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Clerk's Desk

View of clerk's desk from the northwest
The clerk's desk is mounted at the southwest corner of the crossing. Shown here is the large hinged door in the west aisle (H-shaped iron hinges in middle of photograph) which opened into the clerk's area. Just to the right is the panel dividing the pulpit pew from the pew directly behind it.
The clerk's desk occupied the bottom level of the triple-decker pulpit. From here, the clerk, an important member of the parish vestry, led the congregation in the "lining of the psalms" and read community announcements such as laws from the Assembly.

The clerk's desk is mounted at an angle on the curve of the pew paneling adjacent the crossing. As in the reading desk, a sloped, narrow kneeling-board sits below the desk. Also, a small curved seat for the clerk is attached near the bottom of the back panel dividing his space from the minister's reading desk.

A large hinged door on the west aisle provided the clerk entrance to his desk. This door sits directly across from, and is symmetrical to, the door for the large pew at the northwest corner of the crossing. Just inside this door, at the panel dividing the pulpit area from the next pew west of it, lies a small triangle-shaped seat (see pulpit page photograph).

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