Avington Rectory, Hungerford.
_Female Parish Clerk_ (Vol. viii., p. 338.).--The sexton of my parish, John
Poffley, a man worthy of a place in Wordsworth's _Excursion_, was telling
me but a few days ago, that his mother was the parish clerk for twenty-six
years, and that he well remembers his astonishment as a boy, whenever {432}
he happened to attend a neighbouring church service, to see a man acting in
that capacity, and saying the responses for the people.