"Anyway, "benefit of clergy" did not refer to shriving before death."

Oh dear, I must be more precise in my phraseology. I was using shorthand for saying that, as vagrants, 'masterless men' did not belong to a parish and, therefore, did not attend church services or receive the sacraments. Of course, they could still be whipped and branded if found begging in a parish to which they did not belong. A more detailed account can be found in Christopher Hill's excellent book 'Liberty Against the Law'.