sexton:
(plural: ‘sextons‘; for the right pronunciation of this word, please click here)
a sexton overseeing a grave digging
a person/an officer/an employee of a church whose duties include taking care of the church building and its grounds, and often, ringing church bells and digging graves;
a church caretaker; a sacristan,
a sexton at the entrance of his church
As a sexton, Old Tom knows the lie of the church grounds and church building plan and the number of graves there are in the church grave yard.
In the past, sextons were the members of the parish they belong and knew the others by their first and family names; these days, however, sextons are appointed by the regional office of the Church and sextons are just like some employees in offices, without any personal touch with the parish.
As with every other person sextons are also susceptible to all sorts of lures and often found themselves in trouble for stealing a valuable things from the church or for other petty crimes.
