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Church-wardens. For full four hundred years Churchwardens
have borne important part in the application of
the principle of local self-government. Though primarily
called into office, and more immediately concerned in the
ecclesiastical affairs of the parish, ancient usage and
statute law have imposed upon them functions in relation
to almost every change and improvement, introduced
since the Reformation, into the machinery for the
government of the civil parish. Ample evidence of
this in respect of Westminster may have been gleaned
from the minutes of the Vestry, and from the selections
from the Statutes so far as already reproduced. Custom
from time immemorial has recognised a day of election
of these officers peculiar to Westminster, where in
the two civil parishes, as well as in the ecclesiastical
districts, the appointments are made on the Thursday
preceding Whit-Sunday, as distinct from the general
practice of holding such elections in Easter week. From
the ancient accounts, as well as from the "Roll of Fame"
in the Vestry Room of St. Margaret's Church, the names of
these worthies from 1458 may be learnt, and many of the benefactors
of the parish recognised. For three hundred years
the Churchwarden's accounts are inscribed on parchment.
Some contain inventories of the church goods, chattels,
ornaments, and effects; others (1594-1618) are remarkable
as having artistic initial letters incorporating the arms of
the Brown-Bakers', White-Bakers', Brewers', Vintners',
Grocers', Butchers', Haberdashers' and Upholsterers' Companies,
with which one or other of the Churchwardens
for the year had been associated. Members of Parliament
for the Borough, Justices of the Peace, Members of
the Royal Household, Chief Burgesses, and others filling
prominent local positions in their day and generation are
readily called to mind as the list is unfolded. In 1644 a
practice commenced of promoting the "junior" churchwarden
of the expiring year to the "senior" office for the
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