Vestry

Vestry (Fr. vestiaire, Lat. vestiarium, 'robing-room' or 'room where vestments were kept;') hence a meeting held in a vestry), in English parishes a meeting of all the ratepayers, assembled on three days' notice, to elect parish-officers—churchwardens, overseers, a vestry-clerk, and, if need be, a collector of rates—to assess church-rates, and to manage the property of the parish. The vestry had also the right to adopt the Free Libraries Act, the Lighting and Watching Act; but most of its powers were taken away by poor-laws, laws as to public health, and especially the Local Government Act of 1894—since which the vestry in rural parishes exists for ecclesiastical purposes only, and in urban parishes its powers may by an order be transferred to the urban district council. The incumbent is chairman of the vestry; the voting is by show of hands, but if a poll is demanded the ratepayer has votes in proportion to his rates. See PARISH, CHURCH-RATES, CHURCHWARDENS, POOR-LAWS.