"Mr. Phidkin, the curate, pretending a right, by virtue of the canon, to elect a churchwarden, the parishioners procured an order from the Consistory Court for the parishioners to meet, which they accordingly did, and chose two new wardens, and made their return to the said Court, but Mr. Phidkin insisted on the canon, and prayed that the churchwardens should be sworn; but the chancellor declaring that the court had not the power of trying the custom, a mandamus was obtained at the King's Bench to swear the two churchwardens elected by the parish." It appears from another entry that the ancient custom was "for the minister, together with the consent of the parishioners, to choose the low churchwarden to be head churchwarden for the year." The parochial officers--as was the case in most parishes--were occasionally checked in their tendency towards an extravagant expenditure, one of the vestry meetings ordering that no more than 10s. should be spent at the visitation, besides fees; no more than 2s. 6d. to be allowed for ringing on any occasion; and only 2s. each to the officers for attending Sessions. The perambulation expenses in 1732 were £1. 10s; three days were usually occupied in beating the bounds, and they dined at the Tavern (Query, the present Virgin's Tavern?). May day was likewise kept as a festival, and money allowed in these accounts for the celebration of it. In the year 1750 the principal inhabitants, in vestry assembled, agreed to forfeit 40s. each if they did not use their "utmost endeavour to put a stop to the evil practices commonly committed on our wake Sunday." The wake was held on Trinity Sunday; and notwithstanding the above combination, old custom proved stronger than the sense of propriety, for until within the last twenty or thirty years the wake was continued, and I am told that some extraordinary scenes were usually witnessed here: even on the graves, travelling vagabonds plied their profession, and "Many a youth the glittering snuff-box eyed-- Paid for his stick forthwith and boldly shied." Such scenes of fighting, drunkenness, and debauchery, were probably never witnessed in the parish but at those times, and close beneath the shadow of its old church too. The clergy, aided by the indefatigable exertions of the present respectable clerk, Mr. Williams, at length rooted out the evil; and a little dancing which is still carried on at Fearnall Heath on the Monday is all that remains of Claines wake. The overseers in 1678 were ordered to deduct the third part of the pay of such poor as should be found tippling in alehouses upon Sundays, for the space of a month after they should be found so tippling. Among the curious entries in these books are the following: 1669.--"Given to one whose dwelling was drowned by the sea coming too late to church, 1s."