I'm writing a piece about a 19th local government officer who lived
1837-1916. Before he came into government he was a building labourer but
when he wrote his will in 1870, and whilst still employed as a builder, he
described himself as a "Scripture Reader".
I had imagined that scripture reading would be something he did voluntarily
on Sundays but there seems to be more to it than this as some of the letters
about him at that time (the 1860s), and before he came into local
government, mentioned his excellent work visiting the poor.
So can anyone tell me if a "Scripture Reader" was more than just a voluntary
job in the mid 19th century? He was not a well-educated man. Could it have
been a paid job for a church which entailed parish visits?
Brian Read
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