THE Parish Officer, COMPRISING THE WHOLE OF THE PRESENT LAW RELATING TO THE SEVERAL PARISH AND UNION OFFICERS, AS WELL AS OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE POOR IN ENGLAND; COMPRISING ALSO THE LAW AS TO CHURCH RATES, HIGHWAY RATES, VESTRIES, WATCHING AND LIGHTING, &c. Third Edition. BY JOHN FREDERICK ARCHBOLD, Esq. BARRISTER-AT-LAW. LONDON: SHAW AND SONS, FETTER LANE, ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION. I HAVE taken great pains in editing this Edition. I have also added to it very considerably, particularly under the head of " Clergymen of the Parish." It was intimated to me, from some clergymen, that it was desirable I should, under this head, state shortly the law relating to Advowsons and Tithes,subjects in which they are, of course, much interested. I have done so: I have stated the whole law respecting Advowsons, including presentation, institution, induction, &c., and the mode of aliening an advowson when vested in trustees under the recent statute 19 & 20 Vict. c. 50g I have treated of Tithes, to whom payable, exemptions, what estates may be had in them, how aliened, how commuted, how set out, how sued for and recovered, &c. I have been obliged, from the nature of the work itself, to give merely a summary of the law upon both these subjects; to treat of them at large, would of course occupy infinitely more space than I could assign to them. Under other heads, I have described the duties of the different officers of a parish, as enumerated and particularly adverted to in the Preface to the first edition. And throughout the whole of the present edition, I think that the reader will find that I have taken infinite pains to render it complete and correct. 9, King's Bench Walk, Temple, November, 1857. J. F. A. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. I HAVE written largely upon most subjects of Parish Law, and have incidently treated of the appointment and the duties of the several Parish Officers. But it has been suggested to me, by my Publishers, that it would be very desirable, and a great convenience to Parish Officers, if I were to write a work, defining exactly their respective duties, giving plain directions for the performance of them, stating the modes of appointment to their several offices, and other incidental matters, and giving the several Acts of Parliament now in force upon each particular subject. I have done so ; and the reader will find in this little work the several subjects which have been suggested to me, treated of in the manner I have now mentioned, and arranged alphabetically for the convenience of reference-namely, -Church Rate,-Churchwardens, Clergymen of the Parish,-Collector of Highway Rates, Collector of Poor Rate,-Constable,-Guardians of the Poor,-Highway Rate,— Surveyors of Highways,-Overseers of the Poor, |