From "An Incomplete Education," a tongue-in-cheek but well researched guide to everything, by Judy Jones and William Wilson. Among other things, it contains lists of titles, money, food, drink, carriages, and topography to help people navigate 19th-century English novels.

"Rector - The head clergyman of a county parish, who had rights to the parish land and owned its tithes. He held his post for life and could pass it on to his sons. In the 18th c. most rectors were the children of farmers and tradesmen, with no social status to speak of, but by the beginning of the 19th c. enough of them had made a killing in local agriculture to turn the clergy into a fit calling for the younger sons of gentry. As a result, the 19th-c. rector was usually an educated gentleman who, in theory, was the social equal of the local squire, with whom he was expected to play cards and go grouse hunting. He functioned as if he were a landowner and often devoted most of his time to raising crops more profitably while his underpaid assistants ran the church. In reality, however, most rectors had neither the independent income nor the knack for turning a profit from parish lands necessary to keep up a gentleman's lifestyle. They were often dependent on upper-class patrons who treated them like poor relations. The classic example of this type of rector is, once again, Mr. Collins."

"Vicar - A sort of free-lance parson who stands in for a dead or absent rector or who heads a parish in which the tithes belong to someone else (e.g., the local squire). The vicar lived in a vicarage instead of a rectory, collected an allowance or salary in lieu of tithes, had no control over the land, and was only a transient (which is to say, he hadn't been established in the neighborhood for generations). In terms of education and breeding, however, he was the equal of a rector and, if he had a big enough independent income, could one-up him. After tithes were abolished in England in 1936, the terms rector and vicar became synonymous.

"Parson - A very general term...for the head of a parish - i.e., a rector or a vicar - or for any Protestant minister below the rank of bishop who has enough authority to conduct services.

"Curate - Assistant to the rector or vicar, who usually did most of the tedious work of the parish. Members of the "inferior clergy," curates were known for being poor, insecure, and a little uncouth; in your novel, the curate will probably have a large brood of ragged children for whom the gentle heroine is constantly making up baskets of provisions.

"Beadle - A minor parish officer who ushers people in and out of Sunday services, delivers messages for the parson, and generally keeps the parishioners, especially the small boys, in line. In short, a sort of church constable.

"Sexton - A dignified janitor who takes care of church property, rings the church bells, and digs the graves."