Holdings of Lambeth Palace Library

Visitation articles and returns

A. VISITATION ARTICLES OF WILLIAM WAKE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (1716-37)

Lambeth Palace Library has a set of returns for the peculiars in 1717; the rest of the visitation articles and returns for the dioceses and peculiars are in Christ Church, Oxford, but a microfilm is available in Lambeth Palace Library.
 

Good Brothers.
It was my constant practice, when I visited my late diocese, together with the Book of Articles to the church-wardens, to send a paper of such questions to my clergy, as being distinctly answered by them, would furnish me with a good account of the ecclesiastical state of every parish within the same. To these questions I always received a clear, and satisfactory return in writing, under the hand of every several minister; and by this means I became much better acquainted with the circumstances of that large diocese, than I could have been by any other way, save that of a parochial visitation, which it was not possible for me to take.

Being now, by God’s providence, called to a new diocese, with the circumstances whereof I am utterly unacquainted; I have the more need to desire the like assistance from you: that by your distinct answers to the following enquiries, I may the better know what the condition of it is; and be the better enabled to fulfil my duty in it.

As this is the only design of my sending these enquiries to you, so you may be assured that no other use shall be made of them; and I do therefore promise my self that you will deal very freely, and plainly, with me in your answers to them. 

To God’s favour, and blessing, I heartily commend your self, and your labours in his church, and remain, Reverend Sir, your very affectionate Brother, W. Cant’

1. What number of families have you in your parish? O these, how many of them are dissenters? And of what sort are they?

2. Have you any licensed, or other meeting-house, in your parish? How many? Of what sort? How often do they assemble? In what numbers? Who teaches in them?

3. Is there any publick, or charity school, endowed, or otherwise maintained in
your parish? What number of children are taught in it? And what care is taken to instruct them in the principles of the Christian religion, according to the doctrine of the Church of England; and to bring them to duly church, as the canon requires?

4. Is there in your parish, any alms-house, hospital, or other charitable endowment? Have any lands or tenements been left for the repair of your church; or to any other pious use? Who has the direction of such benefactions? How are they managed? Do you know, or have you heard, of any abuses or frauds committed in the management of them?

5. Do you reside personally upon your cure, and in your parsonage-house? If not, where do you reside? And what is the reason of your non-residence?

6. Have you a residing curate? Is he duly qualified according to the canons in that behalf? Does he live in your parsonage-house? What allowance do you make him?

7. Do you know of any who come to church in your parish, that are not baptized? or that being baptized, and of a competent age, are not confirmed? Have you baptized any adults since my coming to be your bishop? If you have, I desire you to exhibit a schedule of the names, and ages, of them.

8. How often is publick service read in your church? Is it duly performed twice every Lord’s-Day? If not, how often, and at what times, is it performed? And how comes it not to be twice done, as the Act of Uniformity and the canons of the church require?

9. How often, and at what times, do you catechize in your church? Do your parishioners duly send their children and servants, who have not learned their catechism, to be instructed by you? Do they learn any other catechism for the better understanding of that of the church? What catechism do they learn for that purpose?

10. How often is the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper administered in your church? What number of communicants have you in your parish? How many of them usually receive? Particularly, how many did communicate at Easter last?

11. Do you give open, and timely, warning of the sacrament before it is administered? Do your parishioners send in their names to you as required? Have you refused the sacrament to anyone? For what reason? And how has the person so refused behaved himself since that time?

12. Have any publick penances been performed in your church since I became your bishop? Do you know of any commutations of penance made by any of your parish within the same time? By whom was it done, and for what money?

If you have met with any particular difficulties in the discharge of your duty; if you have observed any particular defects in the present canons, or discipline of the church; if you have discovered any abuses or corruptions in any ecclesiastical officers, of others concerned with the execution of the same; if you have any advices to give, or proposals to make, by which the glory of God, and the honour and interests of our Established Church may be promoted, or the government of the diocese be better ordered; I desire you freely to communicate your thoughts to me, and be assured, that a proper use shall be made of your suggestions, in order to the attainment of the ends proposed by them.

B. VISITATION ARTICLES OF THOMAS SECKER, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (1758-1768)

1. What is the extent of your parish? What villages or hamlets, and what number of houses doth it comprehend? And what families of note are there in it?

2. Are there any papists in your parish? And how many, and of what rank? Have any persons been lately perverted to popery? And by whom, and by what means? And how many, and how are they? Is there any place in your parish in which they assemble for worship, and where is it? Doth any popish priest reside in your parish, or resort to it, and by what name doth he go? Is there any popish school kept in your parish? Hath any confirmation or visitation been lately held in your parish by any popish bishop, and by whom, and when? And how often is this done?

3. Are there in your parish any Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, Methodists, or Moravians? And how many of each sect, and of what rank? Have they one or more meeting-houses in your parish, and are they duly licensed? What are the names of their teachers and are they qualified according to law? Is their number lessened or increased of late years, and by what means?

4. Are there any Quakers in your parish, and how many? Is their number lessened or increased of late years, and by what means? Have they a meeting-house in your parish duly licensed, and how often do they meet there? Do any of them, and how many in proportion, pay your legal dues without compulsion? If not, do you lose such dues? Or how do you recover them? And what facts do you know, which may help to set their behaviour towards the clergy, or that of the clergy towards them, in a true light.

5. Are there any persons in your parish, who profess to disregard religion, or who commonly absent themselves from all publick worship of God on the Lord’s Day? And from what motives and principles are they understood so to do? And what is the number of such persons, and is it increased of late? And of what rank are they?

6. Do you reside constantly upon your cure, and in the house belonging to it? If not where, and at what distance? And how long in each year are you absent? And what is the reason of such absence? And have you a licensed curate residing in the parish? Or at what distance from it? And who is he? And doth he serve any other, and what cure? And what salary do you allow him? And is he in deacon’s or priest’s orders?

7. Is publick service duly performed twice every Lord’s Day in your church, and one sermon preached? If not, what is the reason? And on what days besides are prayers read there? Is there any chapel in your parish? and at what distance from the church? And how often are there prayers and sermons in it? How often, and at what times do you catechize in your church? Do your parishioners duly send their children and servants, who have not learned their catechism, to be instructed by you? And do you either expound it to them yourself, or make use of some printed exposition, and what is it? Are there any persons, who frequent publick worship, and are not baptized? And whence doth this proceed? How often is the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper administered? And how many usually receive it at each time?

8. Is there any free school, hospital or alms-house in your parish? And for how many, and what sort of persons? And who was the founder, and who are the governours, and what are the revenues of it? Are they carefully preserved, and employed as they ought? And are the statutes and ordinances made concerning it well observed?

9. Is there any voluntary charity school in your parish? And for how many boys or girls? And how is it supported? And what are they taught? And are they also lodged, fed, or cloathed? And how are they disposed of, when they leave the school?

10. Have any lands, or tenements, or tithes, or pensions, or sums of money to be placed out at interest, been given at any time to your church or poor? And what are they? And for what particular uses were they given? And are they carefully preserved, and applied to those uses, and to no other?

11. By whom, and to what uses, is the money given at the offertory disposed of?

12. Is there any other matter, relating to your parish, of which it may be proper to give me information? And what is it?

C. VISITATION ARTICLES OF RICHARD TERRICK, BISHOP OF LONDON (1764-1777)

1. What is the extent of your parish? What villages or hamlets and what number of houses does it comprehend? and what families of note are there in it?

2. Do you reside personally upon your cure, and in your parsonage or vicarage house?  If not, where do your reside? and what is the reason of your non-residence?

3. Have you a curate duly resident in your parish? If not in the parish, at what distance is he from it? Does he serve any other cure, and how many? At what distance are they from each other? What salary has he for each?  Is he duly licensed, and what is his name?

4. Have you any more benefices than one?  If another, what and where is it? How often is divine service performed in your church? If not twice on the Lord's Day, with a sermon in the morning, for what reason? How often is the sacrament of the Lord's Supper administered, and to what number of communicants?  How often, and at what times do you catechize in your church?

5. Is there any chapel in your parish?  In whose nomination is it? By whom is it served, and how supported?  Have any benefactions, whether in land or money, been given for the use of the poor of your parish? and are they applied according to the will of the donor?  Have you any public or other school, any almshouse or hospital in your parish?  Are the revenues carefully preserved and employed according to the will of the founder? Are the statutes concerning it well observed, and who are the founders and governors?

6. Are there any papists in your parish?  How many, and of what rank?  Have any persons been lately perverted to popery? By whom, and by what means?  Is there any place in your parish in which they assemble, and where mass is performed? Doth any popish priest reside in your parish or resort to it, and what is his name? Is there any popish school in your parish, to which protestant children are admitted? Hath any confirmation or visitation been lately held in your parish by any popish bishop?

7. Are there in your parish any Methodists or any dissenters from the Church of England, and of what denomination?  Have they any meeting-houses? Are they duly licensed according to law? and is there number lessened or increased of late years?

D. VISITATION ARTICLES OF ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TAIT, BISHOP OF LONDON (1856-1868), AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (1868-1882). 

1a.  What is the name of the incumbent?
 b.  His address.
 c.  The date of his institution or licence.
 d.  Is there a house of residence?
 e.  Is it adequate, and in good repair?
 f.  If there is no house of residence, can you state how long the parish has been without one?
 g.  Does any site belong to the incumbent on which a house might be erected? or is there any other facility for the erection of a parsonage-house?

2a.  Has the incumbent for the last twelve months been resident during the time prescribed by law, and how is the word 'resident' to be understood in your answer?
 b.  If he does not live in the parish, how far is his residence from the church?

3.   Does he perform the whole duty, or has he an assistant curate or curates?

4.  Does he hold any other benefice or preferment, or lectureship, or he serve any other cure? and if so, what?

5.   Are the curates, if any, duly licensed? State their names, and dates of their licences, and whether they are in deacon's or priest's orders, and give the amount of salary received by each, with the source from which it is paid.

6.   Has any clergyman been assisting in the parish for more than two consecutive Sundays without licence? If so, state his name, the Bishop by whom his testimonials are signed.

7a.  Is there any lectureship in your parish?
 b.  What duty is performed by the lecturer?
 c.  What is his name?
 d.  Is he licensed?
 e.  What is the date of his licence?
 f.  What is his stipend?
 g.  From what source is it derived?
 h.  By whom is he appointed?
 

8a.  Is there any chapel of ease in your parish?
 b.  Is so, is it consecrated?
 c.  Is there any other place in the parish in which divine service according to the rites of the Church of England is held?
 d.  Is each service held under licence?
 e.  What is the service?

9a.  Has there been any open-air preaching in your parish during the last twelve months? If so, by whom has it been conducted, and what is your opinion of its effects?

 b.  Have there been any special services in your parish for the labouring poor; and if so, what has been their effect?
 c.  Has any wish been expressed by your people to have the litany as separate service, or to have the service otherwise divided?

10.  Do the curates perform any other duty, as incumbent, curate, lecturer, chaplain, master or assistant in any school; and where?

11.  State the duty performed in your church or chapel in each week; specifying how often divine service is performed, the hours at which it commences, and the number of sermons preached.

12a. When do you catechise the children of your parish? and what method of catechising do you pursue?
  b. How many persons from your parish have been confirmed during the last two years?

13.  How often and at what times do you administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper?

14a. What is the population of your parish?
  b. What is the proportion of the labouring poor?

15a. What is the average number of communicants at the great festivals? What is the average number at other seasons?
  b. Do you keep a list of communicants?
  c. What number of persons in the parish may be called regular? what occasional communicants?

16a. What is the average number of your congregation on Sundays and weekdays, exclusive of school children? Is it increasing or decreasing?
  b. What number of school children attend your church? 

17.  If the numbers of your congregation do not bear a fair proportion to the population of the parish, to what do you attribute the deficiency?

18a. How many free and unappropriated sittings are there in your parish? What class of persons occupies them?

  b. How many sittings are there in your church capable of being let? and if all were let, what would be the total amount received?

19a. How many pews in your church are now let for money? 
     By what authority are they so let?
  b. How are the appropriated pews which are not let for money assigned?

20a. State the different objects for which church sermons have been preached in your church within the last year, and as far as you can, the amount of the collection.
  b  How is the offertory money applied, and who distributes it?

21.  Are the children properly instructed in psalmody? and what book of psalms do you use?

22a. What schools are there in your parish, distinguishing 
     daily schools for adults, for children, and for infants under six years of age, and Sunday Schools? 
     How are they supported, and how many scholars are there in each? Are they under Government inspection?
  b. Specify by themselves any schools for the Middle Classes.

23a. Are you able to retain your young people in your Sunday School after they have ceased to attend the daily school?
  b. Have you adopted any other mode of retaining them under instruction by adult or evening schools? and if so what success have you found to attend to such schools?

24.  State what places of worship there are not in connexion with the Church of England; and what is the probable number of persons not members of the Church of England in your parish or district, - dividing them, so far as you can, according to their several denominations.

25.  Can you mention anything which specially impedes your own ministry, or the welfare of the church around you? Can you suggest any remedies?

26a. Is your church or chapel in good repair and duly provided with all things necessary for the decent performance of divine service according to law? Do your churchwardens regularly discharge their duties? 
 b. When was the last church-rate collected in your district?
 c. From what other sources, besides church-rate, is the expense of the fabric and of divine service supplied?
 d. Is there any money applicable to such purposes at present in hand?
 e. Specify, so far as you can, the amount which has been derived annually from each source since the last visitation.
 f. Are you aware of any other charges on the church-rate besides what is necessary for the sustentation of the fabric and the maintenance of divine worship?

27a. Have any alterations been made in the church or chancel, either in the fabric or in the manner of fitting up, since the last visitation; and if so, under what authority? Specify what they are. 
b. Has your church been closed for any such alterations, or for any other purpose, any Sunday during the past twelve months; and if so, by what authority?

28.  Who did your duty during the time of your customary absence in the year last past?

29a. Is there any record kept of the pastoral visits made by yourself or your curates?
  b. Is the parish divided for pastoral purposes between yourself and your curates?
  c. What number of families do you suppose there is in the parish unvisited? To what class do any such belong?

30.  Are you assisted by Scripture readers or other lay agents? If so, do they hold any Bible Classes or other religious meetings?

31a.  Have you any reason to believe that there is any large number of persons in your parish unbaptized?
  b. Are they any peculiar impediments to baptism in their case of which your are aware?
  c. Are any fees charged for baptism or registration of baptism? If so, what is their amount, and on what authority do they rest?
  d. What are the fees for churching of women?

32a. What are the fees for marriages?
  b. Have you the fair proportion of marriages in your church?
  c. Are you aware of any irregularities as to the residence of parties applying to be married in your church?

33a. Is your churchyard still used for burial?
  b. If not, what provision is made for the burial of your parishioners?
  c. Is there anything connected with the subject of these burials which you wish to bring before the Bishop?

34a. Is there in your parish any branch association in aid of the great Church Societies?
  b. Can you state what is the amount collected for each?
  c. Are meetings held in aid of missions to the heathen among your parishioners? or what other means do you take to recommend such objects to their attention?

35a. Is there any Visiting Society among your people for the temporal relief of the poor? If so, what is its object, and of what class are its visitors?
  b. Is there any Young Men's Association, for mutual 
     improvement?
  c. Any Provident Society?
  d. Any Temperance Society?
  e. Any Parochial Library?
  f. Can you state what number of persons in your parish receive parochial relief?

36a. Is there any profession of infidelity among any of your people?
  b. What account can you give of the general moral condition of the district?
  c. How is the Lord's Day observed?

37. Is there any other matter which you think it expedient to bring under the Bishop's notice?

Note:  It would be highly convenient for diocesan purposes of you would here state:
a. The gross income of the living, and whether it has of late years diminished; if so, from what cause?

b. The source from which the income is derived, stating what amount arises severally from endowment, pew rents, offertory, fees, and Easter Offerings. 

c.   The necessary outgoing from the net income state separately.

E. THE VISITATION ARTICLES OF MANDELL CREIGHTON, BISHOP OF LONDON (1897-1901)

1.   Has any clergyman not holding my permission, officiated in your church for more than two consecutive Sundays during the past year?

2.   Do you (or your assistant clergy, if any) catechize in church, and teach in days schools.  How often and in what subjects?
     Do you give any instruction to the pupil teachers?

3.   What are your relations with the Board schools (if any) in your parish? What estimate do you form of the value of their religious teaching?

4.   What is your average congregation of adults on Sundays?
     a  Morning
     b  Evening

5.   What is the average number of communicants at each hour at which there is holy communion?

6.   Do you ever omit parts of the order for holy communion? If so, please say which, and when.

6.   What manuals of devotion are you in the habit of giving or recommending to your confirmation candidates, to your young communicants, and to members of your congregation generally?

8.   How often have you had occasion to celebrate the holy communion privately for the sick during the past year?

9.   What parochial organisations, societies or guilds are there in connection with your church?

10a  Do you give notice of holy days, and how do you observe them in your church?
  b. Do you say the creed of St. Athanasius on the days appointed?

11.  Is there any kind of Church Council in your parish? If so, how is it constituted and what are its powers?

12.  Have any alterations been made in your church or chancel, either in the fabric or ornaments, since the last visitation? If so, by what authority? Specify what they are.

13a  What are the fees for marriage?
   b. Have you a fair proportion of marriages in your 
church? 
c. Are you aware of any irregularities as to the residence of parties applying to be married in your church?

14.  Have you anything to tell me which may be useful for my information, or for the help of others, as to your own relations with-
      1. Ministers and members of other Christian bodies in your parish.
      2. Labour organisations or movements of social and economical reform.
3. The local administration of the laws on sanitation, housing, workshops etc?

15a  What are the chief difficulties in the way of your ministry?
  b. What account can you give of the general moral condition of the parish?

16.  Is there any other matter which you think it well to put before me?

F. VISITATION ARTICLES OF COSMO GORDON LANG, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY (1928-1942).

1. Name of benefice and deanery?

2. What is the present estimated population?
What are the chief occupations of the people?

3. Names of any assistant clergy? Have they been licensed? If not, do they hold my formal permission to officiate in the diocese?

4. Are there any Roman Catholic or Nonconformist places of worship in your parish? Are they well attended? Is there any Roman Catholic or nonconformists minister resident in your parish?

5. What do you estimate the average attendance to be (exclusive of children) at the public worship of the church on Sundays; 
1) In the morning (exclusive of early celebrations of holy communion); 
2) In the afternoon or evening? a) In the parish church? b) In any mission church? c)In any mission hall?

6. If the principal service on Sunday mornings is a celebration of holy communion (a) at what hour is it held; (b) is the morning prayer duly said and if so, at what hour?

7.  What was the number of communicants in the parish in 1933, 1934, 1935 a) On Christmas Day? b) On Easter Day? c) On Ascension Day? d) On Whit-Sunday?

8 How many persons have you presented for confirmation in 1933, 1934, 1935? How long, as a rule, does the preparation of confirmation candidates last? Have you any means – guild, class or union  - to keep those who have been confirmed faithful communicants?

9 Is it your custom to administer the sacrament of baptism during morning prayer, or during evening prayer, or as a separate service? How far do you insist upon the observance of the rubric in the Book of Common Prayer as to sponsors?

10 Do you provide a celebration of holy communion a) every Sunday, and every saint’s day, or holy day? If not, how often? b) Or any ordinary week-days? At what hours is the holy communion celebrated? 
Do you keep a roll of communicants? 
Are ‘vestments’ worn at celebrations of holy communion? 
Is the sacrament reserved continuously? If so, has such reservation received my permission? And in what place is the sacrament reserved? 
Do you use incense at any of the service? If so, please state the nature and occasions of its use.

11 Are morning and evening prayer, or either of them said daily, or on any weekdays, in the parish church?

12 Do you catechise the children, or hold any other children’s service, on Sundays in the parish church?

13 What use, if any, do you make of any of the forms of service provided in the Prayer Book of 1928?

14 a) Is there a Sunday school in your parish? If so, please give the number of teachers and the average attendance of scholars. 
b) Is any, and if so, what syllabus of instruction regularly used? 
c) Is any instruction provided for teachers? If so, by whom is it given?

15. Is there a church day school in your parish? If so, please give the number of children in average attendance? Do you or your assistant clergy give religious instruction regularly in the school?

16. Is there any secondary school in your parish? Is so, what is the nature of the religious instruction given therein?

17. a) Is there a parochial lay reader in your parish? Is so, has he received any licence?
b) Is there any paid Woman Worker in your parish? Is so, has she received my licence ‘commission’ or authorisation?

18. Is there any society, or organisation in your parish a) for men? b) for women? c) for boys? d) for girls? e) for the youth of both sexes?

19. a) Is there any parochial hall or institute connected with the church in your parish?
b) Does the church in your parish make or co-operate with any efforts to promote the recreations of the people through games, music, the drama, etc.?

20. Are you able to make any provision for the religious education of the adult laity in your parish?

21. Have you a regularly constituted Parochial Church Council? 
If so a) What is the number of its members? 
b) How often does it meet? 
c) Is it, in your opinion, working satisfactorily, especially in helping the spiritual work of the parish? 
d) Do you hold more than one Parochial Church meeting, and if so, how often?

22. a) What is the number of enrolled parochial electors in your parish?

23. Does your parish contribute regularly a) to the Central Diocesan Fund? 
b) To the missions of the Church Overseas? If so, please state whether this is given to S.P.G., C.M.S., or any particular mission. C)Has it been able to make any contribution to ’The Archbishop’s New Churches Fund’?

24. Please give me your opinion briefly as to the condition of your parish with regard to
a) Poverty and unemployment
b) Housing
c) Intemperance
d) Sexual immorality
e) Betting and gambling
f) Religious indifference
g) The influence of the wireless and the cinema

25. Are you making or do you propose to make in your parish any special efforts to promote the evangelistic work of the church, or to reach those who stand outside the ministrations of the Church?

26. Are there any meetings in your neighbourhood of clergy for study and devotion in connection with that has been called ‘A Way of Renewal’? If so, is it your custom to attend them?

27. Are there any matters connected with yourself, your assistant clergy, or your parish or any special difficulties or hindrances in your work to which you would like confidentially to call my attention?