The Sun.
London, England, 1827-08-09 00:00:00

tookless, on the performance of whose funeral rites
this unprecedented demand was made, was a res-
pectable inhabitant of the parish of St. Mary's, for
the last 23" years„ and during that period occupied a
house, and was proverbial for the punctuality With
which he discharged all parochial and legal demand:S.
Some time since, his health becoming impaired, by
the advice of his' physicians, he took lodgings at
Upton-place, in Essex. His health became gradually
worse, and some days since he at length expired at
his temporary lodgings. Previously, however, he gave
the most explicit directions to his son, as to what were
his wishes in the event of his death; he mentioned to
-him the name of the undertaker by whom he desired
to be buried—told him that as soon as he ceased
to oreatue, to convey him to his own house in town,.
and desired that he
:should be interred alongside
his wife, in the burial ground of St. Mary's. All his
orders were religiously observed—his body was, re-
moved from Upton-place, and arrived at his own
house on men's shoulders, in a few hours after his
decease, and. Mr: Pugh, the undertaker, made every
arrangement for the funeral, and paid the customary
burial dues, which amounted to 11. Ils. He thought;
all was right, as he had every reason to think, but
on the day on which the interment took place, he
was called on, previous to the funeral arriving, by
Chapman, the clerk, for extra fees, as the deceased,
though 'a parishioner, and at the time of his death
having an establishment in the parish, died out of it.
Mr., Pugh demurred, and on consulting young Mr.
Brdokless, - they determined to resist the demand.
The-consequence was, a summons to the Court of
Requests for 145., the double dues, and ss. for over
time, the body not arriving at the church yard to a
minute. The merits were gone into before the gen-
tlemen we have mentioned, and the nominal plaintiff
was closely examined. In reply to the Commissioners,
he said that he supposed the deceased had an esta-
blishment in Essex; his supposition was not satis-
factory, and, when pressed, he thought he might
have only a room. During his examination, he proved,
though extremely costive, and it was with some ma-
nagement that the Commissioners succeeded in
extracting it from him, that the deceased had been
a parishioner for over 20 years, and that this was
the first attempt ever made to obtain double fees,
because a parishioner expired out of the parish.
Mr. Pugh said, that he refused the payment of this
demand for two reasons—first, because it was the
wish of the friends of the deceased ; and the next,
because he was unwilling to be -the instrument of
furnishing a precedent. . •
The COMMISSIONERS said he did perfectly right.
and unhesitatiugly scouted. the demand as unjust arid
uncalled for.

The Sexton, Wildman, retired quite discomfited,
declaring that the Parson would take it to another
Court. This, however, fortunately, he cannot do,
as the Courts of Request admit of no appeal, and
are more binding in their decisions than Chancery
itself. Had the effect, succeeded, the following
would have been the division of the spoil :—The
Rector, 45.; the Churchwardens, 65.; the Clerk,
Is. 6d.; the Sexton, Is. 10d.; the Grave-digger,
Bd.; and, in addition, the Rector would have had
ss. for over time.

Messrs. Membray and Harris, by their decision on
this occasion, have done a good deal to remove the
accusation of partiality, which generally attaches to
those minor Courts.