The following extracts from the Register Book of the parish of Sutton on
the Forest, Yorkshire, which are in the handwriting of Lawrence Sterne,
have come into my possession through the kindness of my friend
Archdeacon Creyke (of York), and I beg to offer them for insertion in
"N. & Q."
"Lawrence Sterne, A. B., was inducted into ye Vicarage of Sutton
August ye 25th, 1738.
"Lawrence Sterne created Master of Arts at Cambridge, July, 1740.
"L. Sterne, A. M., made Prebendary of York (Givendale) by Lancelot
Arch-bishop in January, 1740; and in Jan. 1741 prefer'd by his
Lords'p to the Prebend of N. Newbald.
"Mem'd. That the Cherry Trees and Espalier Apple Hedge were
planted in ye Gardens October ye 9, 1742. Nectarines and Peaches
planted the same day. The Pails set up two months before.
"I laid out in the Garden, in ye year 1742, the sum of 8_l._
15_s._ 6_d._
"L. Sterne."
"Laid out in enclosing the Orchard, and in Apple Trees, &c., in ye
year 1743, 5_l._
"The Apple Trees, Pear and Plumb Trees, planted in ye Orchard ye
28th day of October, 1743, by
"L. Sterne."
"Laid out in Sushing[1] the House, 12_l._, A. Dom. 1741.
"In Stukbing[2] and Bricking £ _s._ _d._
the Hall 4 16 0
In Building the Chair House 5 0 0
In Building the Par'r Chimney 3 0 0
Little House 2 3 0
"L. Sterne, Vicar.
"Spent in shapeing the Rooms, plastering, Underdrawing, and
Jobbing--God knows what."
[Footnotes 1, 2: There are two words in Sterne's own memoranda
which may puzzle other readers besides me; _Sushing_ and
_Stukbing_. I have thought they might mean _sashing_, _i.e._ for
windows, and _stuccoing_ the walls. Perhaps some contributor to
"N. & Q." will kindly interpret them.]
* * * * *
"In May, 1745--
"A dismal Storm of Hail fell upon this Town, and some other
adjacent ones, w'ch did considerable damage both to the Windows
and Corn. Many of the stones measured six inches in circumference.
It broke almost all the South and West Windows both of this House
and my Vicarage House at Stillington.
"L. Sterne."
"In the year 1741--
"Hail fell in the midst of Summer as big as a Pidgeon's egg, w'ch
unusual occurrence I thought fit to attest under my hand.
"L. STERNE."
These two accounts of hailstorms are supposed to be only quizzes upon
prodigious entries of the same sort made by Vicar Walker in 1698. And
that this latter is so is evident, from the concluding words being the
same as in Walker's memorandum.
Sterne is characteristically exhibited in the subjoined account by the
successor of the "reverend joker":
"In the year 1764, during the Incumbency of Mr. Lawrence Sterne,
the Vicarage House was burnt down. Tho' frequently admonished and
required to rebuild the Vicarage House, he found means to evade
the performance of it. He continued Vicar till he died, in March,
1768. Andrew Cheap was appointed his successor, and was advised to
accept a composition for Dilapidations from the Widow. A Suit was
instituted for Dilapidations, but after a time (the Widow being in
indigent circumstances) sixty pounds were accepted.
"In April, 1770, the New House was begun, and finished in May,
1771.
"Total amount of Suit and Building the House, 576_l._ 13_s._ 5_d._
"ANDREW CHEAP, Vicar."