to point out the early proceedings of the Governors in carrying into effect the trusts reposed in them.

The Gover

nors found

nue incum

When they entered upon their duty, the revenue which had been granted to them was found to be in- the revecumbered with annuities amounting altogether to the bered. sum of 10,950l.: and with arrears of such annuities amounting to the sum of 21,000l.; the Governors, Which therefore, applied their funds immediately to the dis- they procharge of the arrears, and they succeeded in redeeming discharge.

certain of the annuities.

ceeded to

ing, 14th

Dec. 1704.

The first general court holden by the Governors was First meetat the Prince's chamber adjoining to the House of Lords, on the 14th December, 1704; where, in a full meeting, the said letters patent were read, and the officers appointed by the same, namely, the secretary and treasurer were sworn, and the Lord Archbishop of Can- Officers appointed. terbury was desired to wait on the Queen, and to beg of her Majesty the use of the new buildings joining to the Banquetting-house, Whitehall, for the meeting of the Governors, and for offices of the secretary, treasurer and their clerks; which her Majesty was graciously pleased to grant, and further to give directions, that the Lord Chamberlain would furnish those rooms out of the royal wardrobe for that purpose.

court, 11th

Seal or

The next general court was accordingly held at the General said buildings on the 11th January, 1704; and on Jan. 1704. the 22d of the said month, the draught of a seal was dered. agreed upon, and it was ordered to be made of silver. The legend of the scal, is Gubern. Munif. Annæ Reginæ Pauper. Cler.

There was likewise a standing committee appointed Committee for preparing rules and orders.

Also a message was sent to the Barons of the Exche

appointed.

to the Ex

Application quer, desiring them to direct the proper officers to lay chequer for before the Board an account of First Fruits and Tenths, and of all arrears and incumbrances.

anaccount.

Meeting, 22d Feb.

1704, valuation of

exceeding

At the next meeting, viz. the 22d of February following, the Governors directed an inquiry into the livings not yearly maintenance of all ministers throughout Eng801.pr. ann. land and Wales, whose benefices exceeded not 80l. per annum (pursuant to the directions of the charter), and desired the lords the Bishops to make returns of the same against the 20th of November following, which were all entered into a book, and presented to the Queen, December, 1707.

Made and presented to the Queen.

Arrears of pensions,

ed on revenue.

In the month of December, 1705, a committee was &c. charg appointed to consider of the arrears of the grants and pensions payable out of the First Fruits and Tenths, and to receive proposals from the grantees concerning the payment of the same.

Committee to receive proposals

for the ad

In the following month the Standing Committee were empowered to receive any proposals that might vantage of be made to them for the advantage of the poor Clergy, and to prepare business for the general courts.

thecharity.

Process

ordered

against

collectors

of the Tenths.

Charter published.

Certain small liv

ings discharged

In September, 1706, an order was made for process to go out against the collectors of the Tenths, if they did not immediately enter upon their accounts.

In the said year 1706, a thousand copies of the charter were printed at the charge of the Governors, in order to publish the design of their constitution.

About the same time (1706-7), the Governors addressed the Queen for leave to bring into parliament a from First bill, for discharging all livings with cure of souls (the Tenths of which were vested in the Corporation), not exceeding the true yearly value of 401. from the payment of First Fruits and Tenths, and all arrears thereof

Fruits and

Tenths.

for ever-this being an immediate advantage to those poor livings before any augmentation could be made; to which her Majesty was pleased to consent. And such a Bill being brought into the House of Commons was passed with an amendment of 50l. instead of 401. By Act 5th The Act passed 5 and 6 Anne, chap. 24, and is intituled, "An Act for discharging small livings from their First Fruits and Tenths, and all arrears thereof."

In May 1707 the Archbishop of Canterbury informed the Governors, that the Queen had been pleased to give a further mark of her favor to the poor Clergy, by discharging a pension of 500l. per annum, payable to the keeper of the records in the Tower out of the First Fruits and Tenths.

and 6th

Anne.

The Queen a pension annum.

discharged

of 5001. per

Anne, as to

returning

certificates

of livings

under 501.

per ann.

Another Act passed in the 6th of Anne, chap. 27, Act 6th intituled, "An Act to enlarge the time for returning the certificates of all ecclesiastical livings, not exceed ing the yearly value of 50l.; and also for discharging all livings of that value from the payment of First Fruits, and for allowing time to Archbishops and Bishops and other dignitaries for payment of their First Fruits."

from First

Fruits and

Tenths.

By virtue of this and the above-mentioned Act for 3,900 small livings disdischarging small livings, about 3,900 poor livings charged were discharged, and the revenue of Tenths, which when free from all incumbrances, was computed on an average of 20 years, to amount to about 13,000l. per annum, was reduced by this measure to about 10,000l. per annum.

of First

Tenths.

In January 1708 the Governors ordered the officers New book of the First Fruits to prepare a new book of First Fruits and Fruits and Tenths, in which the livings that remained in charge were to be distinguished from the dis

C

The Queen desired to

know the

proceedings of the Go

vernors.

Representation to her Majesty by the Governors.

charged-which book was prepared so soon as the Bishops had made the returns, and was delivered to the Governors.

In July 1709 the Archbishop acquainted the Board, that the Queen had signified to him, her pleasure to know what the Governors had done ever since their establishment, with respect to the poor Clergy; whereupon it was referred to a Committee to prepare a state of the affairs of the Corporation, in order to be laid before the Queen; and in consequence, the following representation was made to her Majesty.

"To the Queen's most excellent Majesty,

The humble representation of the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the augmentation of the maintenance of the poor Clergy. "In obedience to your Majesty's commands signified to us at a general Court, holden in Whitehall on the 1st of July, 1709, by his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury; we, the Governors of your Majesty's Bounty to the poor Clergy, humbly beg leave to represent to your Majesty, that after having made an inquiry into, and procured an exact list of all the livings in England and Wales, under Sol. per annum, from the Lords the Bishops of the respective dioceses, pursuant to the directions of your Majesty's royal Charter, granted to us, and laid the same before your Majesty; we have met in many general Courts, and Courts of Committees, to consider of, consult, advise, agree upon, and draw up proper and necessary rules, methods, directions, orders, and constitutions, for the better rule and government of our Corporation, and for receiving, accounting for, and managing all the revenues granted by your Majesty to us, and for the distributing, paying and disposing of the same, &c.; and

that having prepared and agreed upon some rules hereunto annexed, relating to the distribution of your Majesty's said bounty; we humbly beg leave to lay them before you for your Majesty's royal approbation.

"We have also considered of the state of the revenue of the First Fruits and Tenths, which your Majesty has been most graciously pleased to vest in us for the benefit of the poor Clergy; the state of which revenue, soon after opening our commission, appeared thus:

"The First Fruits and Tenths computed at a medium of twenty years, do amount one year with another to about 17,000l. per annum; but we found the said First Fruits and Tenths charged with grants and pensions (several of them for life) to the value of about 11,000l. per annum, and with an arrear of the same, amounting to about 21,000l.; all which arrear we have been discharging till very lately, and have also bought off the Lady Waldegrave's pension of 1000l. per annum, granted unto her for a term of years; which, with the 500l. per annum, payable to the late Mr. Petyt, (which your Majesty was graciously pleased to discharge,) reduces our yearly payments to 9,500l., or thereabouts.

"As we found the revenue incumbered with the aforesaid grants, and arrears thereof on the one hand, so we likewise found on the other, that there was a very great sum of money due from the Clergy, and their predecessors, at the time of your Majesty's vesting the same in this Corporation; we have, therefore, spent much time in our inquiry after the same, and in distinguishing between the sperate and the desperate debts of the Clergy; and it appeared to us, that almost all the sums of money due from the predecessors of the present