Clerk

In Commercial Law. A person in the employ of a merchant, who attends only to a part of his business, while the merchant himself superintends the whole. He differs from a factor in this, that the latter wholly supplies the place of his principal in respect to the property consigned to him. Pardessus, Droit Comm. n.

38; 1 Chit. Pr. SO.

In Ecclesiastical Law. Any individual who is attached to the ecclesiastical state and has submitted to the tonsure. One who has been ordained.

1 Bla. Com. 3SS.

A clergyman. 4 public or private, for keeping records or accounts. His business is to write or register, in proper form, the transactions of the tribunal or body to which he belongs. Some clerks, however, have little or no writing to do in their offices: as the clerk of the market, whose duties are confined chiefly to superintending the markets. This is a common use of the word at the present day, and is also a very ancient signification, being derived, probably, from the office of the clericus, who attended, amongst other duties, to the provisioning the king's household. See Du Cange. A person serving a practising solicitor under binding articles in England, for tbe purpose of being admitted to practice as a solicitor. See Clerkship. In New England, used to designate a corporation official who performs some of tbe duties of a secretary.