Paul, I'd included the point mainly for the benefit of those who may not yet have appreciated the difference between the two sorts of Parish. *I* was around 30 before that particular penny had dropped - when I queried why the *church* was wanting to put street lights in our lane :-) All the best, as usual! Gus ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Prescott" <paul@toranean.demon.co.uk> To: "Gus Tysoe" <gustysoe@tiscali.co.uk>; <warwick@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 12:01 PM Subject: Re: Local Government Gus: I knew, of course, that you knew this. And I don't, at all, query your conclusions. I was just - a little mischievously, I confess - criticising the logic that because a place was an ecclesiastical and not a civil parish it was therefore not part of government ;-). Regards - as ever Paul Prescott ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gus Tysoe" <gustysoe@tiscali.co.uk> To: "Paul Prescott" <paul@toranean.demon.co.uk>; <warwick@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 12:04 PM Subject: Re: Local Government > Hi Paul, > > I fully agree with all you say - as a General Point - BUT... > > These two - specific - Ecclesiastical Parishes were created after 1900, by > which time Church and State had become widely, if not totally, separated > for > administrative purposes at Parish level. 1911 was the last Census where > any > attention was paid to Ecclesiastical Parishes in the Census Reports - and > then only by way of note. > > Of course they were of importance to the Church of England's > Administration - but not of any real significance to National or Local > Government. > > Gus > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Prescott" <paul@toranean.demon.co.uk> > To: "Gus Tysoe" <gustysoe@tiscali.co.uk>; <warwick@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 11:42 AM > Subject: Local Government > > > Gus: > >> Neither were (ever) Civil Parishes, and for that >> reason have no Official ["Government"] status or existence. > > There was, of course, "Government" long before the comparatively recent > creation of civil parishes. Cities, towns and boroughs have long had > their > own local government. Outside these, local government was the province of > the manor and of the ecclesiastical parish. For centuries there was > little > distinction between church and state anyway! > > Best wishes > > Paul Prescott > > > >