The Parish's First (and only) Vehicle?

The Parish's First (and only) Vehicle?

The Parish's First (and only) Vehicle?

from The Barwicker No. 55
Sept. 1999

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In the article on the Churchwardens' Accounts in 'The Barwicker' No.54, reference was made to an unusual item of expenditure found in the accounts. This article explains the matter in detail.

Imagine this problem. You live in the mid 1700's in Roundhay or Crossgates or some other part of the parish with few able-bodied neighbours and a long way from the church in Barwick. A member of your family dies and requires burial in the parish's churchyard in Barwick. How do you get the coffin from home to the churchyard with dignity? The only transport available is likely to be a horse-drawn farm cart, which can hardly be called dignified. It must have been this problem which caused the churchwardens to come up with a solution.

In the accounts for 1752, there are the usual items of expenditure and in addition a number of strange entries for textiles, leather, ironmongery and tradesmen's services. From one line the unusual items are explicable:

To John Whitehead for making Hearse

This is the only reference that has been found to date for the existence of any vehicle owned by the parish. We have no idea whether it was a replacement hearse and there is no record of its fall into disuse. As experts in 18th century funerial customs are hard to find, it has not been possible to establish whether Barwick's solution to its problem of conveying the deceased in geographically large parishes is unique or part of the fashion of the age. Perhaps someone can shed further light on this matter.

What the accounts provide us with is a list of components and materials which perhaps leave much to the imagination as to how the assembled vehicle appeared. The task was spread over two accounts periods. The main expenditure was made by Stephen Vevers who lived at Morwick (Scholes). Perhaps even those living in Scholes were not too happy about carrying their dead all the way to Barwick churchyard.

There is an entry in the parish registers of the baptism of John Whitehead, son of Martin Whitehead of Garforth Moor, on June 12th. 1737. He is almost certainly too young to be entrusted with this work. There is no other John Whitehead listed even though there was a number of Whitehead families in the parish at the time.

Andrew Burdsell was a buckle maker living in Scholes. Scarlet Duffield was a scarlet woollen cloth. Duffield eventually became duffle.

We do not know whether the hearse was a horse drawn vehicle or was pulled by hand. It must have been robust as the roads at that time were probably like Rakehill Road is today between Barwick and Scholes. We leave it to the reader to make their own assessment of how the vehicle looked by itemising the relevant lines from the accounts below, which are given in full.

The Accounts of Mr. Stephen Vevers Church Warden for the year 1752

	Ł	s	d
Charges at the Visitation	2	2	0
To John Whitehead for making Hearse	3	10	0
To Stephen Burley for the Iron work	1	12	0
To Mr Fretwell for the two Horse Hides	1	0	8
To Thomas Thompson for dressing them	0	6	0
Half a hide and a piece	0	16	0
To Wm. Talor for a Shoulder and a piece	0	16	0
Three Qts of line seed Oyl one Lamb block	0	3	6
1000 of Bermingham Nails & 400 lesser sort	0	2	2
Three Quarters of 1000 Single nails	0	0	7½
Three qrs of Cloth 9d A pint of oyl of Turpentine	0	1	7
Saddle Tree 2d gluing 6d Rivetting 1s 6d	0	4	0
Bushes 2s 3d Hair 8d Four Tails 2s	0	4	11
To Andrew Burdsell for Buckles & links	0	2	6
Irons for the colour 1s 6d Bridle Bitts 6d	0	2	0
To Willm Richardson for two days work	0	3	0
Hemp & Wax 6d Girth 4d Cord 2d	0	1	0
To John Hodgson for 18 days work	1	7	0
His Board for the same time	0	9	0
Withholdens	0	0	6
_____________________________________
Total Disbursed	12	13	7½
Received by a six fold lay	11	1	1½
Out of purse	1	13	0
These Accounts examined and allowed by us

Joseph Broadbent
John Varley
John Tate
Thomas Lumb
Willm. Knapton

The Accounts of Thomas Taylor Church Warden for the year 1752

	Ł	s	d
Paid to the Sexton	1	1	0
Paid Turnpike going to the Visitation	0	0	2
To Thos. Batty for Ringing half a year	0	2	6
Three yards and half of Scarlet Duffield	0	6	5
Two Covers making of Velvet Cushions	0	1	2
A Bottle Screw	0	0	6
_____________________________________
Total disbursed	1	11	9
Received by a six fold lay	4	12	9
In purse	3	1	0
Paid to Wm Tate (the Barwick Church Warden 1751/52)
These Accounts examined and allowed by us

Joseph Broadbent
John Varley
John Tate
Thomas Lumb
Willm. Knapton

The Accounts of Thomas Taylor Church Warden for the year 1753

	Ł	s	d
Paid to the Sexton	1	1	0
Going with Sarah Powell to Leeds	0	2	6
Her examination	0	1	0
Eight Yards of Black Harden @ 8d per yard	0	5	4
For making the Hearse Covering	0	2	6
For five Strokes of Hair	0	2	4
For painting the Hearse Covering	0	5	6
_____________________________________
Total Disbursed	2	0	2
Received by Six Fold lay	4	14	9
In purse	2	14	7

HAROLD SMITH

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