Churchwardens were parish officers responsible for keeping the church and representing the people in parochial matters. They gradually took on more administrative responsibilities during the sixteenth century. Most parishes had two churchwardens who were appointed annually. They normally kept accounts of their income and expenditure on behalf of the parish. The earliest surviving accounts for Bedfordshire parishes have been included in this volume: Clifton, 1543, 1589-1608; Northill, 1561-1612; and Shillington, I571?-1604. Income from rents for church lands and from individuals is recorded. However the main focus is on expenditure for, e.g. church maintenance, ecclesiastical visitations, and communion bread and wine, church ales and, in Northill, on May festivities.

The volume begins with a tribute In Memoriam for John Arnold Whitchurch, President of BHRS, 1945-1953.