† churchwardn.1
Obsolete.
A custodian of a church; (in later use) = churchwarden n. 1a. Cf. kirkward n.2In the Anglo-Saxon period usually in holy orders. Cf. sacrist n. 1.In quot. 1871 rendering late Old English cyrceweard in Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud).
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > church government > member of the clergy > person in minor orders > ostiary > [noun]
churchwardOE
ostiariusOE
ostiary?a1475
ostiar1588
society > faith > church government > laity > lay functionaries > church-warden > [noun]
reeveeOE
kirkmaster1429
church reeve1433
warden1439
kirkreeve1442
churchwarden1443
churchman1457
churchmaster1484
churchward1496
kirkwarden1500
herenach1607
chapelwarden1688
kirkward1883
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxx. 437 Ða eode se biscop into þære oþere cyrcan..& befran þone cyrcweard hwær þæs halgan wæpnu wæron.
OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.i) anno 1044 Æþelstan cyricwyrd [lOE Laud cyriceweard] feng to þam abbodrice.
lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1131 He scolde setten þær prior of Clunni & circeweard & hordere & reilþein.
1275 in B. Thuresson Middle Eng. Occup. Terms (1950) 180 (MED) Will. le Chirchewart.
1496 in H. T. Ellacombe Church Bells Devon (1872) 464 xxd. yr of to ye chircheward, and iiijd. to ye clerks.
1574 (title) To all Parsons, Vicares, Curates, Schoolemasters, Church Wardes and Sydemen..within the Dioces of Ely.
1646 W. Prynne Canterburies Doome 486 Hee..excommunicated, censured, fined in the High Commission such Ministers and Church-Wards as opposed or refused to obey his Injunctions.
1753 in V. L. H. Davis & A. W. Hogwood Albemarle Parish Vestry Bk., 1742–1786 (2005) 81 Ordered that Jas Chappell Junr on his entering into bond & Security to the Vestry of this Parish to be taken by the Church wards he is appointed Collector.
1811 Trials Rev. Robert Bingham 3 Fifty of us are detarmd to keep our land or have revenge; therefore, pason, churchwards, and farmers, your barns and houses shall burn.
1846 Proc. New Jersey Hist. Soc. (1848) 3 118 The meeting reminded the church wards that they should demand..the usual tax..for the burial of strangers in the church-yard.
1871 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest IV. xx. 458 A prudent Churchward, Yware by name.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
churchwardn.2adv.adj.
/ˈtʃəːtʃwəd/, U.S. /ˈtʃərtʃwərd/ The direction of a church; church (cf. church n.1 1b). Only in prepositional phrases, esp. in to churchward. Obsolete (archaic and rare in later use).
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > sanctuary or holy place > church or place of worship > [adverb] > towards the church
to churchwardc1330
churchward1710
kirkwarda1810
churchwards1824
c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 1317 Þai..comen bi a chircheȝerd And metten a bere to chirche-werd.
c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. v. l. 147 And carieþ him to chircheward his schrift forte telle.
c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. vii. l. 351 Now by-gynneþ gloton for to go to shryfte, And kayres hym to-churche-ward [c1400 Vesp. kirke].
?1451 A. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 34 And on Fryday after sakeryng on come fro cherch warde and schoffe doune all þat was þere-on.
1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 108/1 Comyng doun in to the chyrche ward.
?1557 Deceyte Women sig. J.iiii She dwelleth in the way as ye goe to church warde.
1579 S. Brinkley tr. G. Loarte Exercise Christian Life iv. f. 13v Take heede in the waye to Church ward thou roll not thine eyes vp and downe, gasing here and there, especiallye at thine entrie into the Church.
1619 I. H. House of Correction sig. B1 The Corse to Churchward goes.
1653 J. Carter Tomb-stone 20 A Gentleman once espying him going to the Church-ward on a private day, hid himselfe till my Father was past, and in the Church.
1885 A. C. Swinburne Marino Faliero iv. ii. 108 With chants of penitence to churchward, timed To match the death of darkness.
B. adv.
Towards or in the direction of a church.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > sanctuary or holy place > church or place of worship > [adverb] > towards the church
to churchwardc1330
churchward1710
kirkwarda1810
churchwards1824
1710 New Extemporore-prayer 19 Church-ward they look, but Row another way.
1800 J. Hurdis Favorite Village i. 21 All thy mingled people, well-attired, Church-ward repairing from their scattered homes.
1883 Cent. Mag. Sept. 787/2 Go down into the old Ninth Ward any Sunday, and watch the solid burgesses heading their family processions churchward.
1952 J. B. Cabell Quiet, Please ii. 21 A..brief trudge churchward, in their very best apparel, every Sunday morning.
2007 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 30 Nov. 30 At Christmas, all ears turn churchward.
C. adj.
Directed towards a church or towards the Christian faith. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > sanctuary or holy place > church or place of worship > [adjective] > towards
churchward1806
kirkward1829
1806 R. Mant Poems i. 36 Scorn not thou to tread the church-ward road.
1855 E. C. Jones Battle-day 28 They pass, each Sabbath-day, By the spot where he waits on the churchward way.
1893 F. Scrimshaw Dogs & Fleas xxxix. 244 There is a great multitude of beautiful pieces of music that have an upward and churchward tendency.
1921 St. Andrew's Cross Oct. 5/1 The boys are expected to come [to a Church camp] with a Churchward purpose in doing so, as well as for their pleasure and physical advantage.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1OE
n.2adv.adj.c1330