that a person, once ordained, would remain a member of the clergy, able to perform the sacraments, whether or not they had a parish? Jane Austen's father, who had been retired for some years before his death, is still described on his tombstone as the Revd. George Austen. Edmund could resign his living and not practice as a clergyman, which may be what Mary means, but I am not sure if there was any honourable way he could be unordained, if there is such a word. He could be defrocked, but that was something done to clergymen whose behaviour was extremely bad and hardly likely ever to apply to Edmund.