Norfolk Church Records

Parish Accounts

This is a brief overview of the main Parish Accounts to be found covering the period 1597-1837. For more information see the reference section.

There are a number of parish records which (where they have survived) can help to show the social structure and administrative organisation of each parish. The records which are described here are those from 1597 which taxed the occupiers and then the money was generally spent in the parish. The following refer mostly to the period up to 1837 although some continued unaltered until well beyond this date.

Parishes elected officials including the posts of Churchwarden, Overseer, Constable and Surveyor who had the task of collecting, spending and then getting their accounts accepted. For information about the duties of these officials see the descriptions at the National Archives.

These records include :-

Churchwardens' accounts.

The earliest appear in the 1650s.
Income came from rents for church lands (if any) and rates levied on occupiers of property.
Disbursements (or payments) were generally spent on church maintenance.
From one to four people were appointed to this post depending on the size of the parish (see Notes).
What information can one find in these records?
- Some describe the property occupied eg. The Hall, Heath Farm, Public House, Lime Kiln and whether it was owned by the occupier.
- Some describe trades eg. Blacksmith, Carpenter, Glazier, Mason, Plumber, Thatcher or Stone Mason and may name people.
- Description and prices of materials and their source and transport.
- Some also list the previous occupiers names.
- List of the principal inhabitants who often signed the book.
- Schooling for the local children.

Overseers' accounts.

These officials raised money to relieve the poor who were settled in the parish.

The earliest appear in 1597-8.
Income came mostly from rates levied on occupiers of property and sometimes from charities.
Disbursements (or payments) were spent on maintaining their poor who lived in (and outside via out relief) the parish.
Some other occasional rates were amalgamated with them in 1738-9.
From one to two people were appointed to this post depending on the size of the parish (see Notes).
What information can one find in these records?
- Some describe the property occupied eg. Bury Hall, Lower Farm, Mill, Brick Kiln and whether it was owned by the occupier.
- Some describe trades eg. Cloth Seller, Doctor, Shoemaker, Tailor.
- Description of materials and their source and transport.
- Bastardy, Examinations, Removal Orders and Settlement cases.
- Military service substitutes.
- Payments (including many weekly ones) to the needy. Help was given with things such as apprenticeship, childbirth, clothing, fuel, illness and burial costs.
- Work done on the local Town House.
- Payments to Houses of Industry.
- Subscriptions to Hospitals.

Surveyors' (also called Waywardens') accounts.

The earliest appear in the 1650s.
Income came from rates levied on occupiers of property and in some places from rents of clay, gravel, sand and water pits eg. Acle Surveyors Payments for 1828.
Disbursements (or payments) were spent on highway maintenance.
What information can one find in these records?
- Some describe trades eg. Labourer, Painter, Publican.
- Description of materials and their source and transport.
- Dates when roads/bridges/signs were built/repaired and when drains were laid, cut or cleared.
- Some describe the weather conditions eg. clearing the snow.
- Payments for toll roads or turnpikes.

Constables' accounts.

The earliest appear in the 1660s.
Income came from rates levied on occupiers of property.
Disbursements (or payments) were spent on maintaining law and order.

Notes

Rates were levied on occupiers who might live inside or outside (also known as Out Sitters/Out Setters or similar) the parish. Occasionally against some of the "Out Sitters" names is given their places of residence eg. Starston Overseers Rate for 1801.
Owners are generally not shown in Norfolk accounts until some start in the 1800s Surveyors records.
In some small parishes some of the above posts were combined.
Women occasionally held these posts.
A few "Valuation surveys" which show the rents on which the rates would be calculated survive. An example for 1761 of one of these surveys can be found in Starston.
Other events sometimes find their way into these accounts such as:-
- Beating the Parish Bounds eg. Starston in 1801.

References

Cannan, Edwin.: History of Local rates in England
[1927]
Tate, W. E.: The Parish Chest
[ISBN:0 85033 507 8, Cambridge University Press, 3rd ed. 1983]