Of what can be gleaned from these parish annals when tolerably perfect, we may be permitted to quote that which we have elsewhere written respecting the records of Youlgreave, a Derbyshire village, that have recently been classified with some care:-- “The future historian of this parish will find a vast stock of material ready to hand; and if such a work was ever accomplished it would once more be seen how the history of even a remote village is but the history of the nation in little; how national victories were announced on the church bells, and national disasters by the proclamation of a form of prayer; how local self-government became gradually developed in the office of justice, constable, and overseer of the poor; how the press-gang worked its cruel way to man the ships and fill the regiments of the Georges; how the good folk of Youlgreave sent forth a spy to watch the movements of Charles Edward in 1745; and how they prepared to defend themselves by giving their constable a new bill-head, and repairing his old one; how unmerciful was the treatment of lunatics: and how free was the consumption of ale, on the smallest possible provocation, at the parish’s expense; these, and a thousand other minutiæ, all of them possessing some point of interest, can be gleaned from these annals of a parish, to say nothing of the perfect genealogy of nearly every family, together with an account of their varying circumstances, that might be constructed by their aid.” The fullest and best information respecting the parish as a unit of the national life, with much that pertains to the history of its various officers from the earliest times, will be found in Toulmin Smith’s “The Parish; its powers and obligations.” The second and best edition was published in 1857 by H. Sweet, Chancery Lane. The history of the village and village officers have not hitherto received the attention they deserve, for all our municipalities have developed out of village communities, and their various officials are but those of the petty rural parish adapted to the needs of an urban population. It will be well on this point to refer to the useful “Index of Municipal Offices,” with an historical introduction, recently published by G. Laurence Gomme. Lists of parochial CHARITIES are sometimes found in the parish chest, and more frequently on bequest boards in the church; but the local annotator should not consider that he has got a perfect or correct list until the elaborate reports of the Charity Commissioners, compiled some fifty years ago, have been consulted. In 1843, a most useful Blue Book was published for each county, being an analytical digest of the voluminous reports arranged under parishes. Topographical booksellers can generally procure copies of these, by which a great saving of time will be effected. There are later Reports with regard to Endowed Schools. History of the Church.