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Joseph Tovey hath executed the office of parish clerk at Davenham for about 16 or 18 years last past and came in at first upon the recommendations and request of one Thomas Apon at a public meeting of the parish and by the consent of some others, though both Mr Marbury the then and yet Parson there and several other of the neighbours were against it, but he was the most fit man at that time thought on for the place by those who consented to it... Tovey for these many years last past hath been much given to excessive drinking, and upon by Sundays for many years together both forenoon and afternoon he made it his common practice to go out of the church and (as its commonly said he then went into an alehouse, and is at other times a common tippler and frequenter of alehouses, to the scandal of his profession and offence of his civil neighbours and the impoverishing of him self, his wife and children and hath been many times very heavy in the church with drink whereby he hath sometimes neglected his duty and particularly upon Whit Sunday last in the afternoon when he should have made his response of "Glory be to the father" he was asleep and omitted it, and being wakened by Robert Beresford who sat next him he openly and very scandalously pulled snuff out of his pocket and snuffed it up his nose... At the burial of Ellenor Cheney he demanded and received for his fees for the burial 6d, which this deponent paid him. And within a fortnight after a sister of Ellenor's was buried and he likewise demanded and had other 6d whereas his accustomed fee for any burial is but 2d and save the Saxton told this deponent at the time aforesaid and these were two poor women and buried at the charges of their friends.
Joseph Tovey hath officiated as parish clerk of Davenham these 18 or 19 years last past, and this deponent hath heard Mr Marbury their Parson say that he never gave his consent to his coming in... To this deponent's knowledge Tovey was presented in the Lord Bishop's Visitation for purpose arlate... Tovey is a man of very loose and disorderly life, much given to drinking and tippling in alehouses and many times to excess, and this deponent hath observed that for the most part he goes out of the church so soon as the psalm is sung and before the Minister begins his sermon and stays out a good space and its commonly said that he then goes into an alehouse, and by his unthrifty and loose course of life hath wasted a good estate and brought himself into a very low condition little better than beggary. And all this to the shame of the place his friends too and offence of his civil neighbours... This deponent was present when Tovey demanded and received of Cheney Bostocke 6d for a burial whereas his due is but 2d according to custom, and said he would take no less and that he would justify it... He hath seen a certificate under Tovey's hands, which this deponent believes is all of his own handwriting of the publishing of banns in the church betwixt Richard Hall and Ellen Eaton, and this deponent hath enquired but could never learn that ever they were so published, and therefore believes the same was false.
Joseph Tovey hath been and is a man of a vicious life and conversation much addicted to excessive and intemperate drinking to the scandal of his office and offence and evil example of his neighbours... He hath many times observed Tovey to go out of the Chancel door so soon as the psalm is ended before sermon both forenoon and afternoon used to go [to] an alehouse and he hath made it his constant practice so to do these many years, and by his ill course of life hath wasted a good estate. This deponent hath known him sometimes guilty of a vain and rash oath.
He [Horton] was one of churchwardens of Davenham in the year 1665 and he and his marrow then presented Joseph in the Lord Bishop's Visitation for a man of loose life and disordered carriage or to that purpose... Tovey is and for these many years hath been a man of a very vicious life and conversation much given to excessive and frequent drinking and tippling in alehouse[s] and thereby hath wasted a good estate... Within the time arlate, Tovey gave out the 27th psalm and when he delivered these words, themselves have caught the fall he (in a triumphing and uncivil manner as this deponent apprehended) pointed his finger down the church and towards Mr Marbury which many people took notice of and some laughed or smiled...
Joseph Tovey is a man of very loose and debauched life and conversation a common swearer, tippler, and frequenter of alehouses for these many years last past and by such courses hath wasted a good estate. This deponent hath seen him much distempered with drink as well upon Sundays as other days. And it's his common practice to go out of the church so soon as the psalm is done before sermon and its commonly said that he then goes into the alehouse, and he is often so heavy either with drink or sleep that he can scarce hold up his head in the church and many times so hoarse by his intemperate courses that he can scarce give out the psalm as he should do... He hath exacted 8d a piece at the christening of 4 children of this deponent's whereas there is but 4d due according to custom, but saith that 4d of it is for registering it whereas there is no such due. [Otherwise nothing] saving that one time this deponent brought his children to the church to be christened and because Tovey had stayed there some time before this deponent so came (as he said) and in that while had spent a groat in the alehouse he swore many an oath that this deponent should pay that groat before he would open the church door, which he was forced to do, and after he had so paid it, Tovey made his landlady give him a pottle of beer for a shot pot and he set the flagon to his head and drunk most of it off...
He was born in Davenham parish and lived there all his life time until he was married which was above 19 years ago. About three or four years ago he one day was in company with Joseph Tovey in Northwich and Tovey then demanded his fees of this deponent for his marriage which was so many years ago and threatened to fetch a Quorum nomina for him if he would not pay him which he said would cost 4s and through his bawling and threats then in the alehouse this deponent to be shut on him gave him 6d and when this deponent told his father of it, his father told him that he well remembered he was paid his fees at or a little after his marriage. And this deponent believes that if they had not been paid there was not so much due for there is but 4d due to the Clerk of Frodsham (where this deponent liveth) for a marriage.
Joseph Tovey hath sometimes come in to this deponent's father's house being an alehouse hard by the church when the Minister has been in the pulpit and called for a penny worth of ale and sometimes has not drunk it all but left part of it and gone his way into the church again.
Joseph Tovey is a man that frequents alehouses more than becomes him in his (this deponent's) opinion considering his office and place... About a year and a half or two years ago Edward Lumskin sued Joseph Tovey in the County Court for 30 shillings owing to him in right of his wife upon a bond, and Tovey repaired to this deponent and got him (being a bailiff in the Court to appear for him) and confessed to this deponent that he owed the money but desired this deponent to put it off as long as he could, and withal told this deponent that one Thomas Hoole owed him (Joseph) 20s and he would get him to pay that 20s to Lumskin... But afterwards the suit was removed in the Exchequer and Tovey himself told this deponent that his answer there (which must needs be said was upon oath) was that he had paid the debt in the lifetime of John Tramlowe former husband to Lumskin's wife to whom the debt was originally due.
He [Hoole] was one of the Churchwardens of Davenham in the year 1665 and he [Hoole] and his marrow-churchwarden in their answerance to the articles at the Lord Bishop's Visitation at Nantwich did present Joseph Tovey for something to the purpose arlate but he doth not directly remember the very words but saith he is a man of a bad report...