Constable, Overseer, Churchwarden, Surveyor

[rla10]

Could anyone explain to me these roles: Constable, Overseer, Churchwarden, Surveyor

My ancestors have been all four in the 17th Century, and whilst I know the basics, does anyone know the details?

[jim1]

Constable = Parish Constable,at a time when the Diocese was allowed to make some of it's own laws enforced by the PC.
A common duty was managing the pinfold,a pound where stray animals were kept,the Parish constable would levy a fine against the owner which was paid into the Parish coffers.
Overseer=foreman,someone in charge of others,a term commonly used in cotton weaving.
Church Warden=someone who assisted the Rector often signing as witness at marriages,generally looked after the upkeep of the Church.
Surveyor speaks for itself.Common industries,canals & railways but also housing,factories etc.

jim

[stanmapstone]

Could anyone explain to me these roles: Constable, Overseer, Churchwarden, Surveyor

My ancestors have been all four in the 17th Century, and whilst I know the basics, does anyone know the details?

These are all Parish Officers.


Overseers;   Officials of a parish, between two and four in number, appointed by the Vestry. The duties of this unpaid post, first established in 1572, were primarily financial - to supervise the collection and distribution of the poor rate. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/glossary/
Surveyor of the Highways; A parish officer established by the Highways Act 1555. He was unpaid and appointed from among the parishioners. The officer was obliged to survey the highways three times a year and organise the statute labour that was provided by landholders to repair the roads. (The Local Historian's Encyclopedia) 
Stan

[stanmapstone]

A Churchwarden held a venerable office, with an extraordinary range of parochial responsibilities, and considerable authority, which had emerged into legal recognition by the thirteenth century. The usual arrangement was for two wardens, and sometimes four in large parishes. They were appointed annually at the Easter Vestry meeting, by the congregation and the incumbent; but in practice the incumbent frequently chose one (the vicar's warden) and the congregation the other (the people's warden). The qualifying age was twenty-one, and they had to reside in the parish. They were officers of the parish, but also had a role as officers of the bishop, as they had to report to the bishop at his annual visitation. They were guardians of the parochial morals and trustees of the Church's goods. There would be one to represent each of the townships, vills or manors in the parish, although the authority of any one of the wardens would extend over the entire parish-unlike the constable who had authority only in his own manor.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

The duties of Churchwardens were many and varied, some were specific to a particular period in history:
•   Management of the parish property and income. (Churchwarden’s Accounts).
•   Collection of rents.
•   Representation of the views of parishioners in parochial matters.
•   Upkeep of the church fabric.
•   Providing the facilities and allocating pews for worship. (Pew Rents)
•   Encouraging church attendance and the baptism of children.
•   Attending the archdeacons’ court.
•   Accounting for the expenditure of the church rate.
•   Helping to keep the parish register.
•   Reporting, if necessary, on any failing of duty by the incumbent.
•   Supervising the education and relief of the poor and orphans, the sick and the needy.
•   Arranging for the burial of unknown strangers and the baptism of foundlings.
•   Caring for the parish arms and paying the soldiers.
•   Removal of vagrants from the parish and the extinction of vermin.
•   The bringing of formal charges or accusations against offenders of ecclesiastical law.
•   Highway maintenance.
•   Organisation of community festivities.
•   Rigorous in upholding standards of behaviour and morality.
•   Prevention of the entry of any person to the church other than those assisting in the service.

Until 1868 the churchwardens were allowed to levy a rate on all parishioners, regardless of whether or not they attended the C of E, as in addition to their church responsibilities, they also gave relief to the itinerant poor.
Stan

[stanmapstone]

I'll send you a PM with the full entry for Constable from "The Companion to the English Parish Church" by Stephen Friar.

Stan

[rla10]

Thanks, Stan! That's very helpful.

[stanmapstone]

The parish constable was originally an officer appointed by a (manorial) court Leet with responsibility for a wide range of duties, which varied over the centuries. As parochial authority grew and that of the manor diminished, the Vestry assumed many of the duties previously associated with the constable, indeed, for a period, it was not unknown for both bodies to appoint constables within the same parish. Although most parishes elected petty constables, it was not until 1842 that such parochial responsibilities were legally conferred on vestries, subject to the approval of the justices.   
There were two types of vestry, an 'Open' Vestry, a general meeting of all the rate paying householders in a parish, and a 'Select' Vestry comprised of a smaller number of members who were usually required to own property in order to qualify for co-option.

Stan

[newburychap]

There are (or were) a number of editions of the Compleat Parish Officer available online - which set out all the legal responsibilites and duties of the main parish officers, how to elect them and the qualifications required.  The earliest I have is from 1718 - as the years pass the book gets bigger and bigger.

It covers:
1 Constables (High & Petty), Headboroughs and Tithingmen
2 Churchwardens
3 Overseers of the Poor
4 Surveyors of the Highway and Scavengers