The examples have been taken from entries in the Churchwardens accounts for 1678, 1684 and 1725 which are on John Palmer’s Wirksworth web site.
They provide fascinating glimpses of life at that time. Apart from the strange spellings, it appears that people of the parish were rewarded for their capture of hedgehogs, foxes and ravens, indeed 1678 was a bad year for hedgehogs in that 76 were killed.
Money was also spent taking "papists" to Derby, this was probably a result of fines levied on Roman Catholics due to non attendance at the Anglican Church.
The hamlets around Wirksworth had to pay a levy to St. Mary's, as the accounts for 1684 indicate.
1678
Moneys Disbursed by us the Churchwardens of
Wirksworth for the yeare 1678
Henry Spencer Edward Millward
Sam Guy Adam Hopkinson
3692 . Wm Spencer for 2 hedghogs, Jo Sanders 2, Wardlow 1
3693 . Jon Higgett 1, Windell 1, Higgett 2, Woodewis 1, Cumberback 1,
3694 . Miles Becke 1, Simes 1, James Buyard 1, Higgett 1, Smyth 1,
3695 . Wheatcroft 1, Palmer 1, Buyare 4, Allen 1, Denis
3696 . Wetton lad 1, Jon Mather 1, Jon Spencer 1, Johnson 1,
3697 . Georg Clay 4, Seeds lad 1, Crag lad 1, Wetton 1,
3698 . Charlton 1, Fowk lad 3, Spencer 1, Ward 1, Simpson 2,
3699 . Wheeldon 3, Livesley 1, Wetton lad 1, Cumberbach 4,
3700 . Seeds lad 5, Oackton 1, Edw Heild 1, Jane
3701 . Spencer 4, Sam Arren 3, Jon Buxton man 1,
3702 . George Miller 3, Jon Mather 2, Oackton 1, Seeds lad 1,
3703 . Tom Armefeild 2
3704 . hedghoges in all 76 is 0 12 8
3705 . Getting a Certificate signed for 0 5 0
3706 . yne poce? chimney
3707 . Whitleather to the Clarke for the bell 0 0 4
3708 .May 29 Ringers 0 5 0
3709 . paper 0 0 1
3710 .Nov 5 Ringers 0 5 0
3711 .24 bred to ye Comunian table 0 0 4
3712 . bred upon Palme Sunday 0 0 10
3713 . bred Easter day 0 0 6
3714 . Laid out at Darby presenting papists 0 3 6
3715 . writeing ye Levy booke 0 2 0
3716 . Spent with ye chimneyman for Certefieing 0 4 6
3717 . for ye pore
3718 . pd to a letter of Request 0 3 0
3719 . pd for washing & mending ye Cerplis 0 11 0
3720 . to Robt Toplis for tallow 0 0 2
3721 .Visitation pd to Tho Wauterfall his fees 0 4 4
3722 . goeing to Darby for a warrants for want of 0 1 6
3723 . mackeing avedavit
3724 . pd Jon Spencer for Carpinter worke
about bell 0 2 6
3725 . pd to 2 travillers 0 1 6
3726 . pd to Edw Millward goeing to Darby 0 3 0
3727 . presenting papis
3728 . pd to a letter of Request frum Bradfeild 0 1 6
3729 . a fox head to Henry Birch 0 1 0
3730 . pd to a traviller 0 1 0
3731 . pd to Wauterfall for books brought from ye 0 1 6
3732 . visitation
3733 . ----------
3734 .-------------------------06-11L--1678---------------------------------
1684
4896 . Moneyes recd by us John Molanus John Arnefeild James Hill & Henry Allen Churchwardens for Wirkesworth
4899 . for the yeare 1684 as followes
4900 .
4901 . Recd from the towne of Wirkesworth
4902 . and hambletts a sixty pound Levie
4903 . L s d
4904 . Wirkesworth 14 0 0
4905 . Alderwasley 5 15 0
4906 . Itheridghay 5 15 0
4907 . Hopton 5 15 0
4908 . Ashlehay 6 0 0
4909 . Calow 4 15 0
4910 . Middleton 4 10 0
4911 . Crumford 4 10 0
4912 . Biging 4 10 0
4913 . Ible 2 5 0
4914 . Imber grange 2 5 0
4915 . Recd of the last Churchwardens 7 10 4
4916 . Recd for 6 Leastalls 1 0 0
4917 . ----------
4918 . Totall receipts 68 10 4
4919 . ----------
4920 . Their Disbursmts are as follows L s d
4921 .Imprs For writeing our Levie book 0 2 0
4922 .May 1 pd Thomas Storer for 2 hedghoggs 0 0 4
4923 .4 Jo Toplis man 2 hh 0 0 4
4924 .10 pd Tho Waterfall for our Summons 0 1 4
4925 . pd Nathaniell Johnson for an Article booke 0 0 8
4926 .12 pd for a comon prayer booke to Mr Brown 0 4 6
4927 .13 pd Jo Stubs for 6 hh 0 1 0
4928 .23 pd to Peter Cheetam for 8 hh 0 1 4
4929 .24 pd Peter Archadine for writeing 0 0 6
4930 . notes to ye sidesmen
4931 .29 pd to the Ringers 0 5 0
4932 .June 1 pd to Anne Cheetam for 6 hh 0 1 0
4933 .June 2 pd to Ralph Alexander daughter for 2 hh 0 0 4
4934 .6 pd Wm Houlbrook sonne for 2 hh 0 0 4
4935 .9 pd to Jo Mather for 3 hh 0 0 6
4936 .12 pd to Wm Norman for 2 hh 0 0 4
4937 .July 14pd Mr spencer sonne for 2 hh 0 0 4
4938 .15 pd Jo Brookes for 2 hh 0 0 4
4939 . Wm Norman junr for 6 hh 0 1 0
4940 .Aug 10 James Byard for 3 hh 0 0 6
4941 .20 James Hill for wood to make bell 0 12 1
4942 . wheels on as by bill
4943 .22 payd Mr Morris for 7 boards 0 6 0
4944 . 7 footes for ye same use
4945 . ----------
4946 . 1 19 9
4947 .-------------------------08-12L---------------------------------------
1725
9979 .-------------------------15-04L---1725--------------------------------
9980 . Brought over L 9 5 0½
9981 . Pd Sarah Barker for Washing the Church Linin 0 12 0
9982 . Wm Taylor as p Bill 0 12 11
9983 . Samuel Haslam as p Bill 3 13 9
9984 . For copying the Register & Terrier 2 0 0
9985 . 4 fox heads 4s & 161 Ravens 40s 3d 2 4 3
9986 .May 29 To the Ringers 0 5 0
9987 .June 4 Charges at Visitation & Court fees 0 19 0
9988 . Ferdinando Potter, Robert Byard
9989 . & Anthony Gell stopt 0 7 6
9990 . Spent upon the Sidesmen 0 4 0
9991 . Spent at severall times meeting 0 4 8
9992 . Returns are 0 3 8½
9993 . for Entering these Accounts into the Book 0 2 0
9994 . ----------
9995 . Totall Disburstmt L 20 13 10
9996 . ----------
9997 . Totall Receipts L 20 16 8
9998 . ----------
9999 . Remains in our Hands 0 2 10
10000 . ----------
10001 . over plus money 2L-2s-6¬d