[Illustration] THE PARISH CLERK BY P.H. DITCHFIELD M.A., F.S.A. WITH THIRTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS _First Published in 1907_. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. OLD-TIME CHOIRS AND PARSONS 1 II. THE ANTIQUITY AND CONTINUITY OF THE OFFICE OF CLERK 16 III. THE MEDIÆVAL CLERK 31 IV. HIS DUTIES OF READING AND SINGING 48 V. THE CLERK IN LITERATURE 63 VI. CLERKS TOO CLERICAL--SMUGGLING DAYS AND SMUGGLING WAYS 79 VII. THE CLERK IN EPITAPH 90 VIII. THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF PARISH CLERKS 104 IX. THE CLERKS OF LONDON: THEIR DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES 115 X. CLERKENWELL AND CLERKS' PLAYS 130 XI. THE CLERKS AND THE PARISH REGISTERS 140 XII. THE CLERK AS A POET 154 XIII. THE CLERK GIVING OUT NOTICES 169 XIV. SLEEPY CHURCH AND SLEEPY CLERKS 179 XV. THE CLERK IN ART 195 XVI. WOMEN AS PARISH CLERKS 201 XVII. SOME YORKSHIRE CLERKS 206 XVIII. AN OLD CHESHIRE CLERK AND SOME OTHER WORTHIES 225 XIX. THE CLERK AND THE LAW 245 XX. RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD CLERKS AND THEIR WAYS 255 XXI. CURIOUS STORIES 306 XXII. LONGEVITY AND HEREDITY--THE DEACON-CLERKS OF BARNSTAPLE 318 XXIII. CONCLUSION 333 INDEX 335 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS THE PARISH CLERK. By Thomas Gainsborough, R.A. _Frontispiece_ _From the original in the National Gallery_ PAGE THE VILLAGE CHOIR. By Thomas Webster 8 _From the original in the Victoria and Albert Museum_ THE MEDIÆVAL CLERK: THE CLERK IN PROCESSION 18 _From old engravings_ THE CLERK BEARING HOLY WATER AND ASPERGING THE COOK, AND OTHERS 28 _From old engravings_ THE OLD CHURCH-HOUSES AT HURST AND UFFINGTON, BERKS 42 _By permission of Messrs. G.J. Palmer and Sons_ THE CLERK AND PRIEST VISITING THE SICK AND ADMINISTERING THE LAST SACRAMENT 46 _By permission of the S.P.C.K._ OLD BECKENHAM CHURCH. By David Cox 60 _From the drawing at the Tate Gallery_ OLD SCARLETT 98 _From_ "_The Book of Days_" _By permission of Messrs. W. and R. Chambers, Ltd_. ENTRANCE TO THE HALL OF THE COMPANY OF PARISH CLERKS. 104 THE MASTER'S CHAIR AT THE PARISH CLERKS' HALL 106