CHAPTER XX.

THE PARISH CLERK.

The parish clerk seems to have existed about as long as the parish priest, if we are right in assuming that the man of sober life whom the parish priest was required by the “canons of King Edgar” to bring with him to the diocesan synods (see p. 67) was the prototype of that useful official. At least, from a very early time every parish had its clerk to attend upon the priest in his office, and to perform a number of useful services on behalf of the parishioners. An Injunction of Bishop Grostete says, “In every church which hath sufficient means there shall be a deacon and sub-deacon, but in the rest at least a fitting and honest clerk to serve the priest in a comely habit.”[305] A Canon of a Synod of Ely (1528) enjoins all parish clerks to serve their priests at high mass reverently and devoutly.

The general custom was for the incumbent to choose and appoint the clerk, and for the parishioners to pay him; but in some parishes the parishioners had a prescriptive right to choose; and there are indications that in some parishes it was the custom for the rector or vicar to pay him.[306] Having been duly chosen and appointed, the clerk was licensed by the Ordinary, and held his office as a freehold, being removable by the Ordinary, and by him only for misconduct. His duties were to attend on the parish priest, and assist in the services of the church; to ring the bell for services, prepare the altar, lead the people in the responses; precede the procession with holy water; precede the priest with bell and taper in going to visit the sick, and such-like things.

One curious custom of his office was to go round the parish on Sundays and great festivals, and to enter the houses in order to asperse the people with holy water, sometimes, perhaps on some special festivals, it would be to cense them, for Absolon, the parish clerk in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” (Miller’s Tale)--

Goth with a censer on the holy day, Censing the wives of the parish faste.

A MS. in the British Museum of early fourteenth century date (Royal, 10 E. IV.) contains a story which turns on the adventures of a parish priest, as he goes through the parish on this errand. Our illustration, taken from f. 108 _verso_, shows how, after going into the kitchen to sprinkle the cook, he then goes to the hall to sprinkle the lord and lady as they sit at dinner. In the Harl. MS., 2278, f. 76, is a picture of a parish clerk about to asperse the dead body of a child, the mother withdrawing the winding-sheet for the purpose.[307] It was from this duty that the parish clerk took the name of “Aquabajalus.”

His stipend was made up of customary fees, especially for his services at marriages and burials, which differed in various parishes, and voluntary donations. A custom of this kind is good (says Lyndwode), that every master of a family on every Lord’s day give the clerk bearing the holy water, somewhat according to the exigency of his condition; and that on Christmas Day he have of every house one loaf of bread, and a certain number of eggs at Easter, and in the autumn certain sheaves. Also that may be called a laudable custom where such clerk every quarter of the year receives something in certain money for his sustenance, which ought to be collected and levied in the whole parish.

A great number of the mediæval wills contain small bequests to the parish clerk, and to clerks attending the funeral of the testator.

A story told by Matthew Paris[308] makes us acquainted with the average income thus derived. “It happened that an agent of the pope met a jolly clerk of a village carrying water in a little vessel with a sprinkler, and some bits of bread given him for having sprinkled some holy water, and to him the deceitful Roman thus addressed himself: ‘How much does the profit yielded to you by this church amount to in a year?’ To which the clerk, ignorant of the Roman’s cunning, replied, ‘To twenty shillings, I think.’ Whereupon the agent demanded the percentage the pope had just demanded on all ecclesiastical benefices. And to pay that small sum the poor man was compelled to hold school for many days, and, by selling his books in the precincts, to drag on a half-starved life.”

Boniface, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his Constitutions of 1260, says--

We have often heard from our elders that the benefices of holy water were originally instituted from a motive of charity, in order that one of their proper poor clerks might have exhibitions to the schools, and so advance in learning, that they might be fit for higher preferment.

He therefore desires that in churches which are not distant more than ten miles from the cities and castles of the province of Canterbury, the rectors and vicars should endeavour to find such clerks, and appoint them to the office. And if the parishioners withhold the customary alms to them, let them be urgently admonished, and, if need be, compelled to give them.

We are not surprised to find that parish clerks of this kind often kept the village schools.

Peckham, Archbishop in 1280, ordered in the church of Bauquell and the chapels annexed to it, that there should be _duos clericos scholasticos_, carefully chosen by the parishioners, from whose alms they would have to live, who should carry holy water round in the parish and chapels on Lord’s days and festivals, and minister _in divinis officiis_, and on week days should keep school.[309] Alexander, Bishop of Coventry, 1237, ordered parish clerks who should be schoolmasters in country villages.[310]

The custom of putting young scholars into the office of parish clerk to help them to proceed to holy orders, explains some kindly bequests which we meet with in wills:

Robert de Weston, Rector of Marum, 1389, leaves “to John Penne, my clerk, a missal of the new Use of Sarum, if he wishes to be a priest, otherwise I give him 20_s._ My servant Thomas Thornawe, 20_s._ The residue of my goods to be solde as quickly as possible, _communi pretio_, so that the purchasers may be bound to pray for my soul.”[311]

Giles de Gadlesmere, in 1337, left to Wm. Ockam, clerk, C_s._, unless he be promoted before my death.[312]

The parish clerks of a town or neighbourhood sometimes formed themselves into a gild, as in London, Lincoln, etc.,[313] and it would seem that these gilds in some places entertained their neighbours, and no doubt augmented their own funds, by the exhibition of miracle plays. The parish clerks of London used to exhibit, on the anniversary of their gild, on the green in the parish of St. James, Clerkenwell. In 1391, Stow says that they performed before the king and queen and the whole court for three days successively, and that, in 1409, they performed a play of the “Creation of the World,” the representation of which occupied eight successive days.

Chaucer gives a portrait of a parish clerk in the Miller’s Tale of his “Canterbury Pilgrims”--

Now was there of that churche a parish clerke The which that was y-cleped Absolon. Crulle[314] was his here and as the gold it shon, And strouted[315] as a fanne large and brode; Ful streight and even lay his jolly shode.[316] His rode[317] was red, his eyen grey as goos, With Poules windowes carved on his shoos, In hosen red he went ful fetisly[318] Yclad he was ful smal and proprely All in a kirtle of a light wajet[319] Ful faire and thicke ben the pointès set. And therupon he had a gay surplise As white as is the blossome upon the rise.[320] A mery child he was so God me save, Well could he leten blod and clippe and shave And make a charte of lond and a quitance. In twenty manner could he trip and daunce (After the schole of Oxenfordè tho) And playen songès on a smal ribible[321] Therto he sang, sometime a loud quinible[321] And as wel could he play on a giterne.[321] In all the town n’as brewhouse ne taverne That he ne visited with his solas, Theras that any galliard tapstere was. This Absolon that jolly was and gay Goth with a censor on the holy day Censing the wivès of the parish faste And many a lovely loke he on hem caste.

* * * * *

Sometime to shew his lightness and maistrie He plaieth Herod on a skaffold hie.