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Cancellarii (Chancellors, Lay)

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Cancellarii (CHANCELLORS, LAY),

one of the inferior classes of servants of the ancient Church and clergy. "The precise nature of their duties is doubtful. Bingham supposes them to have had some such office in the Church as those of the same name in the state, and that they acted as guards of the judge's consistory. Others suppose them to have been identical with the fyndici or defensores, whose duty it was to watch over the rights of the Church, to act as superintendents of the copiatce, and to see that all clerks attended the celebration of morning and evening service in the Church." -Bingham, Orig. Ecclesiastes bk. 3, ch. 11, 6; Farrar, Eccl. Dict. s.v.