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Snippets from the Churchwarden's Accounts 1828-1861 |
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This is from a book found in the church and now deposited at Southwark Local Studies library. From the book, it seems that in the early part of the 19th Century the churchwardens levied a Church Rate on the Parish. - Originally, this was a penny in the pound, but rose to 5½d in the pound just after the new Church was built in 1844. The rate was collected by four rate collectors each working in one of the four districts of the parish - Camberwell, Peckham, Dulwich and St George's. They worked on a percentage commission basis! . A proportion of the rates, however, was paid over to the "new church" (St George's). The money was spent on repairs to the church and churchyard, sacramental bread and wine, maintenance of the parish fire engines and church servants. In 1832 the list of "Parish Servants" and their salaries was: Mr. Wesley Organist £15.15.0 per quarter
Miss Curtis annuity (Who was she?) £20.0.0 per half year
Four Pew Openers each £ 2.2.0 per quarter
Robing Room Keeper £1.5.0 per quarter
Two Vergers each £3.3.0 per quarter
Mr Spooner, Clerk £2.12.6 per quarter
Organ Blower £1.15.6 per quarter
Two Beadles each £0.10.6 per quarter Interesting items of expenditure ( in pounds, shillings and pence) are: | 1 October 1828 | Mr Wheels - coach to Kingston | £3.15.0 | Notes:
Churchwarden’s annual trip to see Archdeacon | | 7 October 1828 | Mr Adams - Beadles Coats | £27. 7.0 | The coats were their pride and glory. | 26 January 1830 | Subscription to S.P.C.K | £ 6.18.6 | Overseas Missions | | 31 March 1830 | Phoenix Gas Company (half year) | £11.14.0 | This was very early for Gas Lighting | | 18 May 1830 | Mr Filley - Repairing Engines | £ 7.14.0 | The church was responsible for providing these. 'Engine' means fire hand pump | | 17 January 1832 | Protector Fire Office (Insurance) | £ 8. 1.6 | At the fire in 1842 the insurance paid £5000 but the new church cost about £20000 | | 3 July 1833 | Mrs Clayton - For washing Supplies | £ 3.6.6 | ?surplices | | 23 July 1833 | Expenses of Prosecuting Clayton for embezzlement | £ 9.3.1 | Legal expenses have always been high! | | 19 June 1837 | Mr Edgington - Union Jack Flag | £ 2.10.0 | The Coronation ? | | 16 Feb. 1842 | Messrs Garland & Co - Clearing away after fire and preparing chancel for service | £80.15.9 | The old church burnt down | | 11 July 1843 | Expenses of taking down old Church | £75.5.0 | The stone was sold to the Parish Surveyor of Highways. | | 18 April 1845 | To Police Force - attendance at Church on its Consecration | £ 2.10.0 | | | 25 December 1845 | Messrs Savory & Co, for cleaning and gilding Church plate | £ 9. 6.0 | | 8 October 1855 | Bell ringing on the Fall of Sebastapol | £ 3. 0.0 | Crimean War | | 28 December 1861 | Insurance of Church for £15,000 | £34.13.0 | Nowadays its £7000 for £10m cover |
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