3s 4d. In 1623 14s were received ‘for malt and money collected out of the parish to the parish use’ while the rate brought in £2 9s 5d. The following year two rates raised £6 11s 4d.

35. COLEBROOKE, Church Rate, 1623

DHC, 4203Z/PW1

Note: These rates were recorded in the churchwardens’ account book and appear following expenditure. For other years there is no list of contributors but merely a recorded total sum. The bound volume has paper pages which measure approximately 7 inches in width and 11 inches in length. The accounts for some subsequent years have shorter lists of parishioners who have not paid towards the rate. This includes the years 1627, 1630, 1634, 1640, 1644, 1645, 1646 and 1649. In 1623 the total sum of £2 9s 5d was collected by the rate. The numerals are Roman. The population stood at some 668 persons and less than 4 per cent contributed to the rate. Parishioners who were not contributors included John Pary the younger who in 1623 was excommunicated for ‘incontinentcy’ with Joan Trend. This rate was collected by Thomas Reeve and Matthew Froste, churchwardens, and amongst their expenditure were repairs for the tower, windows and the church bells.

36. COLEBROOKE, Church Rate, 1625

DHC, 4203Z/PW1

Note: This list appears in the same account book as that of 1623. The numerals are Roman. At the bottom of the page is a list of individuals who received money from Ellize Westaway. These were John Hoper for 1s, Wm Smyth (8d), Alice Daymond (4d), Christian Collings (4d), Nicholas Labdon (4d), Alice Jewell (4d), Joan Bryce (4d), Andrew White (4d), Pascoe Swadle (6d), John Wonston (4d), Elizabeth Locke (4d), Henry Gribble's wife (4d), William Eastabroke (4d), Ellize Hoper (4d), Joan Bryce (2d), Amy Trevant (4d) and Alice Daymond (4d). In 1625 two church rates were paid by the parishioners. The expenditure included mending the church forms.