Churchwardens' Accounts of Cratfield, 1640-1660

This database contains the churchwardens' accounts of 1640–1660 from the parish of Cratfield. Cratfield is a village located in Suffolk County in southeastern England. The documents found in this book are today in the custody of the Suffolk Record Office in Ipswich. Churchwardens' accounts record not only the ecclesiastical expenses of the parish but also much of the community's civic affairs. While the churchwarden generally had ecclesiastical responsibilities, he also played an important role in the functioning of the secular community. As such, the accounts of the churchwardens form a core part of a parish's written history. (Taken from "Notes on the Manuscripts," p. 23 of this database.)