RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Top-of-the-hill on Monday 11 March 19 22:41 GMT (UK)
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I have been working on a parish which appears to have had a parish clerk in the 1750s/60s who could not sign his name. At least, he witnessed quite a few marriages with his mark. I know the C of E was rather in the doldrums in the 18th century, so perhaps he just opened the church and rang the bell? I was going to add "dug the graves" but when he died in 1769 he was ancient! I have seen a list of the parish clerk's duties, and would have thought he needed to be literate.
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One of my OHs ancestors became chaplain of Troutbeck in 1723 when the previous chaplain was sacked for 'ignorance'. Interviews must have been easier back then ;D
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If the clerk could not sign, who filled in the register? Maybe he just initialled it?
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It looks as if the clergyman filled it in.
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Perhaps it was effect of old age on his eyes or hands.
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If the clerk could not sign, who filled in the register? Maybe he just initialled it?
Clerks were not supposed to make entries in the registers, as delegation of this responsibility by the incumbent was unlawful.
Stan
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If the clerk could not sign, who filled in the register? Maybe he just initialled it?
Sorry, I didn't notice that the parish clerk was just acting as any other witness - which I guess he probably did quite often. I have transcribed marriage registers where churchwardens or other lay staff come up repeatedly.
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I've seen a parish register where the writing is large and clumsy with, to put it politely, idiosyncratic spellings. Fortunately the vicar (I've seen his writing elsewhere) has inserted 'alternatives' neatly above many of the names.
Otherwise I wouldn't have found my TAYLOR ancestor who had been recorded as TELER.
Carol