Custom and Personal Accountability in Eighteenth-Century South Nottinghamshire Church Governance

Based on a systematic analysis of the surviving records for twenty parishes in the Deanery of Bingham, Nottinghamshire, this article argues for the existence of a culture of personal accountability in the running of parish affairs. Based on churchwardens' accounts, it is shown that the form of these is such as to not allow the establishment of balances until the year end and that balances are owed to the wardens in the majority of cases. This is set in the context of debates on the formation of local elites, but the extent of shared practice between such elites is brought into question. Rather, the lack of clear systems of discipline and accountability led to the durability of practices derived from local custom. The implications for a broader 'culture of organisation' are drawn by a comparison with alternative practices, such as those obtaining in Scotland at a similar period, and suggestions are made for further work.