Vestry minutes and parish accounts

Apart from a few vestries called for special purposes, the minutes are those for the Easter Vestry, with the election of officers and the examination and passing of the parish accounts. Churchwardens, overseers, and waywardens are elected until 1894; constables up to 1891; the first guardian of the poor is nominated in 1835. In 1879 appointments were made to a School Board and Burial Board, and a school committee elected. The Easter Vestry and the new Parochial Church Meeting were reported jointly for the first time in 1923. Some rating assessments, 1830-1835, have been entered at the end of the volume, which includes in addition:-

Inside front cover: cutting from West Sussex Gazette concerning the new Parish Councils [1894]; bookseller's name-plate: P. Binstead, Law and General Stationer, Chichester;

ff.1-15v. disbursements by overseers to the poor, by name, 1830-1831;

f.15v. expenditure for the year analysed under categories, e.g. widows, the old (couples or single), bastard children, rents, clothes, doctor etc. Memorandum that the Vicar had reduced the cost of relief to the unemployed by employing a member of men on a new road [1830-1831];

ff.17-30v. overseers; relief disbursements (by name), 1831-1832;

f.20. abstract of 1831 census, showing numbers of inhabited houses, houses being built, families in agriculture or in trade etc. Total numbers of persons: 641; 1831;

ff.33-35. accounts of expenditure on relief given in the form of tables, and in categories, e.g. aged and infirm, fatherless children, able-bodied labourers (children), casual relief, etc. 1832-1833;

ff.36v-38, 39v-41. relief as above, 1833-1834; 1834-1835;

f.42. nomination of first guardian of the poor, 1835;

ff.43v-45. relief as above, 1835;

ff.45v-47. overseers' quarterly accounts, 1835;

ff.47v-70. accounts now headed Parish of West Dean - Union of Westbourne, beginning December 1835; overseers accounts (mostly quarterly) 1836-1839;

ff.71v-75. overseers' quarterly accounts, 1839-1840;

f.75v. vestry minute agreeing to increase the clerk's salary because of additional services during the week, 1840;

ff.76v-96. overseers' accounts (mostly quarterly) 1840-1845;

ff.96v-98v. minutes of five vestry meetings: following the mislaying of a cheque and some irregularities in the accounts and arrears of rates, arrangements were made for the better management of the accounts; copy of an agreement that a collector was to pay to the parish the arrears due, by instalments to be stopped from his salary; passing the valuation and assessment of the parish, 1845;

ff.99-101. overseers' accounts, 1845, 1846; vestries to examine and pass the accounts, 1846;

ff.101v-102v. vestries to consider the new County rate; to consider levying a voluntary rate to defray the expenses of parishioners wishing to emigrate to South Australia: details of such families; estimates of expenses of outfitting them; emigration certificates to be requested from the Government Emigration Office (9 Park Street, Westminster), and if approved by the Board of Emigration, overseers to order outfits etc., 1846;

ff.103v-106. overseers' accounts, 1846, 1847; vestry minutes agreeing to obtain estimate for painting interior of church, 1846;

f.108v. vestry decision that the account for the new bridge over the Lavant at West Dean should be referred to the owners of land before it is paid, 1851;

f.109v. vestry decision to pay for the bridge in part by subscription, 1852;

ff.115v. vestry decision to obtain estimate to paint the Church inside and out, to be done by Messrs. Halstead [of Chichester]; in the interior, all except the chancel and parts made of oak to be painted in grained oak, 1858;

ff.118, 119. vestries concerning the accounts of the burial ground and loan repayments to the Burial Board, 1860, 1861;

ff.119-133. overseers' accounts, 1860-1874

f.131v. appointment of a paid assistant overseer to collect all rates except the church rate, 1873;

f.135. item concerning the Burial Board's loan, and the school-rate 1878;

f.136v-137. decision by vestry to accept the offer of Frederick Bower Esq. of West Dean House to pay for alterations and improvements to the church; consideration of plans; decision to apply for faculty - excepting however Mr Bower's rights in the south transept and for the time being, of the occupiers of Binderton House to two pews, 1879;

f.139. vestry discussion on the claim by Singleton waywardens that the snow plough belonged to that parish but proved to belong to West Dean, 1881;

f.143. vestry acceptance of Mr. Bower's offer of new gates for the burial ground, 1885;

f.145v. vestry discussion and resolution that it was unnecessary to revalue the parish by a separate assessment of every holding, 1887;

f.147. vestry making voluntary collections towards church expenses; decision to replace the cemetery fence with a new one, 1888;

f.147v. payment to an overseer for making a new valuation of the parish, 1888;

ff.147v-149v. vestry meetings (including a separate one for the Chapelry of Binderton) concerning the Midhurst to Chichester road, "formerly known as part of the Chichester and Midhurst Turnpikes road by reason of its being used ... as a thoroughfare to ... Chichester,... Midhurst and to Singelton and Cocking Railway Station"; it was suggested that if approved by the parish highway authorities, the road should become a main road under the relevant Act and an Order for this should be applied for; vestry minutes recording agreement to the above and to make an application to the County Council, 1888, 1889;

f.150. vestry decision to appeal against the new basis of the County Rate, 1890

f.151. vestry decision that the waywardens should request Messrs. Henty to prune their trees as some tenants and ratepayers were complaining of lack of light in their rooms opposite trees; note that "Messrs Henty declined to cut, or allow cutting" [pencilled note that they gave leave in 1895], 1890;

ff.152, 153v, 155v, 156, 157v. separate vestry meetings for Binderton, 1890-1894;

f.153. vestry minutes concerning the classification of parish roads and decision that the waywardens make representation to the Roads Committee of the County Council, 1891;

f.154. minutes of a meeting of ratepayers agreeing to sign a memorial against the scheme for roads proposed by the Main Roads and Bridges Committee, 1891;

f.159. vestry minute concerning the Burial Acts and proposed addition to the present cemetery, 1895;

ff.161-162. draft pencilled minutes of two Parish Council meetings, July, October 1896;

f.163. Easter vestry adjourned till new vicar installed, 1897;

f.164. note of institution of The Rev. W.A. Armstrong; decision to remunerate the harmonium player who had hitherto done it voluntarily; and to make quarterly collections for church expenses, 1897;

f.165. vestry minute recording the offer by Mr. William James to give an organ, and formation of a committee to consider the making of an organ chamber and a vestry, 1898;

f.166. vestry decision to apply for a faculty to make various alterations and to move grave stones in order to make an organ chamber and vestry, 1898;

f.167. decision to pay choir boys 25.bd. a year provided there are not more than eight, 1899;

f.168. vestry minute thanking Mr. W. James for the gift of an organ and choir stalls; Mrs. James for a pulpit; and Mr. H. Deedes for a lectern in memory of Miss Louisa Deedes, 1900;

f.169r and v. decision to carry out small outside works and to provide small internal fitments, 1901; account for church repairs (subscriptions and outgoings), 1902;

ff.170-178. Easter vestries minutes, 1902-1911, which include purchase of a deed box for registers and documents (1903); application for a faculty for a stained glass window as memorial to Mr. W. James's brother (1904); repair to tower finials and need to repair churchyard wall (1905);

ff.178v,179r and v. vestry minute recording the death of Mr. William James; vestry resolution to apply for a faculty for various memorials to William James, examination of plans and drawings, etc., 1912;

f.180. vestry discussion on a proposed diocesan finance scheme based on the Report of the Archbishops' Commission, 1913;

f.181v,182. discussion on a decision to make church sittings free, 1916;

f.183. reference to forthcoming elections for the first Parochial Church Council, 1917;

f.184v. vestry decision to apply for a war memorial to take the form of an oak tablet in the nave, 1919;

f.185. report on a church wall which had fallen down and expectation that it would be repaired by the West Dean Estate; decision to obtain estimates for heating, 1920;

ff.187-191. minutes of the combined meetings of the Easter Vestry and Parochial Church meeting, 1923-1940;

ff.192-236. blank;

ff.236v,256. assessments for poor rate, 1830-1835;

ff.257-267. blank; the next two folios contain various scribbled comments (one in Greek) probably by Canon Hutchinson (1849-1897)