fashion, had not the parish clerk, by a timely interference, rescued
the remainder. One clergyman, being unable to transcribe certain
entries which were required from his registers, cut them out and sent
them by post; and an Essex clerk, not having ink and paper at hand for
copying out an extract, calmly took out his pocket-knife and cut out
two leaves, handing them to the applicant. Sixteen leaves of another
old register were cut out by the clerk, who happened to be a tailor,
in order to supply himself with measures. Tradesmen seem to have found
these books very useful. The marriage register of Hanney, Berkshire,
from 1754 to 1760 was lost, but later on discovered in a grocer's
shop.

Deplorable has been the fate of these old books, so valuable to the
genealogist. Upon the records contained there the possession of much
valuable property may depend. The father of the present writer was
engaged in proving his title to an estate, and required certificates
of all the births, deaths, and marriages that had occurred in the
family during a hundred years. All was complete save the record of one
marriage. He discovered that his ancestor had eloped with a young
lady, and the couple had married in London at a City church. The name
of the church where the wedding was said to have taken place was
suggested to him, but he discovered that it had been pulled down.
However, the old parish clerk was discovered, who had preserved the
books; the entry was found, and all went well and the title to the
estate established. How many have failed to obtain their rights and
just claims through the gross neglect of the keepers or custodians of
parochial documents?

An old register was kept in the drawer of an old table, together with
rusty iron and endless rubbish, by a parish clerk who was a poor