Origins of The Title
The job title Clerk of Works is believed to derive from the thirteenth century when Monks and Priests (i.e., "clerics" or "clerks") were accepted as being more literate than the builders of the age and took on the responsibility of supervising the works associated with the erection of churches and other religious property. As craftsmen and masons became more educated they in turn took on the role, but the title did not change. By the nineteenth century the role had expanded to cover the majority of building works, and the Clerk of Works was drawn from experienced tradesmen who had wide knowledge and understanding of the building process.
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