The notes on the various clergy men over the years use a number of different titles for members of the Anglican clergy. In theory each of these has a subtly different meaning although, in practice, sometimes the terminology used seems to be more due to fashion of the time that technical correctness.

 

However it is worth knowing what the various different titles actually mean.

 

Cleric – is a general term meaning a person whose profession is a member of the clergy – it can be used across most religions.

 

Curate and perpetual curate. A curate was a member of the clergy who acted as assistant to a rector or vicar especially, as in the case of Denton parish, where the rector lived elsewhere.  The curate performed the full range of functions that his senior cleric would have undertaken.

 

A perpetual curate was a priest who received no tithes, just a salary from the diocese. The term was often used where a larger parish was divided and a new living created for an additional clergyman.

 

Father – is not so much a definition of a particular member of the clergy but rather an alternative term of address for a priest or vicar etc.

 

Minister – another general term for someone authorised by the church to carry out services and other ecclesiastical functions.

 

Parson –was a term used as an alternative to perpetual curate irrespective of whether they had achieved the higher status of rector or vicar. It differentiated them from the ordinary or ‘assistant curate’

 

Priest - has a similar meaning to cleric – someone authorised to perform religious rites.

 

Rector – has a number of different definitions but in the context of Church of England clergy he or she is a parish priest who historically received both the greater and lesser tithes of the parish.

 

Tithes were typically a tax of one-tenth of the year’s product of land and labour of the parish. They were divided between the ‘greater’ (rectorial) tithes and the lesser (vicarial) tithes. The greater tithe was based on yield from grain, hay ,timber and stock of the parish whilst the lesser tithes were based on what was produced by minor labour and cottage gardens etc. It was said greater tithes were the product of the plough and lesser tithes the product of the spade.

 

A rector, in return for receiving both the greater and lesser tithes, had his responsibility extended to paying for maintenance of the church chancel – an issue that can occasionally have significant implications on land transactions to this present. The maintenance of the rest of the church building was the responsibility of the parish.

 

Reverend – as with ‘father’ not a definition of a particular type of clergyman but rather a common method of address for a range of cleric. Often used with father and prefixed by ‘The’ e.g. The Rev Fr. John Smith.

 

Venerable – the correct term of address for an Archdeacon. He was a senior cleric in charge of an archdeaconry –the main sub-division of a diocese (which was headed by a bishop).

 

Vicar – a member of the clergy similar to a rector but who was only entitled to the lesser tithes.