Churchwardens

Churchwardens are laymen who have charge of the temporal concerns of a parish church, except with regard to the chancel, which is in the jurisdiction of the incumbent. They are generally two in number, and are appointed by incumbent and people, or, often, to avoid dispute one is appointed by the incumbent and the other by the people. The churchwardens act conjointly, not singly, and are responsible to the bishop for the condition of the fabric and for the decent celebration, on the part of the congregation, of public worship. There is sometimes friction between the incumbent and the churchwardens, owing to the exact limitations of their respective rights and duties being somewhat undefined. The word churchwarden is also used to denote a long clay pipe, and it also has a local signification of cormorant.