Parochial Meetings
Vestry Meetings - St Leonards
At the Easter vestry (March 28), after passing a highway-rate at 3d., Richard Gausden and John Peerless were elected overseers; Wm. Payn, sen., assistant overseer at £12; Jos. Yarrol and John Carey, inbounds assessors; Wm. Draper and Chas. Farncomb, outbounds assessors; Wm. Draper and Jas. Mann, surveyors of highways; & John Phillips, vestry clerk. At a meeting on the 9th of May, a poor-rate at 4d. was figured for the Borough part only, and at a meeting on Nov. 14th a poor rate at 5d. for the borough part and one at 3d for the county part, were agreed on by a quorum of three.
Vestry Meetings - St. Mary Magdalen
At the Easter vestry (March 27th), with W. M. Eldridge in the chair, and more than 20 other parishioners present, Thos. Burgess and Richard Farmer Davis were elected overseers; Jos. Yarrol and John Carey, assessors, and Wm. Pain Beecham, vestry clerk. At a meeting on the 16th of May, with S. Putland presiding, and about half a dozen others present, a poor-rate at 4d. was passed, and the Assistant overseer instructed to collect all papers relating to the business of the parish from the persons then holding them. At a third meeting, on Sept. 5th, a poor-rate at 6d. was agreed to.
Vestries and the Burial Board
The following letter by the Rev. John Stent, dated Feb 19th, 1856, was published in the Hastings and St. Leonards News:-
On looking again into the Acts of Parliament, I find, first - that the Burial Board have nothing whatever to do with the fees for buying, either for the Church or the Dissenting clergyman. As to the latter, I am right in what I said in my last. As to the former, the Laws place the clergyman and the other officers in the consecrated ground exactly where they were in the parish burial ground. He cannot, nor can the Board, alter, either to diminish or increase the fees. Any change that may be wished for, can only be made by a majority of a majority of(sic) the vestry of the parish and with the consent of the Bishop. The utmost which laws allow is, that the clerk to the Board may take the fees which have been otherwise determined on in behalf of the officiating clergyman, Dissenting and Church, when he takes the fee for the grave, &c., charged by the Board. If, however, the vestry should determine that instead of a graduating scale of fees, there shall be one fixed fee for burials, then the consent of the Bishop having been obtained - the law enacts that that fee shall be levied by the Board and paid to the clergyman. It follows, second, that the Board cannot engage a chaplain under any circumstances whatever. The law distinctly provides for the contingency, by enacting that the incumbent may agree to engage a chaplain. If there be not unanimity, then the Bishop is to confirm the decision of the majority. If the votes are equally divided, then the Bishop gives a casting vote, and his decision is final. Some of your reader may be glad to consult the Acts. There are three of them, which may be had for 10d. and a digest of the whole may be had for 6d. from No. 2 Serjeants(sic) Inn, Fleet street, under the title of the New Burial Acts
— John Stent
