Jan. 10. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



37 



the civil method) as far as regards baptisms and 

 burials ; and by the 16 th section of that act, a 

 proviso is enacted, that nothing in that act should 

 diminish or increase the fees theretofore payable, 

 or of right due, to any minister for the performance 

 of the J^ore- mentioned duties, &c. 



The before-mentioned duties here referred to 

 were, that they (the officiating ministers) should 

 keep the registers of public and private bap- 

 tisms, marriages, and burials in books for that 

 purpose provided by the parish, that they should 

 as soon after the solemnisation of the ceremony 

 as possible enter it in the register. That such 

 Register Books should be kept in the custody of 

 the minister in an iron chest, which was to be kept 

 locked, except for the purpose of making the 

 entries as above, or for the inspection of persons 

 desirous to make search therein, or to obtain copies, 

 or for production as evidence, or for inspection as 

 to their condition, or for the purposes of that act. 

 That, within a stated period, the ministers should 

 make copies (annually) of the registers, verify 

 them, and transmit the copies to the registrar of 

 the diocese. Now these just mentioned are the 

 duties referred to in the act, so far as they con- 

 cern our inquiry ; and the fees payable have been 

 the fee of one guinea for keeping the registers, 

 a fee allowed by the parish for sending copies of 

 them to the registrar of the diocese ; but I do not 

 observe any fee for any person searching, or even 

 obtaining copies of any entry of baptism or burial, 

 if they feel so disposed. 



The civil method of registration is regulated by 

 the 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 86. ; and by the 35th 

 section it is enacted : 



" That every rector, vicar, or curate, and every 

 registrar, registering officer, and secretary who shall 

 have the keeping for the time being of any Register 

 Books of births, deaths, or marriages, shall at all 

 reasonable times allow searches to be made of any 

 Register Book in his keeping, and shall give a copy 

 certified under his hand of any entry or entries in the 

 same on payment of ... . for every 

 search extending over a period not more than one year, 

 the sum of one shilling, and sixpence additional for 

 every additional year ; and the sum of two shillings 

 and sixpence for every single certificate." 



This will be seen to comprehend such Register 

 Books as apply to births and deaths only, and 

 not to those containing baptisms and burials 

 (which latter are only in the custody of the offici- 

 ating ministers) ; and although some doubts may 

 arise from the words " allow searches to be made 

 of any Register Book in his keeping," I am of 

 opinion that " the Register Book" here meant "in 

 his keeping" only applies to the description just 

 preceding, viz. of " births and deaths." I am 

 inclined to think that no fee is payable legally to 

 the minister for searching the Register Books of 

 baptisms or burials, nor even for making a copy of 



an entry therein by any persons if they feel dis- 

 posed to take a copy themselves. 



In the same act, sec. 49., a provision is enacted 

 that nothing in that act shall affect the registration 

 of baptisms or burials as then by law established, 

 or the right of any officiating minister to receive 

 the usual fees for the performance or registration 

 of any baptism, burial, or marriage : so that there 

 is nothing even in this controlling clause last 

 quoted, that at all affects the right of persons to 

 search without fee the registers of baptisms or 

 burials, or even of making copies ; for that clause 

 simply refers to the fact of registering, and the 

 fees payable for solemnising the same, and the 

 registration, although I am not aware that there 

 is a fee for registering a baptism, although it was 

 so in William III.'s reign. 



By the 12th sect, of the 52 Geo. III. c. 146. 

 (the latter part of it), I find that the copies of the 

 registers which are transmitted by the minister 

 annually to the registrar of the diocese, are to be 

 arranged, and an alphabetical list of names to be 

 made by the registrar ; and such copies and list to 

 be open to public search at all reasonable times 

 upon payment of their usual fees. This of course 

 does not apply to the baptismal or burial registers 

 in the custody of the minister ; but it is quoted 

 that your correspondent may be in possession of 

 the whole facts, for it is undoubtedly most im- 

 portant to the genealogical or archaeological in- 

 quirer. If I am wrong, I shall be glad to stand 

 corrected on the error being pointed out. 



John Nurse Chadwick. 



King's Lynn, Dec. 15. 1851. 



aaejjlit^ to 4Pfn0r ^rxtvitS. 



Proverbs (Vol. iv., p. 239.). — A proverb has 

 been well defined (it is said by Lord John Russell) 

 to be " the wisdom of many, and the wit of one." 



ESTE. 



Infantry Firing (Vol. iv., p. 407.). — The fol- 

 lowing short paragraph on this subject may be ac- 

 ceptable to your correspondent H. Y. W. N. I 

 found it among a small collection of newspaper 

 cuttings; but I cannot give either the name or 

 date of the paper from which it was taken. 



" Musket Balls. — Marshal Saxe computed that, in 

 a battle, only one ball of eighty-five takes effect. 

 Others, that only one in forty strikes, and no more than 

 one in four hundred is fatal. At the battle of Toiirnay, 

 in Flanders, fought on the 22nd of May, 1 794, it is 

 calculated that two hundred and thirty-six musket- 

 shot were expended in disabling each soldier who suf- 

 fered." C. FOBBBS. 



Temple. 



Joceline's Legacy (Vol. iv., pp. 367.410. 454.). — 

 Having at length obtained a copy of the edition of 

 this excellent manual, which your correspondent 



