Beadle

Beadle (connected with the verb bid), properly a summoning officer. There are parish beadles, church beadles, and the beadles of various companies. The first and last of these are employed in various ways, in announcing meetings, summoning persons to attend, carrying messages, etc.; the duties of the church beadle commonly are to assist the churchwardens in seating the congregation, and to preserve order in church.