Your correspondent MR. RIMBAULT (No. 12.) has made rather a grave
charge against my predecessors in office as churchwardens and
overseers of this parish; and although, I regret to say, such
accusations of unjust stewardship and dereliction of duty are
frequently and with justice imputed to some parish officers, yet I am
happy to be able, in this instance, to remove the stigma which would
otherwise attach to those of St. Antholin. The churchwardens' accounts
are in good preservation, and present (in an unbroken series) the
parish expenditure for nearly three centuries.
Mr. Rimbault has doubtless been misled by some error in the
description of the MSS. in Mr. Thorpe's catalogue (as advertised by
him for sale), which were probably merely extracts from the original
records.
The first volume commences with the year 1574, and finishes in 1708;
the accounts are all written at the time of their respective dates,
and regularly signed by the auditors then and there present as
correct.
I have made numerous extracts from these interesting documents,
and _notes_ thereon, which I shall at some future time be happy to
lay before your readers, if you should consider them of sufficient
importance.
As a voucher for what I have stated with regard to their existence,
and to give some idea of their general character, I have selected (at
random) a few items from the year 1580-1:--
"The Accompte of Henrie Jaye, Churchwarden of the Parishe of
St. Antholyne, from the feaste of the Anunciacon of our Ladye
in Anno 1580 unto the same feaste followinge in Anno 1581."