The Overseers of any parish may, with the consent of the Vestry, provide proper depositories of all the documents, books, and papers belonging to such parish, for which no provision is otherwise made by law, and charge the cost thereof on the poor rate.

52 Geo. III, cap. 146, sec. 5.

And be it further enacted that the . . . register books . . . shall be kept by and remain in the power and custody of the Rector, Curate, or other officiating Minister of each respective parish or chapelry as aforesaid, and shall be by him safely and securely kept in a dry, well painted iron chest, to be provided and repaired, as occasion may require, at the expense of the parish or chapelry, and which said chest, containing the said books, shall be constantly kept locked in some dry, safe, and secure place within the usual place of residence of such Rector, Vicar, Curate, or other officiating minister, if resident within the parish or chapelry, or in the parish church or chapel; and the said books shall not, nor shall any of them, be taken or removed from or out of the said chest, at any time or for any cause whatever, except for the purpose of making such entries therein as aforesaid, or for the inspection of persons desirous to make search therein, or to obtain copies from or out of the same, or to be produced as evidence in some court of law or equity, or to be inspected as to the state and condition thereof, or for some other purposes of this Act; and that immediately after making such inspection, entries, or producing the said books respectively for the purposes aforesaid, the said books shall forthwith again be safely and securely deposited in the said chest.