Parish Chaplain

Parish Chaplain is an assistant stipendiary, temporary or permanent; the mediaeval curate, whose pay was six marks a year in 1347. In 1362 they had become scarce, preference being given by unbeneficed clergy to the office of mass priests, who celebrated annals only, without cure of souls. Very stringent regulations were then made in order to secure curates, while the pay of the others was not to exceed five marks a year.