Ordination set a mediaeval clerk apart from his contemporaries. As a ‘literate’ youth he was tonsured by the bishop and might thereafter in time proceed to the order of acolyte. He might after that move swiftly to the first of the higher, or ‘holy’, orders, the subdiaconate, or delay for a few years before taking this step. Alternatively, he might not progress to holy orders but prefer to remain free to marry and pursue a non-ecclesiastical career. Once ordained subdeacon, he would probably progress within a year or two to diaconate and priesthood. Although a few subdeacons' and deacons' posts existed in cathedral, collegiate and some other churches, there was usually little benefit in suffering the restrictions imposed by a clerical lifestyle without enjoying the spiritual and pecuniary benefits of being able to celebrate Mass. No doubt a few subdeacons and deacons died or suffered serious disability or for some other reason failed to proceed to the priesthood.

Ordinands who gathered at the embertides to be examined and, unless rejected, to be ordained subdeacon, deacon or priest fall into three categories: members of religious orders; secular clerks who had already obtained a rectory or other bene-fice before committing themselves to the higher orders; and unbeneficed secular clerks. In some ordination lists they appear under separate headings, ‘religiosi’, ‘beneficiati’, and ‘non beneficiati’, and in many other lists ordinands are in practice grouped in this way.