From the Diocesan Registry.

Document No. 21.

1634.

THE VISITATION OF BISHOP FOSTER.

THE PARISH OF KK. MALEWE

In 1634 Bishop Foster sent out to the Clergy and Churchwardens of each parish a large number of questions under the title of `Bishop Foster's Visitation.' His chief aim appears to have been to see if there were any remains of Popish practices in Man.

Right Revrend and orSingular . . . Lo or humble duties p'mised . . . the church-Avardens and Sydmen whose names are hereunto subscribed doe (under reformacon) certifie (by vertue of oroathes alreadie taken) by way, of answere to those Articles expounded unto us and inquired of by y'. Lop in this yor first Visitacon (and that to the uttermost of our knowledge) as f olloweth

ffirst we doe truely certifie that or Curatt doth constantly preach evrie Saboath, catechise the yonger sort, and in his sermons praye for ye Qing, Queene, Royale issue, councell and state

2 lie. That he was admitted to preache by the late deceased Lo : Bp. He hath not suffered any stranger to preach since his coming to this place.

3 lie. That there are neither lectures in or churches or excerses in privatt houses in or pishe used, wch might breed moracon [?] etc.

41ie. That or Comen Prayers are red revrently and dystinctly upon Sondayes and holie dayes in or church: the Sacramts revrently adminstred, and zealously received without Idolatry.

5 lie. That or minister doth weare a surplisse in tyme of Comen Prayer and att the administracon of ye Sacram[en]t: and att Baptissme uses the Signe of the Crosse.

Item. That or minister hath not since his cominge to us suffered or admitted any to ye holy comunion or to be godfather or godmother but baptised being a prson excomunicatt, or notorious offender, or nott instructed in ye principles of religion : and that the pishoners for ye most ptte receive thrice a yeere att ye least.

Item. We doe certifie that ye minister hath nott att any tyme married wthout Licence or bannes askinge: and hath beene verie carefull to observe due tyme and place.

It. That our minister hath but one livinge. It. That he doth carefully visit ye sick, religiously exhort them, and doth attend ye dead by meetinge ye corps at ye church stile, and accompanyeth yem to ye church and grave.

It. That ye 5th day of November ye Minister calleth ye people to ye church.

It. We doe certifie yat ye Minister is not suspected of incontinence, gaminge, or drunkennesse : hee keepes noe aylehouse, neither is any cryme observed in him to ye offence of his Callinge.

It. That he keepeth his church house upon his gleebe in good repaire.

It. for soe much as we certainly know that neither vicr gen''all, Archdeacon or any other in Ecclall office, have not suppressed or concealed ye excomunicon of any censure eccliall, or iniured any man, contrary to ye Lawes of this Island.

It. We doe certifie that or minister doth not read ye Constitucons and Canons Ecc[lesiastic]al because ye pish hath not ye booke.

For the Layetie.

Item. We doe certifie yat we have all ornam[en]ts for church service as ye Booke of Comen Prayer, a faire Large Bible a decent font a Comunion table. a pulpitt, two comunion Cups, ye Ten Comandemts written on ye church wall, and a box for ye poore.

It. That or Church and Chancell, wth ve Church yard wall, be in repaire, saveinge one window latly broken wch shall be repaired out of hand. The Chancell window is broken wch ye Steward is to repaire.

The last sentence is written in the margin as ar after-thought.

It. As for Almes houses we have none: of pencons duly payd [we] heere noe complaint.

It. We doe certifie yat ye minister doth allto-gether baptisse in ye font: and yat usually all ve pishn's doe receive and cause yeir children to receive, being 14 yeeres of age : and yat ye yonger sort but onely once a yeere : and as for ye youths of inferior age yey be something slack m repayreing to ye church to be catichised in ye winter season.

It. We doe certifie that we know not of any yat use to talke, walke, or sleep, or to use any unrevrent behavior in ye Church in tyme of prayer, preachinge, or adininistracon of ye sacramts.

It. We doe certifie yt we know not of any wch use either privatly or publiquely to deprave by speech or otherwise any pte of true religion, or doe withdraw ye people from their due obedi-ence of ye church, &c.

Also we declare yt their is noe Schoole keept in or pish but one, ye m' whereof saies he hath his licence. '

It. We doe certifie yt we know not of any vt sell drinke in tyme of devyne service or sermon on Sondayes or holy dayes.

It. That when their is any chiding or brawling in church or churchyard, ye Chapt" Quest (loth p''sent yem : soe yat now we know not of any yat is unprsented or have latly offended in yat kynd.

It. We doe certifie yt their are not any knowen in or pish to p[ro]phane ye Saboath by sevrill worke, nor none on holy Feast dayes as formrlie : they have been punished yat have offended in yat kynd.

It. We doe certifie yat neither beare, or bulbatinge, or any other pastimes, are used on Sabothes and Holy dayes to the hinderance of devine service, or any sup[er]stitious ringing of bells in this pish, burninge of candles, wvorshipinge of crosses: but heretofore some have used to stand on. ye graves of 'ye dead and to pray. This now is much ceased and is left of.

Alsoe we heere yat many from other pishes doe repaire and resort unto a Well yt is in our pish, to what intent or purposte we know not.

This well is the celebrated Chibbyr Unjin, at which in August 1931 a primitive bog-oak hollowed vessel was found, and a brief description of which will be seen in the December issue of the Journal

Alsoe their is a Crosse in ye mids of Foure wayes within or pish, at wch we heere that some use to lay their sick children, to what purpose we know not.

It. We doe certifie yt we have a Register booke wherein are written ye names of all children baptised, psons married, or buried, two coffers, one without a lock, ye other but with one lock.

It. We doe certifie yt neither Chancellr, Vlcr Genrall, official] Register or appartr [apparitor] have exacted any fees for any thing yat we cer-taynly knowe.

It. We doe certifie yat we know not of any incestuous psons, adulterers, fornicators, usurers, swearers, drunkards, or any other suspected of any such or ye like crymes, but yey have beene presented unto ye officer. What course hath beene taken with some we know not : savinge one Tho : ffargher who is latly suspected to have had carnall dealing with his owne maydservant.

It. We doe certifie yt we know not of any within or pish that have harboured any woman begotten with child or suffered them to kepte unpunshed but that all such abhominable sins are duly punished.

It. We doe certifie yt all are readie to pay their taxacons and dues towards ye repayreinge of ye church: and yet ye churchwardens doe faithfully discharge their places and give at ye geeing forth of their office a true accompt.

It. We doe certifie yt we doe not know of any yt doe inter-meddle with ye goodes of any pson dep[ar]ted this life without proving a will or takeing a lawful] administracon hereof.

It. We doe certifie yt we know not of any 3 t hath absolved any excomunicate pson without recognicon, or comuted any pennance, saveing ye viccar gen''all, who hath comuted with some whose names are of record.

It. We doe certifie yt we know not of any y' have offended against ye Canons and other Recall laves in any cryme more then alreadie declared.

Our Rev' end Lo : (under reformacon) we humbly desire youre patience, in the informacon of all ye pishonrs greevances and humbly state to yo" Lop. w-ch is : That nowe they want that Unspeakable Comfort of heeringe God's Word and wonderful] workes in their own tongue-wch form''ly they have heard - for now since yor Lop's coming or minister doth not soe much edifie them in their ovine Language either in devine service or sermon.

Therefore they doe humbly beseech yor Lop, to cause ye minister to edifie and exersice his Tallent as formrly he hath done and cann doe soe shall they and wee pray, &c.

Yo" Lop's humble and obedient servants Churchwardens

Ro : Harisson [of Ballaglonna].
Tho : Tayler [ Crossag] .
To : Bell [Ballavell].
Tho : Quakin [Ballavoddan].
Wm. Harison [Ballacrink].
To: Norris.
Wm. Watleforth.
Edw. Quay.

The names in italics are crossed out in the original.

Sidemen

Tho : Tubman [Bowling Green].
Tho : Bridson [Ballagrangey].
James Corrin [Ballasalla].
Jo : ffargher [Cooilcam].
Henry Wanwright [Derbyhaven].
Wm. Taggart [Ballakew].

The foresd Tho : ffarg" enioyned for his fornication to 3 Sondayes pennance in peniten-tial] habbyt in his pish church.

Since the last answere to these articles we find thees enormities, defects in the house of God, and delinquencie acted as followeth, wch, under reformacon, we leave to yor Lops. religious Censure

Thoe Moore married wthout Banes. Isable Corrin married wthout Banes. Christian Harison married in another pish wthout Banes.

Adam Stafford and Savag Radliffe married wthout Banes and in another pish.

Jo : Kneene and Christian Curlett married wthout Banes and in another pish.

Noe seate for the minister.

Jo : Bridson's pte of the Church yard ditch out of repair.

Also we find that the VicrGeneral hath Received Comutacon money of some in or pish viz., Steven Bell, Jo : Bridson. Nicho : Harison.

Alsoe their be many whose names are given to the Vicr that will not pay their dues to the church.

Wm. Harison and John Norres Some of the Wardens for neglecting their duties in the reparing of the church yard ditch.

The words in italics are crossed out.

There are some of the Churchwardens that have not yet given accompt when they went out of their office.

The Church out of repayre in the rooffe.

NOTE: The Vicar of Malew in 1634 was Robert Parr, who was in the parish from 1633 to 1640, when he became Rector of Ballaugh. His son Charles followed him in 1670, when he died.