The book was handed into Oxfam in the town, who passed it onto Mr Rawlings, who kindly let the Times cast an eye over it.
?Tavistock Parish Records? by R N Worth was published in 1887, after the author was directed by the Duke of Bedford to publish an account of the documents collected in the old parish chest of Tavistock and the rich historical detail they reveal.
Some interesting details come from a study of the plates, registers and parish books of Tavistock carried out by the vicar of Tavistock in the 1880s, the Rev Daniel F Alford.
Mr Alford recounts the tale of Richard Peek, or Manly Peek, ?who joined the expedition against Cadiz as a volunteer, and being taken prisoner, won his freedom by defeating three fully-armed Spaniards with a quarter-staff.?
For this act of bravery, Mr Peek was given an inscribed pewter dish.
A register of baptism, marriages and burials in the parish dating back to 1614 demonstrates the fluctuations in the town?s population over the years.
Mr Alford makes reference to Dr Barham?s ?Digest of parish registers?, and says from the records it appears the population of Tavistock was larger in 1680 than in 1780.
?The town seems to have rallied very slowly from the shock of the plague in 1626, when nearly six hundred deaths occurred in the twelve months, and more than a hundred a month died in August, September and October.?
For 150 years after this, the population seems to have declined rather than increased, but it made a fresh start from 1780, and progress was steady and for a time at the height of the industrial revolution, very rapid.
The population of Tavistock as recorded in census returns in 1781 was 3,117; in 1801, 3,420; in 1811, 4,723; in 1821, 5,483; in 1831, 5,602; in 1841, 6,272; in 1851, 8,147.
From the middle of the 19th century with the falling off in mining, Tavistock?s population steadily fell back, to 7,781 in 1871, and 6,900 in 1881.
Dr Barham shows that whereas from 1687 to 1737, burials exceeded baptisms by 521, from 1786 to 1836, baptisms exceeded burials by 1,679.
The parish records even uncover a 17th century clerical scandal which must have rocked the town at the time. The document in question, from 1682, is a list of grievances against Jasper Cann, vicar of Tavistock.
The fifth article charges that the vicar ?misbehaved himself at the Lord?s table?.
Cann is further charged with ?causing a flagon of consecrated wine to be carried to his house; with chiding and brawling with one of the wardens touching the quantity of wine provided; and with falling, in a passion, after service?.
Article 13 charges Cann with having ?spoken profanely and blasphemously ? apparently of the Old and New Testament, saying that they were not the word of God, or words to that effect.?
No result of the charges is given, and indeed Cann continued as vicar of the parish for a further eight years.
The Parish account books also reveal the difficulties of life for the poor of the area.
In June 1739, it was resolved that ?no pauper shall have the great bell tolled at his funeral at public expense.?
Under an entry for March 22, 1754, details of the finances of the workhouse are given.
?Fifty-two people this month in the workhouse cost weekly each person, salary included, and work deducted, 1s, 31/4d.?
In 1789, Mary Skinner agrees to provide the poor with coffins and shrouds for 8s-a-piece.
In April 1800, Charles Conian agrees to ?furnish good beef and mutton to those in the workhouse at 51/2d a pound.?
In addition to the churchwarden?s accounts, Mr Worth also looked at deeds and miscellaneous documents which give a glimpse of aspects of life hundreds of years ago. In the churchwarden?s accounts one finds that on May 19, 1673, it was agreed by the ?Masters and inhabitants? of the town and parish of Tavistock that whoever killed any fox within the parish, would receive in payment the sum of three shillings and fourpence.
The book also contains an appendix containing the names of all Tavistock?s Members of Parliament, abbots and vicars.
Some ot the names of places in the records sound quite familiar but have unusual spellings ? a document from 1581 is a lease for a property in ?Bannawill streete?, while another in 1686 is for some land at ?Pixen Lane?.
There is also a lease document from a property deal which took place in 1667 signed by Tavistock?s most famous son, Sir Francis Drake.