Churchwarden

An officer whose duty it is to take care of or guard the church. They are taken to be a kind of corporation in favor of the church for some purposes. They may have, in that name, property in goods and chattels, and bring actions for them for the use and benefit of the church, but may not waste the church property, and are liable to be called to account. 3 Steph. Comm. 90; 1 Bl. Comm. 394; Cowell.

An officer whose duty it is to take care of or guard the church. They are taken to be a kind of corporation in favor of the church for some purposes: they may have, in that name, property in goods and chattels, and bring actions for them for the use and benefit These officers are created in some ecclesiastical corporations by the charter, and their rights and duties are definitely explained. In England, it is said, their principal duties are to take care of the church or building, the utensils and furniture, the church-yard, certain matters of good order concerning the church and church-yard, the endowments of in the church; Bacon, Abr. By the common is law, the capacity of church-wardens to hold property for the church is limited to personal property; Terrett v. Taylor, 9 Cra. (U. S.) 43, 3 L. Ed. 650.