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First Fruits and

the use of

the poor

Clergy.

revenue of said "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the augmentation of the maintenance of the poor Clergy," hereby constituted, Tenths, to and their successors, all the revenues of First-Fruits and yearly perpetual Tenths of all dignities, offices, benefices and promotions spiritual whatsoever, payable to us, our heirs and successors, by virtue of the said Act of Parliament made in the six and twentieth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, or by virtue of an Act of Parliament made in the first year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth for restitution of First-Fruits and Tenths to the Crown, or by virtue of any other Act or Acts of Parliament whatsoever, and all arrears of the said First-Fruits and Tenths now due and undischarged (other than the arrears of the Tenths due upon the small Rectories and Vicarages under the yearly value of thirty pounds per annum by us as aforesaid directed to be discharged), to be applied and disposed of by the said Governors hereby constituted, to and for the augmentation of the maintenance of such Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Ministers officiating in any Church or Chapel within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, where the liturgy and rights of the Church of England as now by law established, are or shall be used and observed, under such rules, restrictions, and directions, and in such manner and form, as shall be established pursuant to these presents. And for the better ordering, managing, and directing the affairs of the said Corporation, we do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors, grant unto the said "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the augmentation of the maintenance of the poor Clergy," and their successors, and we do hereby ordain, will, and appoint, that as soon as conveniently may be after the date of these presents all and every the persons herein before named and constituted Governors as aforesaid do assemble and meet together in the room commonly called the Prince's Chamber, adjoining to the House of Lords, or some other convenient place within our Cities of London or Westminister, or the suburbs thereof, as shall in that behalf be appointed by any seven or more of the Governors hereby constituted, (whereof we will that any one of the Privy Council of us, our heirs or successors, and any one of the Bishops aforesaid, or any one of the Judges of any of the Courts at Westminister, or of the said Counsel learned in the Law of us, our heirs or successors, shall be three) to treat and consult concerning the business and affairs of the said Corporation, and the good rule and government thereof, and the faithful distribution of our royal Bounty aforesaid: And we do further, by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, will, authorise, require, and command the said Governors and their successors from time to time to summon, appoint, hold, and keep four General Courts at least in every

The Gover

nors or any seven to meet to

treat of business.

To keep
Four Ge-
neral
Courts in

the year
at least, in

vernors

a Privy Councillor,

a Bishop, and a

Judge or Queen's counsel, to to be three)

to make a General

Court and

do busi

ness.

their assist

ance such

year, at any convenient place or places aforesaid, (notice being the four in that behalf first given, by inserting the same in the Gazette, quarterly months. or otherwise, fourteen days before the holding of every such General Court); one of the said four General Courts to be held and kept in the month of December, another in the month of March, another in the month of June, and another in the month of Septem- Seven Gober: And we do also and will by these presents, for us, our heirs and (quorum, successors, do grant and ordain, that all the said Governors for the time being, or so many of them as shall at any time or times be assembled and met together as aforesaid, being not less than seven in number at one meeting or assembly in such General Court (of whom any one of the Privy Council of us, our heirs or successors, and any one of the Bishops aforesaid, and any one of the Judges aforesaid for the time being, or of the said Council learned in the Law of us, our heirs or successors, we will shall be always three), shall be and called a General Court of the said Corporation: and that in such General Courts the said Governors and their successors shall and may do and dispatch, by majority of votes, any business relating to the government and affairs of the said Corporation, and also hear, debate, and determine any complaint or matter that shall be brought or exhibited in the said Court, touching the affairs of the said Corpora- May call to tion; and shall and may call to their aid and assistance such persons as the said General Court, or the major part of them assembled as aforesaid, shall think fit to aid, assist, and advise the said Governors they shall hereby constituted, and their successors, in the due and effectual execution of the powers and authorities hereby granted. And for the better ordering and managing the affairs of the said Corporation, we do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors, grant, authorise, and appoint that the Governors of the said Corporation hereby constituted, and for the time being, or any seven or more of them (of whom three or more to be such as aforesaid) shall and may from time to time, as often as they shall think fit, erect, nominate, and appoint such and so many of the Governors of the said Corporation for the time being as they shall judge expedient, to be Committees of the said Corporation, for the better dispatching and more easy managing and carrying on the purposes aforesaid, and the true intent and meaning of these presents; and to invest such Committees fit. with such powers as the Governors of the said Corporation assembled in a General Court, or the major part of them so assembled, shall think fit to entrust them with, pursuant to the powers hereby given to the Governors hereinbefore named and constituted. And Governors for the better effecting our will and pleasure in these presents declared, we do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors, authorise and command the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for

persons as

think fit.

May ap

point Com

mittees,

and invest them with such powers as they shall think

to consider

of methods

and orders

for the go

vernment

of the Corporation, and managing the

revenue to be approv ed or altered by her Majesty.

the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," at the first or some other subsequent meeting or meetings of the said Governors hereby constituted, or so many of them as shall then meet and be present (of whom any one of the Privy Council aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Bishops aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Judges aforesaid for the time being, or of the said Counsel learned in the Law of us, our heirs or successors, for the time being, we will shall be three at the least), to consider of, consult, advise, agree upon, draw up, prepare, and propose in writing, to us, our heirs or successors, such proper and necessary rules, methods, directions, orders, and constitutions as the said Governors, or any seven or more of them as aforesaid, for the time being, shall in their discretions judge most convenient to be observed for and towards the better rule and government of the said Corporation and the members thereof, and the receiving, accounting for, and managing all and every the revenues hereby granted or mentioned to be granted as aforesaid, and all arrears thereof, and also for and concerning the distributing, paying, and disposing of the same and all other gifts and benevolences that shall or may be given or bequeathed to the said Corporation for the charitable ends aforesaid, for the augmentation of the maintenance of the poor Clergy aforesaid: and such rules, methods, orders, directions, and constitutions as shall be so proposed, and shall be approved, altered, or amended by us, our heirs or successors, and such as shall be made by us, our heirs and successors, and so signified and declared by us, our heirs or successors, under our or their Great Seal, we will shall be the rules, methods, directions, orders, and constitutions by which the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," and their successors, shall receive, manage, govern, apply and dispose our said royal Bounty, (and other gifts and benevolences which shall or may hereafter be given or bequeathed to the said Corporation, where the Donors thereof shall not particularly direct the application thereof), to and for the increase of the Maintenance of such Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Ministers Officiating in any Church or Chapel within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick upon Tweed, where the liturgy and rites of the Church of England as now by law established are and shall be used and observed, for whom a Maintenance is not already sufficiently provided. And for the better enabling the Governors of our Bounty aforesaid to perform our will and pleasure hereinbefore expressed, we do hereby, for us, our heirs and successors, authorise er, upon re- and require our Keeper of our Great Seal of England now being, or quest of the Governors, the Lord High Chancellor of England or Keeper of the Great Seal to issue out of England for the time being, upon the request of the said Go

Lord Keep

writs of inquiry to

find out the value of Livings

per annum, their disLondon, which of

under 801.

tances from

in Market Towns, and which not,

them are

&c.

vernors hereby constituted or any seven or more of them (of whom any one of the Privy Council aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Bishops aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Judges or of the Council learned in the Law as aforesaid for the time being, we will shall be three), to issue out writs of inquiry, under the Great Seal of England, unto all and every or any of the counties and cities in England and Wales, to be directed to such and so many persons as the said Keeper of the Great Seal of England now. and for the time being, or the Lord High Chancellor of England for the time being, shall nominate, assign, or appoint; thereby authorising and requiring them, or any three or more of them, and giving them full power and authority, by the oaths of good and lawful men, and by all other lawful ways and means, to inquire and find out; and likewise the said Governors hereby named and constituted, and any seven or more of them, are hereby commanded and authorised to inquire, find out, and inform themselves, by all lawful ways and means, of the true yearly value of the maintenance of every Parson Vicar, Curate, and Minister, officiating in any Church or Chapel within such counties and cities where the liturgy and the rites of the Church of England as now by law established are or shall be used and observed, for whom a maintenance of the yearly value of eighty pounds is not sufficiently provided; and the distances of such Churches and Chapels from our city of London, and which of them are in towns corporate or market towns and which not, and how the several Churches and Chapels are supplied by preaching Ministers, and where the Incumbents have more than one living; that some course may be taken for providing for the augmentation of maintenance, where the same shall be found necessary: And we do further hereby, for us, our heirs and succes: The Gover sors, authorise and require the said Governors now and for the time nors, after being, or any seven or more of thein (of whom we will that any one of the Privy Council aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Bishops aforesaid for the time being, and any one of the Judges lues of Livaforesaid, or of the said Counsel learned in the Law of us, our heirs ings under or successors, be three), from and after such inquiry had and made 80% per as aforesaid, to prepare and lay before us, our heirs or successors,' yearly vaannum, the a true state and account of the yearly values of the maintenance of Jue of the all such Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Ministers aforesaid; and also Fruits, and of the present yearly values of the said First Fruits and Tenths, and the arrears thereof, hereby granted for the augmentation of the ments maintenance of the poor Clergy aforesaid; and also of all such pensions, payments, or other charges as are now granted and paya ble out of the said First Fruits and Tenths by Letters Patents or otherwise therewith charged, to the end that the same being satisfied

I

quiry, to lay the

sucb in

yearly va

First

the pay

before the thereout, Queen.

Governors

to choose a

John

Chamberlain, Esq. appointed present Secretary.

and discharged, our said Royal Bounty may be applied and disposed to and amongst such of the poor Clergy, the augmentation of whose maintenance will appear to be most necessary. And for the better Secretary, managing, ordering, and governing the affairs of the said Corporation, We do, by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, grant to the said "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," and their successors, and do hereby ordain and appoint, That there shall be, from time to time for ever, one able and sufficient person to be nominated and chosen as is hereinafter expressed, who shall be and be called "Secretary to the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy,” and who shall act and perform all such matters and things, for and on the behalf of the said Corporation, as shall be found requisite and necessary to be executed and performed by him in such office: And for the better execution of our will and pleasure in that behalf, we have named, constituted, and appointed, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do name, constitute, and appoint our trusty and well beloved John Chamberlain, esquire, to be the first and present Secretary to the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the said Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," who shall continue in the said office of Secretary during the pleasure of the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy." And we do further by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, grant unto the said "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," and to their successors, that they and their successors shall and may have one able and sufficient person, to be nominated and chosen as is hereinafter mentioned, who shall be and be called "Treasurer to the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," and also such inferior officers, substitutes, and servants, as the said Governors for the time being, assembled in a General Court, shall by a majority of votes think fit to choose and elect; which inferior officers and substitutes so elected, We will and ordain, for us, our heirs and successors, shall continue in their several and respective offices during the pleasure of the said Governors for the time being: And we have also named, constituted, and appointed, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do name, constitute, and appoint our trusty and wellbeloved Edward Tennison, senior, gentleman, to be the first and present Treasurer to the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy," to continue in the said office of Treasurer during the pleasure of the "Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the Augmentation

Governors to choose Treasurer and all

other inferior officers.

Edward
Tennison,

sen. gent.
appointed
present
Treasurer.

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