Just recently I've been researching more of my own family tree and discovered a number of ancestors with connections to the church. The parish church was at the heart of every Victorian community so perhaps you've also found that your ancestor’s vocation lay within this area as there were a number of occupational paths that may have chosen to follow.
Incumbent - this was the head clergyman who held office in the parish church, i.e. a vicar, rector, parson, etc. The parishes under his care would be known as a Benefice.
Deacon - this individual would assist the incumbent and although was in holy orders was not yet fully ordained as a priest.
Curate - he could hold a temporary appointment in the parish or assist the incumbent already in office.
Rural Dean - appointed by the Bishop, this clergyman would be expected to run a small group of parishes in both rural and urban areas.
Priest - this position was below the rank of Bishop but above that of a Deacon. Remember not all Priests were Catholics and some were appointed within the Anglican Church.
Canon - often still holding a role as a parish priest, the Canon would also have been appointed as a member of a cathedral chapter.
The clergyman’s income would
have been drawn from the weekly collections, fees for performing marriages or
funerals, tithes or rent from church owned land known as a ‘glebe’ and his personality,
dedication and contributions to the community would undoubtedly have had a
massive impact on his parishioners and their opinion of his work.
The Clergy List was published from the early part of the 19th
century and detailed all those working in the clergy at the time from prison
and military chaplains to those operating all over the British Empire – county
libraries will often hold a copy of this valuable book.
Alphabetic listings of Clergymen were produced from 1858 in the form of
Crockford’s Directories which give brief biographies and the location of
individuals over a certain period. A number of these have now been digitalised
online at www.ancestry.co.uk and at
present, allow you to search the years 1868, 1874, 1885, 1898, 1908 and 1932.
Most clergy attended university in Cambridge, Oxford or Dublin so if you can
track down a College Alumni record then you have the chance of discovering a
wealth of details about the college attended by the individual, their
graduation and degree taken as well as the churches in which they were later
incumbent – excellent for tracking those who moved about the country or
abroad.
Documenting the careers of all Church of England clergymen between 1540
and 1835, www.theclergydatabase.org.uk/index.html
is an ever growing website and indispensable to family and local historians who
want to find out more about the individuals connected to their parish church.
Don’t forget! Check the front and back of the parish registers in
the areas that your clergyman ancestor served – you may be surprised to find
notes, inscriptions or dates relating to their incumbency providing an example
of their handwriting and a glimpse into their personality.
Perhaps your ancestor was a Churchwarden responsible for the property
and moveable goods of the parish church by keeping inventories and generally
ensuring that the building and its contents were well maintained. Churchwardens
were usually volunteers who received expenses but no wages and were appointed each
Easter from reliable members of the community that were prepared to take on the
responsibilities of the role. If you’re lucky enough to discover that the
Churchwarden’s Account Book has survived you can uncover a vast amount of
information – not only about your ancestor but also about the parish in which
he worked.
You can begin to establish how long he worked in the role; the
labour which was employed to maintain the church and the type of renovations
carried out; the names of the women (often widows) who took in church washing
and other jobs to supplement their meagre incomes; payments made to local
traders and the names of those who required poor relief from the parish. These
are fascinating documents and help to explain parish life of the period
whatever role your ancestor took within the church.
