The Parish Clerks of London

THE PARISH CLERKS OF LONDON A History of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks of London. Reginald H Adams. Phillimore Publishing, Chichester. 1971 First edition. ISBN 0900592184 152pp Illustrated Signed Limited Edition. Members are Church of England men and women who have been appointed to one of the 150 parishes now associated with the Worshipful Company of Parsh clerks. They should not be confused with the many thousands of clerks who carry out the clerical duties in Parish councils throughout the United Kingdom. Originally the Parish Clark was in minor orders, he was primarly concerned with the worship in the parish church and sometimes, in some places, with the education of its children. In a grant of arms made to the Company in 1482, aspergilia indicates that the sprinkling of holy water was one of his specific liturgical duties. The role of the Parish Clerk changed after the Reformation and he became more obviously a layman. During divine service it was his duty to lead the singing and the responses of the congregation. Under the new dispensation the Clerk had clearly become a parochial officer. The change was reflected in a new grant of arms to the Confraternity, Fellowship and Company of Parish Clerks of the City of London on 30th March 1582. This scarce book is a SIGNED edition of a limited edition in variant binding. This copy comes from the Library of A T Scott Parish Clerk to St Thomas the Apostle in the City of London who was latterly Master of The Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks. Laid in is a copy of 'Clerk's Chronicle an account of the Parish Clerk's Company of London from 1971-1987 published by the company and signed by the author Ronald Ellen also a copy of 'The Armorial Pearings of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks of London' by Francis W Steer published by the Company. This copy has some evidence of sellotape leeching to the front and frear paste down and there is a neat inscription of the previous owner to the f.e.p. The book is otherwise in FINE condition bound in blue boards with gilt decoration to the spine and front board. Ref. J3 Size: 152pp.…