PARISH CHURCH OF WEAVERHAM n i^Uu 234

l66l- Spent when we bespoke the King's

Arms going to Warrington about 'em o 1 00 Paid for the King's Arms .. . . 4 00 00 Paid for carriage of ye King's Arms and

allowance to wagoner . . .. o 03 06

Spent that day on the people that assembled about the unloading of them . . .. . . . . .. o 01 04 Paid for Carpentry work about getting

up the King's Arms. Spent at setting them up . . . . o 00 04

Paid to Parishioners for allowance . . 001 00

From their earliest days the churchwardens actcd as guardians of the poor and carried out a variety of duties as required by Statute, e.g. :-—

1630. Payde for prisoners and wounded soldiers and sailors, the first Quarter Sessions after Easter iiid.

Later on the amount is given in. figures, and varies as years went by from 3s. gd. to 30s. per quarter.

In 1654 an interesting demand note is among the papers I have recovered, in which the warden demands payment from the freeholders liable, of the amount due, " at his house at Sandiway," by a certain date, and signs himself, " Your Friend, John Barker."

Duties of a different kind :■—

1639. Payde to Richard Sheapcard for heads of noysome Vermine as is required by Statute 00/01 /08

The " noysome Vermine " included foxes, hedgehogs, lil-monts (polecats), sparrows, crows, and malps (bullfinch), for which varied amounts were paid. The payment for foxes' heads was ordered to cease in 1751. The Cheshire Hunt had then been formed and so foxes were preserved, to find sport " for the Gentry."

1693. Payde the Baillies for serving Peacock with a Writ Excommunicato Capiendo and bringing him to Chester. 01 02 08