216 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
decree goes on, ‘‘for as much as it was on all sides confessed that 
the vicar hath now for every corpse buried in the church Is. 4d., 
and the clerk 8d., and for every corpse buried in the churchyard 
8d., and the clerk 4d., and for that it is alleged that the rates lay 
on such as are buried in coffins in the churchyard was by agreement 
of the parishioners, to prevent the great number of burials in coffins, 
which were found to be very inconvenient, and were agreed to be 
employed to the use of the church, their lordships thought fit that 
the s‘ rates shall be settled by the bishop of the diocese for such 
as are buried in coffins, and shall be accordingly continued, but 
to be received by the churchwardens, who are to be accountable for 
the same, for the repairs and other uses of the church, and that 
the vicar and clerk shall enjoy their several rates for burials as 
aforesaid respectively.” 
From this it is evident that the burial in coffins was a com-’ 
paratively new thing and regarded with disfavour by the church 
officers, who sought to restrain it by putting a higher fee upon such 
burials, which fees, or the greater part of them, were immediately 
claimed by the mayor and his brethren for the use of the church. 
The rights of the vicar were preserved by the payment to him of 
apparently the same fee as he would have received for an uncoffined 
corpse. The arrangement seems fair enough, for if the ground 
was occupied for a longer time, and so unusable, the parishioners 
would have to find new ground, as was the case in this parish, and 
the decree of the Star Chamber was just and equitable. 
In the fourth volume of the registers is a note, that at the end 
are registered several French children and others not baptized 
according to the usage of the Church of England. | 
In 1687 is an entry, that Joseph Flin the child of James Flin 
of Ireland was baptized in the King’s Catholick Chappell in the 
Citadel of Plym® by Xto Turner Cath. priest and his Ma*** Chaplin 
there. Aug: 10 1687. 
In the same volume is also the decree of the Star Chamber 
before referred to. This must have been considered of great im- 
portance, for not only is it set out in full here, but also at the 
beginning of the first volume of the churchwardens’ accounts. 
“Thomas Brockedon” puts his name in the first page of the first 
volume, adding the words, “ His writtinge Anno Domini 1604,” 
and his successor, not to be outdone, follows with, “ March 25 day 
come? I to Plymouth—Philip Cory.” 
