Appendix: Tables of fees | British History Online

The Records of St. Bartholomew's Priory and St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield: Volume 2. Originally published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1921.

'Appendix: Tables of fees', in The Records of St. Bartholomew's Priory and St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield: Volume 2, (Oxford, 1921) pp. 559-562. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/st-barts-records/vol2/pp559-562 [accessed 20 April 2024]

SECTION 5

TABLE OF FEES, 1635

From the Chartae Miscellaneae, Lambeth Palace Library, vol. vii, p. 75 of Index.

A table conteyning the duties which are to be payde to the Parson Churchwardens clarke sexton searchers and Bearers of the Parish church of St. Bartholomew the Greate for Buryalls weddings churchings searchings & bearing.

For a Buryall in the Quire.



Imprimis to the parson for breaking of the ground and for couyring of the same.			xxxvis.	viiid.
To the parson for his fee for Buryall.			vs.
To the Clarke for his fee.			iis.	vid.
To the Sexton for making the grave.			iis.	vid.
To the Sexton for knowling the great belle by the houre.				vid.
To the Sexton for knowling of any other of the bells by the houre.				iiiid.
To the Churchwardens for the fornoone or afternoones Knell with the greate belle.			iiis.	ivd.
To the Churchwardens for the hearseclothe whether the same be used or not.			iis.
To the Churchwardens for peales wth alle the bells.			vs.
Sm. xlviis. xd.
Itm. to the sayed officers for a stranger in the Quire all the duties aforesayd dubled.		iiiili.	xvs.	viiid.
For a Buryall in the body of the Church with a coffin.
To the Churchwardens for breaking of the ground in the middle Isle of the church.			xxs.
To the Churchwardens for breakinge of the grounde in the Back Ilese.			xiiis.	ivd.
To the Parson for his fee.			iis.	vid.
To the Clarke for his fee.				xviiid.
To the Sexton for making the grave.			iis.
To the Sexton for knowling the greate bell by the hower.				vid.
To the Sexton for knowling of any other of the bells by the hower.				iiiid.
To the Churchwardens for the fornoones or afternoons knell with the greate bell.			iiis.	iiiid.
To the Churchwardens for black cloth used or not.			iis.
To the Churchwardens for the peales with all the bells.			vs.
Sm. totus if the ground be broken in the middle Isle.			xxxviis.	iid.
Sm. totus if the ground be broken in the back Isles.			xxxs.	vid.
To the said officers for a stranger buryed in the middle Isle of the church the duties aforesaid dubbled.		iiili.	xiiiis.	iiiid.
For a stranger buryed in the backe Iles the duties aforesaid dubbled.		iiili.		xiid.
For the Buryall of a householder in the Churchyard without a coffin
To the Parson for his fee.			iis.
To the Clarke for his fee.				xiid.
To the Sexton for the grave and knell.				xiid.
To the Sexton for knowling the greate bell by the hower.				vid.
To the Sexton for knowling of any of the other bells by the hower.				iiiid.
To the Churchwardens for the ordinary hearsecloth whether it be used or not.				xiid.
To the Churchwardens for the blackcloth if it be used.			iis.
To the Churchwardens for the forenoon's or afternoon's knell with the greate bell.			iiis.	iiiid.
To the Churchwardens for the peales with all the bells if he have them.			vs.
Sm. xvis. iid.
Itm. to the sayd officers for the buryall of a stranger in the Churchyard without a coffin all the duties last before-seyd dubbled amount thereunto.			xxxiis.	iiiid.
(For the buryall of a householder or child in a coffin within the Churchyarde besides the perticular somes before mentioned.)
To the Parson	vid.	Sm.	iis.	vid.
To the Clarke	iiiid.
To the Sexton	iid.
To the Churchwardens.	xviiid.
To the same officers for the buryall of a stranger in a coffin in the church or churchyarde besides the particular somes before mentioned al the sayd last rehearsed forms dubled.			vs.
For the buryall of a servante being of the parish without a coffin (parson 1s., Clark 6d., sexton for the grave and knell 1s., Sexton for knowling by the hour 4d., total 2s. 10d.)
Buryall of a child being of the parish without a coffin (parson 1s., Clarke 6d., Sexton 8d., Sexton knowling 4d., Total 2s. 6d.)
For weddings by banns:
For the Parson for his fee 2s.	total 3s. 6d.
" Clarke " 1s.
" Sexton " 6d.
For a wedding by Lycence:
Parson 5s., Clark 2s. 6d., Sexton 1s.; total 8s. 6d.
For the Churching of a woman being a parishioner at ordinarie times of prayer:
Parson 1s., Clark 4d., Sexton 2d.
But if any come to be churched upon a day not appointed for prayer, viz., upon Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays being not holy days then to pay double duties.
For the churchying of any at their houses:
Parson 2s. 6d., Clark 1s., Sexton 6d. All doubled for a stranger.
Itm. it is agreed that if the parson be requested to preach at the buryall and perform it he shall have			xs.
Itm. it is agreed if strangers lycenced to preach doe preach at a buryall at the special request of the partie deceased or his executors then the parson for his consent thereto is contented to have only			vis.	viiid.
Itm. it is agreed that oyther of the Searchers shall have for searching of any of the pish wch Dyeth			iiiid.
And for a stranger			viiid.
Itm. every of the fower bearers have for bearing of every parishioner dying			vid.
Itm. every of them are to have for bearing of the body of every stranger			viiid.
Itm. it is agreed that the Sexton when he maketh any grave at the first in the church or churchyard that he maketh it ffull seaven foote deepe and he be vewed by one of the churchwardens.

PARISH CLERKE'S FEES, 1638

Among the Westminster Abbey Muniments (No. 13459) is a certificate, dated 27 February 1637/8, of Ralphe Keble, parish clerk, that he 'neither claimed nor took any other or greater fees than those above mentioned', which is a list of fees similar to those of 1635 excepting that the clerk's fee (and only the clerk's fees are given) had advanced 4d. for burial in the church.

TABLE OF FEES, 1698

In the Vestry Minute Book, i, 249 (28 Apr. 1698) occurs

'It was ordered that ye rate for ffuneralls in ye church and churchyard for the tyme to come be as followeth:



ffor Burying in the churchyard		6s.	8d.
ffor the Green churchyard		13s.	4d.
ffor the midell Ille in ye church	£1	10s.	0d.
ffor the Back Illes and side Illes	£1	0s.	0d.
ffor laying a stone on any grave in any part of the churche	£5	0s.	0d.

And that the new table of fees be observed for ye tyme to come.'

In the Vestry Minute Book, ii, 214 (20 Jan. 1720) occurs

'Ordered that the price of breaking of ye ground for Buriall in ye chancell and Issles be raised.



'Agreed that ye price of Burying for Chancell be	£3	0s.	0d.
in ye middle Isle	£2	0s.	0d.
in ye back Isle	£1	10s.	0d.'

In Bishop of London's Register, Terrick and Lowth, f. 2, is entered in full 'a table containing the rates and duties to be paid to the rector, churchwardens, Clerk, Sexton, Searcher, and Bearers . . . for weddings, Burials, churchings, etc., as agreed to in the vestry Feby. 3rd 1762.'

FEES IN 1823

The following occurs in the Vestry Minute Book, iv, 510 (14 Apr. 1823):

'Charges for Grave Stones altered to £12 in the body of the church, £9 in the aisles, £20 for a brick grave in the church exclusive of ground and stone, £5 for a head and foot stone, in the great churchyard, £8 for a flat stone, £6 for head and foot stone in the Green churchyard, and £10 for a flat stone.'

TABLE OF FEES, 1918



	s.	d.
Publishing Banns	2	0
Marriages	10	0
Marriage certificate	2	6
	14	6