rauder, and safe from fire
so far as a dignified, not over-paid, and I daresay sometimes not very
wide-a-wake individual could make them so!

Royston was probably the only place in this district which employed a
beadle, bellman or watchman, as a permanent official. The first
account of such an appointment, that I can find from existing
documents, is for the year 1783. This year there was a special
arrangement made of a temporary kind to meet an emergency, or to
relieve the old Bellman. At any rate, in August of that year, it was
agreed in public Vestry to appoint an assistant watchman for six months
at eight shillings a week (no mention in his case of coat and hat,
&c.), to attend at the same hours as the old Bellman (Spicer), who was
then receiving nine shillings a week, besides outfit. The wages were
then paid partly out of "subscriptions of the gentry and partly from
the Church rate." Spicer, the "Old Bellman," as he was called, in
contradistinction to his assistant, continued to hold office after this
for about fourteen years, and then, after an evidently long period of
service, resigned the office through some little delinquency, and we
find the Vestry engaged in the important business of appointing a new
Beadle, Bellman or Watchman, the record of which will afford us a good
opportunity of learning something of what the duties of the office
were. The Beadle combined in his office a number of duties, including
one which he must have felt a little _infra dig_--I mean the office of
scavenger! The following is the record referred to:--

"At a Publick Vestry held at the Parish Church of Royston, the 24th day
of April, 1787, pursuant to public notice given in Church yesterday,
for the purpose of choosing a proper man to serve the office of Bellman
and Scavenger for this Town in place of William Spicer, who {54}
resigned his place at Church on Easter Monday." [The Easter Vestry had
had under their consideration complaints of Spicer's conduct, and there
was a full meeting now assembled.]

"It is Agreed upon _nem. con._ that the Place and Business of a Bellman
and Scavenger is to go about the Town in the Night as Bellman, from
Lady Day to Michaelmas Day from the Hours of Eleven o'clock at Night
until four o'clock in the Morning, and from Michaelmas Day to Lady Day
from the Hours of Eleven o'clock at Night until five o'clock in the
Morning, and to ring his Bell every time he calls the Hour, and to do
his Utmost en