Winslow History | Vestry, 1895

Easter Vestry, 1895

Buckingham Advertiser, 27 April

EASTER VESTRY, Tuesday, April 16th.

Present – Rev. P. H. Eliot, and Messrs. Bullock, Hawley, G. George, L. [=T.] Walker, W. H. Stevens, A. J. Clear, Wilford, W. Ingram, Varney, Russell, and Sturgess.

Mr. Bullock in producing the accounts for the year, said he was sorry to say they were not quite so satisfactory as they might have been. The offertories from 46 Sundays, had realised £105/17/2; proceeds from Church Houses and Lands, £6/16/6; Donations, £1/0/3; total, £113/3/11. Their expenses had been much the same as before, but there was a falling off in the receipts, the average number of coins at the offertories having fallen from 324 per Sunday to 303 and the amount from £2/13/9, to £2/6/0, or about 7/6 per Sunday less. Then last year they had the benefit of a concert which realised £10/11/0, for the Organ and Choir Fund, and also the proceeds of the parish tea at the Patronal Festival £4/18/10, while the donations were £2/12/0, against £1/0/3 this year. Practically speaking they were £2 behind now, instead of the £5 last year.

The Vicar said he had no doubt this falling off was attributable to the demands on the parishioners’ pockets by the various organizations to meet the exceptional distress which had existed. At a meeting of the Parochial Council it was resolved to take special steps to meet the deficiency by having – first, a concert – and second, an organ recital, and it was hoped these two would at any rate diminish the deficit if not clear it off.

Mr. W. H. Stevens proposed that the accounts be passed, and printed as usual, and Mr. Russell seconded this, and it was carried.

The Vicar then produced the accounts of the poor and special fund, the former showing a balance of 11d, and the latter a deficiency of £2/14/8.

Mr. Bullock proposed, and Mr. W. Ingram seconded, that these accounts be passed and printed with the others.

The Vicar next produced the charity accounts explaining that they were all ecclesiastical charities except one, which was partly parochial, and which the Parish Council were taking steps to have the parochial and ecclesiastical parts separated. Charities – Yeates’ Sunday School income £17/8.3; expenditure books, &c., £8/6/8; Yeates’ Fuel, income £9/5/0; expenditure of Town Trustees, £4/11/8; Yeates’ Infant School, income £7/6/0; expenditure, £5/16/7; Miles’ Charity, income, £13/10/8; expenditure £6/15/11.

The next business was the election of Churchwardens, and the Vicar said he had to most heartily thank Mr. Bullock for all his assistance a warden, and for the way in which he had carried out his duties to the satisfaction of everyone. He would ask Mr. Bullock to stand again, and express his gratitude to him for all his help in Church matters.

Mr. Russell proposed Mr. Hawley as parish warden. Mr. W. Ingram seconded this, and Mr. Stevens suggested that the same thanks be expressed for his services as for Mr. Bullock’s. This was carried unanimously.

SIDESMEN. – The Vicar nominated Messrs. Vaisey, Varney, George, and Wise as his sidesmen. It was stated that the outgoing sidesmen were Messrs. Monk, Freegard, Ingram, and Clare and that Mr. Freegard did not wish to serve again. Mr. Ingram was nominated by Messrs. Hawley and George; Mr. A. Monk, by Messrs, Ingram and Wilford; Mr. W. H. Stevens, by Messrs. Bullock and Walker, and Mr. Clare by Messrs. George and Varney.

Mr. George said he thought the Churchwardens ought to make the Churchyard a little more worthy of the town, and the church it leads up to. If they could not afford it out of the Church expenses they might have a special fund to which he had no doubt plenty of people would be willing to contribute.

The Vicar said all parishioners could help in the matter by warning people off the grass, the children were the worst offenders. He was sure it was to the credit of the Churchwardens that the Churchyard looked so well.