Who is Yorick from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy and what is their importance?

Yorick is the village parson. The villagers often misunderstand him because he is very straight talking and therefore does not conform to a man of the church. In reality, he is a kind-hearted man even to the point where he lends his best horses to his villagers while he makes do with a decrepit, old horse. When he helps the midwife get a license, the villagers no longer have to borrow his horses to ride the seven miles to get the doctor. However, everyone feels the parson has committed a selfish act, thinking he only wants to keep his horses for himself. As his Shakespearean name suggests, he is a witty, but tragic figure. At the end of his life, Yorick dies a lonely man.