Minutes of the Commissioners: 1715

107. [p. 200] 12 Jan. 1714/15

1. Secretary to write to churchwardens of East Greenwich about their enlarging churchyard for security of the fabric.

2. A letter from Treasury referring to the Commissioners security offered by the Commissioner's Treasurer.

3. Resolved that £5,000 mentioned is sufficient if Robt Cotton, Esq., is bound with Treasurer in the whole sum.

4. Secretary to prepare warrants for James and Jeffs and for Grazebrook, plumber, Greenwich church.

108. [p. 201] 19 Jan. 1714/15

1. Warrants filled up and signed for paying James and Jeffs, carpenters, £200 for Greenwich, £100 for Westminster, £50 for Limehouse, and £50 for Strand churches; Graysbrook, plumber, £200 for Greenwich; Brewster £20 for half-year's rent.

109. [p. 202] 26 Jan. 1714/15

1. Bishop of London to be requested to consecrate church yard of St George the Martyr.

2. All persons who have made models for Commissioners' use to bring in their bills.

3. Warrant ordered for rent.

Secretary read Brewster's letter of 13 June last; consideration referred to Jennings and Hy Hoare.

110. [p. 203] 16 Feb. 1714/15

1,2. Commissioners will not treat further with Ironmongers' Co. about site at present.

3. Barker's proposal about Three Cups Inn referred to next meeting.

4. Vanbrugh and Mr Wren to view Johnson's ground, Wapping, with Surveyors, and report on foundation.

5. The workmen at the several new churches to proceed as soon as proper.

111. [p. 204] 23 Feb. 1714/15

1. Cross, Annesley, Jennings and Mr Wren to view Three Cups Inn and examine value of ground.

2. Surveyors to make a plan of the ground purchased of Lady Russell, if one not already made, and submit designs for a church for that site.

112. [p. 205] 9 Mar. 1714/15

1. Secretary to make out warrant for Treasurer to pay Sir Edw. Gould £351. 10s. to answer £340 at Florence to Talman, for statue of Queen Anne in brass.

2. Surveyors to make plan of site proposed by inhabitants of Bermondsey, reported on by King and Halley, 15 July last.

3. Bishop of London to be desired to consult Dr Sacheverell about transferring parish charity now charged on Three Cups Inn.

4. Surveyors to open ground at site proposed by Mr White in St Giles Cripplegate, and attend Sir Thos Crosse and Mr Wren to view it.

113. [p. 206] 16 Mar. 1714/15

1-3. Accepted offer of free site in St Martin in the Fields parish from Lord Scarborough. Surveyors to take copy of plan.

4. Gibbs reported on White's ground in St Giles Cripplegate.

5. Surveyors to examine whether ground will admit of a good foundation, taking such workmen as they need.

6. Secretary to prepare warrants for paying Geo. Vaughan £30 for digging at the two cemeteries purchased in St Pancras; Hester and Withers £400 for Strand church.

7. Bridges Watts petitioned to be paid £30 retained by Beckley out of £400 for a site in Upper Wapping until Watts obtained copies of writings relating to the site, owner of the writings refusing to give copies.

8,9. Beckley's bill of £59. 16s. 8d. referred to Annesley and Jennings.

114. [p. 208] 23 Mar. 1714/15, at Treasurer Smith's house

1. Surveyors to proceed to finish East Greenwich church so far only as the acts oblige the Commissioners to do it; and to give parishioners notice to prepare for pewing church and making it ready for public service.

2. Secretary to write to minister and churchwardens of Greenwich that the Commissioners are informed that there have been several burials within new church, contrary to the acts, and that in future they forbear burying there.

3,4. Upon the Surveyors' complaint, resolved that Slemaker and Goodchild, bricklayers employed in new churches of Limehouse, Spitalfields and Upper Wapping, be discharged from any further service under this Commission.

5. Surveyors to submit to next meeting proposals for getting better bricks.

6. Surveyors to stake out ground for new church to be erected at Stockwell in Lambeth parish next Tuesday, and notify Sir John Thornicroft, Mr Angel and some other parishioners.

7,8. Proposal from Dacres for site in St Giles in the Fields referred to next meeting.

115. [p. 210] 6 Apr. 1715

1. Petition from Slemaker and Goodchild referred to next meeting.

2. Read memorial from Gibbs proposing a method to procure good bricks.

3. Warrants to be made out for Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Lady Russell for the site in St Giles in the Fields parish; for R. Webb, Esq., 33 guineas fee for inspecting title deeds of purchases.

116. [p. 211] 27 Apr. 1715

1. Read petition from Slemaker and Goodchild.

2. Slemaker and Goodchild to proceed on their works at new churches, making an allowance for bad bricks already used by them; in future not to suffer any bad bricks to be brought on site on pain of permanent discharge.

3. Secretary to send copy of above resolution to every bricklayer employed under the Commission.

4. Beckley to refer Sclater's title deeds for site in Bethnal Green to Webb.

5. Notice to be given in Gazette for masons', carpenters' and bricklayers' proposals for a new church in Bloomsbury to be brought on Tuesday 10 May.

7. Masons employed at Limehouse and Upper Wapping churches to execute their contracts as soon as Hawksmoor has explained them.

8. Dickinson brought remainder of the maps in his custody to Secretary; Commissioners signed warrant for £28. 18s. 6d., for his salary as Surveyor.

117. [p. 213] 10 May 1715

1. Notice to be given in Gazette for workmen to bring proposals for building church in Bloomsbury this day fortnight.

2. Secretary's accounts to be referred to Dean of Canterbury and Sherlock.

3,4. Surveyors to inquire into value of ground proposed, in plan of Three Cups Inn, Holborn, for next meeting, when Commissioners will give proprietors an answer.

5. Vanbrugh, and Messrs Wren, Archer and Hoare, to view Johnson's site in Wapping, attended by Surveyors.

6. Beckley to pay Watts the reserved £30, being now satisfied by Webb's opinion.

7. Secretary to prepare warrant for paying Jas Ellis and Jas Hands, plasterers, East Greenwich church, £150.

8. Dacres to be offered £1,400 for his site in High Holborn.

118. [p. 215] 17 May 1715

1. Surveyors to inquire value of Three Cups Inn site for next meeting.

2. Church on Lady Russell's ground in Bloomsbury to be built to Vanbrugh's design; and built north and south, as it cannot conveniently be built any other way.

3,4. An application to be made to the King to recommend to Parliament endowment of the fifty new churches; to be considered by Dean of Canterbury, Moss and Sherlock, or any two of them.

5. Box to be added to the Commissioners to view Johnson's ground, Wapping; and any two of them to make the view.

6. Hawksmoor to give orders for walling at east end of Deptford new church, and making gates as soon as convenient.

7. Messenger to give notice in next Thursday's summons that Commissioners will then consider form of application to the King for an endowment, and choice of officers.

8. To consider an order about plans and estimates for building churches next Thursday.

119. [p. 217] 19 May 1715

1. Elected the following officers for the year ensuing at salaries stated: Hy Smith, Esq., Treasurer, £300 p.a.; Thos Rous, Secretary, £200; N. Hawksmoor and Jas Gibbs, Surveyors, £200; Simon Beckley, Solicitor, £80; John Skeat, Agent, £100; Thos Crocker, Messenger, £30.

2. No church to be begun until a plan, with model, and estimate be made; when such plan or model agreed upon, it shall not be altered without direction of the Board, and an agreement made for the charge of such alteration.

3. Referred to Lord Bingley, Bromley, Bertie, Crosse, Sir C. Wren, Archer, Mr Wren, Vanbrugh, Bishop of Hereford, Foley, Newton, Arbuthnot, Halley, Child, and Bateman, or any three of them, to consider rules for bringing in plans and estimates; Vanbrugh to submit an estimate for Bloomsbury new church.

4. Appointed a committee of Bishops of London, Bristol, Hereford, and Chester, Stanhope, Crosse, Jennings, Bertie, Annesley, Raymond, Hoare, Mr Wren, Arbuthnot and King, or any five of them, to consider the maintenance to be applied for the ministers of the fifty new churches; all other Commissioners that attend to have votes.

120. [p. 219] 24 May 1715

Agreed upon address to the King to recommend provision of a maintenance for the ministers of the fifty new churches to Parliament.

121. [p. 220] 31 May 1715

1. Bishop of London reported King's gracious answer to address presented by Archbishop of York and others; Secretary to enter it in Book of Muniments.

2. Letter from Talman about Queen's statue referred to next meeting.

3. Secretary to prepare warrants for smith's work at Deptford, £600; Westminster, £300; Spitalfields, £100.

122. [p. 221] 14 June 1715

1. Surveyors to report on site called Pewter Platter Inn, St James parish Clerkenwell.

2. Gibbs to make a plan of Sclater's ground, Bethnal Green, for next meeting.

3. Gibbs to view Lord Salisbury's ground, Bermondsey, and report what other ground will be required there.

4. Box and Mr Wren to treat with Johnson about price of ground wanting to make his site complete.

5. Barker to have £1,900 for Three Cups Inn, Holborn, he clearing the ground.

6. Talman to finish Queen's statue at £800, remitting the remainder of the sum at £50 per month.

7. Secretary stated he had disbursed more money than had been imprested to him, and that Dean of Canterbury and Sherlock had approved his accounts: resolved that a further £100 be imprested to him.

123. [p. 223] 28 June 1715

1. Surveyors to lay report of progress on churches this day fortnight; and a similar report at first meeting in every month.

2. Hawksmoor to submit plan or model of Limehouse and Upper Wapping churches at next meeting.

3. Strong and Tufnell allowed to dispose of stone belonging to them lying near the Maypole in the Strand.

4. Gibbs to make a plan for a church, 'the most convenient that can stand East and West', for ground already bought of Johnson in Lower Wapping; and another, supposing additional ground purchased.

5. Gibbs to report at next meeting on sites at Pewter Platter Inn (St James, Clerkenwell), Sclater's ground (Bethnal Green), and Lord Salisbury's (Bermondsey).

6. Accepted Barker's demand of £1,900 for site at Three Cups Inn, Holborn; deeds to be laid before Webb.

7. Abstract of debt on new churches account submitted by Surveyors referred to Crosse, Annesley, Jennings and Bertie, or any two, to report what further sum should be taken into Exchequer.

124. [p. 225] 5 July 1715

1. Secretary to prepare memorial to Treasury for taking a further £11,000 into Exchequer upon loan on coal duty; done accordingly, and signed.

2. Secretary, Treasurer and Surveyor to report what cemeteries bought and agreed for; progress made in each church; how Exchequer issues have been spent; and what demands are now made.

3. Notice to be given in Gazette for proposals for plumber's work, Deptford new church.

4. Mr Wren and Box to report on Sir Thos Davall's site near Burr Street, St Botolph Aldgate.

5. Agreed to give Johnson £200 for additional pieces of ground.

6. Read a letter from Major Godfrey; Secretary to inform him that the masons are ordered to proceed at Limehouse church with all expedition.

125. [p. 227] 12 July 1715

1. The three papers prepared by the Secretary, Treasurer, and Surveyors, pursuant to order, be entered in Secretary's books.

2. Gibbs delivered reports on Sclater's ground (Bethnal Green) and Pewter Platter Inn (St James, Clerkenwell).

3. Resolved, not at present to build a church in Clerkenwell; Gardner at liberty to dispose of his ground.

126. [p. 228] 5 Aug. 1715

1,2. Secretary to prepare warrants for payments of £10,862. 6s. 10d. in Surveyors' schedule, £800 to J. Townsend, mason for Strand church, and £700 to Bastwick Johnson, Esq. for ground at Lower Wapping.

3. Notice to be given in Gazette for receiving proposals for plumber's work, Deptford new church, on Thursday next.

4. Secretary to prepare warrants for Solicitor's bill and salaries.

5. Surveyors to make plan for a church to be erected on Thornicroft's ground [Lambeth].

6. Memorial presented to Queen Anne respecting Burscough to be laid before the King.

7. Kemp's title deeds for site for minister's house, Bow, to be laid before Solicitor.

8. Halley and Box, attended by Surveyor, to view Davall's ground, Aldgate.

127. [p. 230] 11 Aug. 1715

1. Warrants signed.

2. Treasurer to submit report at next meeting of monies in his hands.

3. Bishop of Bristol and Jennings to treat with Lord Salisbury about his Bermondsey site.

128. [p. 231] 18 Aug. 1715

1. Hawksmoor to inform Sadler, Lord Salisbury's steward, how much ground Commissioners require at Bermondsey, and report to next meeting his price.

2. Blank warrant for Dunn, mason, Spitalfields church, filled up at £400.

3. Signed warrant for transmitting £460 at £50 per month to Talman for brass statue.

4. Hawksmoor to report next week on plumbers' proposals for Deptford church.

129. [p. 232] 1 Sep. 1715

1. Geo. Osmond to be employed for plumber's work at Deptford church at the following prices: for milled lead, carriage and labour, 11s. 9d. per cwt.; for workmanship and solder of rainwater pipes, 9d. per foot running; for rainwater cisterns, 15s. each.

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