The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial Aspects by Sedley Lynch Ware
page 51 of 135 (37%)
page 51 of 135 (37%)
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allowed to degenerate into a common ale-house, even though in some
parishes it may have borne the name of "church tavern."[270] When not required for parish purposes the church-house was rented out, and rooms in an upper story were used for lodging.[271] As church-ales fell into disfavor _Offerings_ or _Gatherings_ in church or at the church door became more frequent[272] and more systematized. As time went on these collections were regularly taken up in many parishes every quarter, usually at Easter, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas.[273] Hence the name quarterage.[274] When the proceeds went to general church furnishing and repairing, the gatherings wrere sometimes called in the accounts "church works."[275] As the sum given by each was often noted down in "quarter books" or "Easter books,"[276] and was, on denial, occasionally sued for before the official (together with dues for other purposes--clerk's wages, pew rents, etc., presently to be noticed), an "offering" might become virtually an assessment or rate.[277] We come now to _Communion Dues_, or _Collections_ taken up at the time of communion. "_Paschall money_" is defined in a vestry order of Stepney parish, London, in 1581 as a duty of 1d. paid by each communicant at Easter "toward the charge of breade and wine over and besides theyre offering mony due unto the vicar." These paschal dues, the order further informs us, had long been farmed by the vicar for 40s. yearly. But now the yield of a penny from each communicant was "thought a thing so profitable and beneficiall," that only as a special mark of favor was the vicar to continue to farm it, but at £4 thenceforth instead of at 40s.[278] "_Easter money_," an expression found not infrequently in |
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