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