Philadelphia.
[General Arnold died 14th June, 1801, in the sixty-first year of his age. His remains were interred on the 21st at Brompton.]
Replies.
PARISH REGISTERS.—RIGHT OF SEARCH.
In Vol. iv., p. 473. a Query on this subject is inserted, to which, in Vol. v., p. 37., Mr. Chadwick replied.
The question, one of great importance to the genealogist, has recently been the subject of judicial decision, in the case of Steele v. Williams, reported in the 17th volume of the Jurist, p. 464. (the Number for Saturday, 28th May).
At the opening of the argument, the Court of Exchequer decided that the fees, &c. are regulated by the 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 86., "An Act for registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England," which in the 35th section enacts—
"That every rector, vicar, curate, and every registrar, registering officer, and secretary, who shall have the keeping, for the time being, of any register book of births, deaths, or marriages, shall at all reasonable times allow searches to be made of any register book in his keeping, and shall give a copy, certified under his hand, of any entry or entries in the same, on payment of the fee hereinafter mentioned; that is to say, for every search extending over a period not more than one year, the sum of 1s., and 6d. additional for every additional year; and the sum of 2s. 6d. for every single certificate."
Mr. Chadwick seemed to consider this section only applied to "civil registration;" but this view is, I apprehend, now quite untenable.