Chap. S,] PARISH OF CHIPPING. 197 



main strength. Eight or ten noisy men joined with him qmckly, and 

 set themselves in battle array. Fearing some might tate fire on the 

 other side, I desired Mr. Milner to begin the service. After prayers 

 (for he had no sermon with him), great part of the congregation 

 followed us to the Vicarage. They came thither again after evening 

 service, and God made them large amends for their little disappoint- 

 ment in the morning." 



Pasted at the beginning of one of the Parish Registers,' is the 

 following interesting memorandum : — 



"John "Wesley, late Fellow of Lincoln College, in Oxford, ordain'd 

 both Deacon and afterward Priest, by Dr. John Potter, late Archbishop 

 of Canterbury. 



"June 7, 1752." 



"Benjamin Ingham, late of Queen's College, in Oxford, ordained 

 by Dr. John Potter, late Archbishop of Canterbury. 



"Dec. 24 & 25, 1752." 



Mr. Miluer was appointed a King's Preacher on 9 Feb., 1748. 



REV. E. WILKINSON. 



The Eev. Edmimd Wilkinson, who was Vicar of Chipping for the 

 long period of 48 years, was a noteworthy man. He was for some 

 years Parish Constable, as well as Vicar — rather dissimilar offices one 

 would think now-a-days. Many curious tales of his adventui-es, when 

 acting in this capacity, are current. Fishwick says, Mr. Wilkinson 

 was curate at Wliitechapel, and perhaps schoolmaster, from 1814 

 until his appointment to Chipping two years later. 



Mr. Pearson gives the following interesting account of Mr. Wilkin- 

 son : — "As an individual, he is held in the highest respect by his own 

 congregation, as well as by the members of other denominations, 

 but it is in the rank of Pastor that his excellencies are most conspicuous- 

 Assiduous in visiting the bedside of the sick, and prompt to impart 



'Although the registers at Chipping ping, copied the entries in the registers 



date from 1560, there do not appear to from 1590 to 1754, and compiled in 



be any entries of general interest, be- addition, a rather elaborate index, 



yond the bare announcement of births, Needless to say, the task of consulting 



deaths, and marriages. the registers has been greatly facilitated 



One fact deserves mention. In 1844, by means of this eminently useful work 



the Kev. E. Wilkinson, Vicar of Chip- of the late Vicar of Chipping 



