How to write the history of a parishCox, J. Charles (John Charles)
History
How to write the history of a parish
Cox, J. Charles (John Charles)
Great Britain -- Historiography; Great Britain -- History, Local
Before beginning the description of the Church, it will be well, in
the first place, in order to ensure clearness and accuracy, that some
general PLAN OF PROCEDURE should be adopted. We give the following
skeleton of a suggested outline, that has been proved to be useful and
orderly, but it can, of course, be altered or expanded or re-arranged
in any direction.
1. Enumeration of component parts of structure, remarks as to its
general or special characteristics.
2 Ground plan, _i.e._, dimensions of area of chancel, nave, etc.,
different levels, and number of chancel and altar steps.
3. Description of parts of the permanent structure that are (_a_)
Saxon, (_b_) Norman, (_c_) Early English, (_d_) Transition, (_e_)
Decorated, (_f_) Perpendicular, (_g_) Debased, (_h_) Churchwarden, and
(_i_) Restored. Some definite order should be observed under each head,
otherwise it is likely that some details may escape, _e.g._ doorways,
windows, piers, arches, etc., of chancel, nave, aisles, porches,
transepts, tower, and chapels.
4. External details--parapets, gurgoyles, niches, stoup, arms,
inscriptions, “low side windows.”
5. Internal details--[Stone] altar or altar stone, piscina,
almery, hagioscope, Easter or sepulchral recess, niches, brackets,
roof-corbels, and sedilia of (_a_) chancel, (_b_) south aisle, (_c_)
north aisle, and (_d_) chapels or transepts; also groined roofs,
doorway or steps to roodloft, and stone screens--[Wood] altar table,
altar rails, reading desk, lectern, pulpit, pews, benches, poppy-heads,
panelling, roofs, doors, galleries, rood or chancel screen, other
screens or parcloses, parish or vestment chests, alms boxes--[Iron or
other metal]--any old details.
6. Font--(_a_) position, (_b_) description, (_c_) measurements, (_d_)
cover.
7. Monuments--beginning with early incised stones, and carefully
following them down in chronological order, an order which should not
be broken except for the purpose of keeping a family group together.
Arms should be correctly blazoned, and inscriptions faithfully copied.
8. Stained glass, according to age.
9. Encaustic tiles--pavement generally.
10. Fresco paintings, black-letter texts, patterns on roof or
elsewhere, royal arms, charity bequest boards.
11. Bells--(_a_) number, (_b_) inscription and marks, (_c_) frame,
(_d_) remarkable peals, or bell-ringers rhymes, (_e_) legends; also
sanctus bell, or bell cote on nave gable.
12. Parish registers and other documents; church books, or library.
13. Church plate.
14. Church yard, (_a_) cross, (_b_) remarkable monuments or epitaphs,
(_c_) yew tree, (_d_) lychgate, (_e_) sundial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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