“Among the most profitable sources of revenue known to the wardens were the great festive entertainments called the _Church ales_. They have almost their exact counterparts in our modern _public dinners_ for charitable (?) purposes, such as the annual dinner for the literary fund, or for the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy; and the _public teas_ so common among the Nonconformist bodies. They were held in the Church houses, which were well furnished with all the necessary appliances for cooking, brewing, and for giving accommodation for a large company. Often a generous parishioner would provide a bullock or a sheep or two for the entertainment, and another good-natured man would offer a quarter of malt to be brewed for the occasion. The skins of the slaughtered sheep are often entered on the credit side of the accounts, and occasionally smaller contributions of spices and other condiments were offered. Of course, the inevitable collection followed; and, according to the goodness of the feast, the number of the guests, or their satisfaction with the arrangements made, the amount of donations was large or small.” To take an example or two of these collections: at Walberswick, in the county of Suffolk, in 1453, the “church ales” produced 13_s._ 4_d._; at Bishop Stortford, in 1489, two parish gatherings brought in £4 6_s._ 8_d._ to the common exchequer. At times, too, various neighbouring parishes would unite their forces and have a joint church ale. At Yatton, in Somerset, for example, the parishioners both entertained and were entertained by a neighbouring parish; and in the “Book of the accomptes of Bramley church” are entered “in expenses of the parish of Silchester--5_s._”; “in expenses of the parish of Herteley--2_s._ 4_d._” At Shire, in the county of Surrey, an ale was held at Pentecost in 18 Henry VII. which produced 56_s._: of this sum Albury contributed 12_s._, Wotton 5_s._, Abinger 5_s._, and Ewhurst 6_s._ 8_d._ Out of this sum, 17_s._ 5_d._ was expended over the provisions for the feast, and the residue was the amount available for the common fund. In 1536, in the same place, there is an example of a private entertainment given for the benefit of the parish. Thus was “a drinking made by John Redford at his own expense, from strangers attending at his instance, £7 3_s._ 4_d._” In the parish at Bramley there were apparently a whole series of dinners and suppers in the week of Whitsuntide. These are worth giving in full, as they have not previously been printed. _Receipts._