THE CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW, PLYMOUTH. 239 
It is interesting to find Walker’s story of William Hobbs, the 
clerk of St. Andrew’s, confirmed. He was frightened to death 
while burying a corpse in the yard, the Puritans threatening to 
throw him into the grave if he came there again with his mass-book, 
that is, the book of common prayer. In the earliest book we find 
him clerk, receiving £7 per annum, in addition to burial and other 
fees, and £2 10s. for keeping the burial account, and 10s. for 
keeping the register. He died in 1643; and the balance of his 
salary was paid to his widow. His successor, Henry Champlyn, 
who was appointed to keep the register by the mayor in 1653, 
appears to have been the clerk until 1683, and was, I believe, 
succeeded by his son, who was clerk until 1716, ay two thus 
holding the office for about 73 years. 
Before leaving the accounts, let me refer to some entries worth 
notice, and first as to the same subject of clerks. 
In 1635, when the churchwardens’ accounts begin, we find 
entered certain sums received every year from persons who are 
named and described as collectors for each of the then wards, 
four in number, as well as collectors for Stonehouse and Weston 
Pendrell (otherwise Peverell), and Compton Gifford. These moneys 
are called clerk’s wages and quarter pence, and amount generally 
to about £20 per annum. They were regularly received down to 
Easter, 1642, when, although the wording of the entries is con- 
tinued annually to 1648, the churchwardens seem to have been 
unable to obtain payment, and no figures are carried out; and in 
1648 all reference whatever to them ceases. 
Now these entries at first puzzled me very much; but, thanks 
to the Rey. Mackenzie Walcott, who put me on the track, I have 
ascertained their meaning. 
“ Parish clerks were formerly men of letters, and it was a part 
of their work, by the Constitutions of the Bishop of Coventry, 
1237, to teach a school in the parish. They were also, in order to 
increase their emoluments—always small—to have conferred upon 
them the office of water-bearer (aquce-bajalus) ; t.e. an assistant 
to the minister in carrying the holy water. They were sometimes 
elected by the parishioners (as was, I think, the case in Plymouth), 
upon whose alms they were supposed to live.”* Although clerks 
were always supposed to be supported by voluntary contributions, 
* Kennett, “Par, Ant.,” vol. ii. 
