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CHURCHWARDENS’ BOOKS

The churchwardens’ account book at Heckington begins in 1567, and in 1580 and 1583 and 1590 “VIˢ VIIIᵈ” is entered as the burial fee of members of the Cawdron family, whose later monuments are at Hale.

WHIPPING FOR TRAMPS

Another entry which constantly occurs in the sixteenth century is “for Whypping dogges out of Church,” and in the seventeenth century not “dogges” only but vagrants are treated to the lash, e.g.:—

“April 21, 1685. John Coulson then whipped for a vagrant rogue and sent to Redford.

“Antho. Berridge (Vicar).”

And in 1686:—

“Memorand. that John Herrin and Katherine Herrin and one child, and Jonas Hay and wife and two children, and Barbary Peay and Eliz. Nutall were openly whipped, at Heckington, the 28th day of May, 1686—and had a passe then made to convey them from Constable to Constable to Newark, in Nottinghamshire, and Will Stagg was at the same time whipped and sent to Conton in Nottinghamshire.”

A good, sound method of dealing with “Vagrom men,” but for the women and children one wonders the parson or churchwardens were not ashamed to make the entry.