Page:Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries.djvu/36

 Dtpon NeUs and Qutries. iy 14. Stock- BOX in Exboukni Church.— The aodant otk-box in Eiboume Church t>andecl with iron aod having two locks to it, is what was generally calUd " The Stock Box." These boxes were frequently, for greater security, locked up i d the parish chest. Some- times they were th» property of some partic- ular "Gild" connected with the church, and used for placing their money in it; but very often they belonged to the parish and were used by the churchwardens and other parochial ofGcials for the purpose of keeping whatever parochial money (usually termed " the Church Stock,") or any other money that was intrusted to th«r care. They were also, not un&equently, further secured by a small chain padlocked to a staple inside of the parish chest ; and some of the old parish chests still retain the staple used for that purpose. In this instance «oe end of the chain may have been passed through the ring shown at the top of the box. I enclose a sketch of three other examples of boxes used foi a dmilar purpose. One represents what was termed in the accounts of the seventeenth century as " The Common Box or Treasurie" of the Brotherhood of the Stitchers, a medixval " Gild " which continued in existence till the present century, at Ludlow. Their accounts mention the great box and the Uttle box, and the sketch portrays the " Little Box." They elected the custodians of the keys biennially, and a box keeper was also appointed, and it is presumed that he had the care of the larger box. The box is made from the wood of an ash tree. It is a solid block and has meteij been rounded and hollowed out. The lid of the box is hinged, and there are three locks. Though its lid is scouped out on the top outride to a deep cup shape, there is not and never was a money slit in it. The money