Sheer Thursday or Maundy Thursday was a special day for cleansing the altars and font, which was done by a priest; but the clerk was required to provide a birch broom and also a barrel in order that water might be placed in it for this purpose.  On Easter Eve and the eve of Whit-Sunday the ceremony of cleaning the altar and font was repeated.  Flagellation was not obsolete as a penance, and the clerk was expected to find three discipline rods.

In mediaeval times it was a common practice for rich men to leave money or property to a church with the condition that Masses should be said for the repose of their souls on certain days.  The first Latin word of a verse in the funeral psalm was dirige ("direct my steps,” etc.), and this verse was used as an antiphon to those psalms in the old English service for the dead.  Hence the service was called a dirige, and we find mention of “Master Meynley’s dirige,” or as it is spelt often “derege,” the origin of the word “dirge.”  Those who attended were often regaled with refreshments—­bread and ale—­and the clerk’s duty was to serve them with these things.

We have already referred to his obligations as regards his bearing of holy water to the parishioners, a duty which brought him into close relationship with them.  Another custom which has long since passed away was that of blessing a loaf of bread by the priest, and distributing portions of it to the parishioners.  Sometimes this distribution took place in church, as at Coventry, where one of the clerks, having seen the loaf duly cut, gave portions of it to the assembled worshippers in the south aisle, and the other clerk performed a like duty in the north aisle.  The clerk received some small fee for this service, usually a halfpenny.  Berkshire has several evidences of the existence of the holy loaf.

In the accounts of St. Lawrence’s Church, Reading, in 1551, occurs the following notice: 

“At this day it was concluded and agreed that from henceforth every inhabitant of the parish shall bear and pay every Sunday in the year 5 d. for every tenement as of old time the Holy Loaf was used to be paid and be received by the parish clerk weekly, the said clerk to have every Sunday for his pains 1 d.  And 4 d. residue to be paid and delivered every Sunday to the churchwardens to be employed for bread and wine for the communion.  And if any overplus thereof shall be of such money so received, to be to the use of the church; and if any shall lack, to be borne and paid by the said churchwardens:  provided always, that all such persons as are poor and not able to pay the whole, be to have aid of such others as shall be thought good by the discretion of the churchwardens.”

With the advent of Queen Mary the old custom was reverted to, as the following item for the year 1555 plainly shows: 

“Rec. of money gathered for the holy lofe ix s. iiij d.”

At St. Mary’s Church there is a constant allusion to this practice from the year 1566-7 to 1617-18, after which date the payment for the “holilofe” seems to have been merged in the charge for seats.  In 1567-8 the following resolution was passed: