button to main menu  Gents Mag 1812 part 2 p.235
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Gentleman's Magazine 1812 part 2 p.235
Church.' (Degge's Parson's Counsellor P.1 c.12.) But, however true this may have been at the time when Parishes were originally formed, in the present sense of the word Parish, it is obviously fallacious, inasmuch as almost every Chapel of Ease would thereby constitute a separate Parish: and, in the various degrees of the dependence of Chapels on their Mother Churches, (as some rule must be adhered to) it has been deemed safe to assume, that where the Curate is appointed and removable by the Incumbent of the Mother Church, and more certainly where Church-Rates still continue to be paid towards the repair of such Church, the chaperly is not parochial. On the other hand, a perpetual curacy has not been struck out of the list of Parishes, merely because the Curate is appointed by the Incumbent of the Mother Church, his permanent nature (especially if the curacy has been augmented under tha laws which direct the distribution of Queen Anne's Bounty *) seeming to alter the case materially. But this attempt at definitionis rather meant to show what has been aimed at, than what has been accomplished; it being impossible to ascertain minutely all such circumstances for the present occasion. Nevertheless, the doubtful cases are not many; and, for any general purpose, the number of Parishes and Parochial Chapelries in England and Wales may safely be taken at 10,674.
'The number of places in England and Wales, of which the Population is distinctly stated in the present Abstract, is 15,741.
'The number of Parishes in Scotland is 921; of Population Returns is 1,005.
'To arrive at a settled orthography of the names of places would manifestly be for general convenience, but is not easily attainable. On the present occasion this object has not been slighted; the name which appears on each Return not having been adopted without collation with the former Population Abstract of 1801, and also with that of the Poor Returns of 1803, whereby frequent errors have been corrected: but it is to be understood that this kind of correction has been applied only to the Ennumeration Returns, not to those of the Clergymen; so that, in the Parish Register Abstract, every name will be found exactly as it appeared to be spelled in the original Return.
'Besides Parishes and their Tythings or Townships, there are many places not contained within the limits of any Parish, and thence called Extra-Parochial; and from some of these, Returns of their Poopulation are not easily procurable. They are found usually to have been the site of religious houses or of antient castles, the owners of which did not permit any interference with their authority within their own limits; and in rude times, the existence of such exemptions from the general Government of the Kingdom is not surprising. At present the case is widely different; and there seems to be no good reason for permitting the Extra-Parochial places still to avoid sharing the burdens borne by the rest of the community. Thus an Extra-Parochial place enjoys a virtual exemption from maintaining the Poor, because there is no Overseer on whom a Magistrate's order may be served; from the Militia laws, because there is no Constable to make Returns; from repairing the Highways, because there is no Surveyor: besides all which, the inhabitants have a chance of excaping from direct taxation of every kind.
'The number of such places is not inconsiderable, though difficult to be discovered; the present Volume exhibits about 200 of them; and the subject is the more worthy of attention, inasmuch as the acquisition of new land, whether by reclaiming forests, drainage of fens, or embankment from the sea, furnishes frequent occasion for endeavouring even now to establish Extra-Parochial Immunities.
'The subject of complaint being an unreasonable exemption from certain general laws, the remedy might be applied to that defect only; so that all such places, where any person is found ready to act as Overseer of the Poor, Constable, and Surveyor of the HIghways, might be permitted to remain as they are; but the Magistrates of each
County
* 'The Ct of 1 Geo. I. c.0. $ 4, is not positive on this point; for, after declaring 'that all such Churches, Curacies, and Chapels, which shall be augmmented by the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne, shall be from the time of such augmentations, Perpetual Cures and Benefices,' - in the next section ($ 5.) it goes on to provide, 'That no Rector or Vicar of the Mother Church, having Cure of Souls, within the Parish or Place where such an augmented Church or Chapel shall be situate, shall therby be divested or discharged from the same; but the Cure of Souls, with all other Parochial Rights and Duties, shall hereafter remain in the same state, plight, and manner, as before the making of this Act, and as if this Act had not been made'.'
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