Minutes of the Commissioners: 1717

169. [p. 316] 4 Jan. 1716/17

1. Application made to Treasury to pay £20,000 to Treasurer.

2. Signed warrants for salaries.

3. James and Skeat to obtain Tillard's proposals for site in Norton Folgate; James to make plan.

5 [sic]. Surveyors empowered to settle rates of all works in the workmen's bills.

6. Mary Moor to be allowed £5 p.a. for cleaning the Commission's rooms.

7. Secretary to ascertain Archbishop of Canterbury's pleasure about date of next meeting.

170. [p. 318] 8 Mar. 1716/17

1. Tillard delivered proposal for a site in Norton Folgate, and James a plan; referred to next meeting.

2-4. Read petition from inhabitants that chapel in Hatton Garden be converted into a parish church; Surveyors to report.

5. Marshall's representation about state of St George's chapel [Ormond Street] referred to next meeting.

171. [p. 320] 21 Mar. 1716/17

1. Agreed to petition of minister and trustees for measuring, surveying and paving St George's chapel in order to make it a parish church; Surveyors to report at next meeting.

2,3. Concerning obtaining Johnson's money from Smith.

4. Signed warrant for impresting £10 to Secretary for incidentals.

5,6. Sir H. Masters and Gooch to view site in St Olave's Southwark for which Dr Bolton asks £600.

7. Agreed that Surveyors should rate run mouldings prepared by Townsend but not contracted for.

8. Dunn to have such allowance as is usual for carriage of stones for building Spitalfields church.

9,10. Surveyors reported on Hatton Garden chapel; to inquire whether nearby houses could be purchased.

172. [p. 322] 28 Mar. 1717

1. Masters and Gooch reported in favour of site in St Olave's Southwark.

2. Dr Bolton, in the trustees' name, promised that a small house adjoining the site should be removed.

3. Consideration of Hatton Garden chapel to be resumed at next meeting.

4. Notice to be given in Gazette for proposals for joiner's work at Deptford new church.

5. Surveyors to measure plasterer's work at Deptford.

6. Secretary to pay four guineas upon conditions to City authorities for liberty to erect hoard at St Mary Woolnoth church.

7. Skeat the smith to be allowed additional sum in proportion to the rate that iron shall be above £18 per ton, from Lady Day 1717.

8. Secretary to prepare blank warrants for paying workmen.

9. Ric. Evans to have one guinea for putting up hangings in Banqueting House for reception of the Commissioners.

10. Edwards reported on title of Sir Thos Davall to proposed site in St Botolph Aldgate; consideration deferred.

173. [p. 324] 4 Apr. 1717

1. Surveyors reported that £300 might be safely advanced on plasterer's work at Deptford church.

2. Surveyors to submit new method of keeping workmen's accounts by next meeting.

3. Notice to be given in next Saturday's Gazette for proposals for carpenter's work at Spitalfields new church.

4. Lady Davall to make a good title to her site, or Commissioners will not treat further.

5,6. Read, Mist's proposal for paving area before St George's Ormond Street. Commissioners will allow £180 for paving.

7. Repeated complaints being made against Ric. Goodchild of using bad bricks, resolved not to employ him unless he performs his contract and employs workmen approved by Surveyors.

8. Skeat to go ahead with iron work for windows of new church in the Strand, according to patterns submitted formerly.

9. Leacroft reported he had received of Smith £100, residue of £700 for purchase of Johnson's land.

174. [p. 327] 11 Apr. 1717

1. Agreed to imprest additional £100 to Ellis and Hands, plasterers at Deptford church when accounts have been adjusted between them.

2. Reported that a petition to parliament is preparing for the rebuilding of ten ruinous City churches as part of the fifty new churches; resolved that, this being against the intention of the acts, Bishop of Bristol and John Ellis, Esq., seek the Speaker's support, and Sir Harcourt Masters and Drs Bradford, Gooch and Waugh acquaint Lord Mayor with Board's views.

3. Pews to be erected in Deptford new church to be all single pews; Surveyors to report on joiners' proposals for pews, and carpenters' for Spitalfields new church.

4. Approved the method for keeping workmen's accounts this day proposed by Surveyors, being that used at Greenwich Hospital; accounts to be made out twice yearly, at Midsummer and Christmas.

5. £100 in Treasurer's hands to be paid to Johnson.

175. [p. 329] 16 Apr. 1717

1. Ellis reported that the Speaker had promised his favour respecting ten old churches petition.

2. Reported that Lord Mayor told Board's deputation that he would stop his proceedings, but hoped the Commissioners would assist him in the proper time and way.

3. Surveyors to obtain Archer's directions about a parsonage house for minister of Deptford new church.

4. Dr Bennet was granted permission to peruse plans and papers in Secretary's custody about parish of Cripplegate.

1 [sic]. John Gilham and John Smallwell to be employed as joiners at Deptford new church.

2. A plan for St Mary Woolnoth church to be submitted at next meeting, and notice given in Gazette for masons', bricklayers' and carpenters' proposals.

Notice to be given in Gazette for proposals for home made pew hinges, iron locks for pews and iron squares to stiffen the pews, for Greenwich new church.

Grove petitioned for money; £500 to be imprested.

Surveyors and Treasurer to prepare everything necessary for the Commissioners appointing payment of tradesmen at next meeting.

176. [p. 332] 2 May 1717

1. Secretary to prepare warrants.

2. Committee appointed to examine method for keeping workmen's accounts delivered in by Surveyors, and Solicitor to attend Monday next (Deans of Peterborough and Worcester, Drs Linford and Cannon, Sir John Phillips, Edward Peck, Esq., and any others who wish).

3. Surveyors submitted plan of St Mary Woolnoth church; estimate to be laid before next meeting.

4. Notice to be given in next Gazette for masons', bricklayers' and carpenters' proposals for Lombard Street church [St Mary Woolnoth] by Thursday next.

5. Zachary Gisborn to be employed to make hinges, etc., for pews at Greenwich church.

6. Joiners to submit proposals for pewing Strand new church; pews to be single.

177. [p. 334] 9 May 1717

1. Agree with committee that workmen's accounts 'as stated in the books delivered in by the Surveyors' be approved.

2. Warrants signed for paying workmen.

3. Gisborn, ironmonger, to attend next meeting.

4,5. Objections being made to the number of pillars in Hawksmoor's model for St Mary Woolnoth church, James to inform Hawksmoor; Surveyors to submit another plan 'as they two shall think fit'.

6-8. Title to Ironmongers' Company's site [Cripplegate] approved by Webb; Surveyors to prepare plan of site and a design for church.

178. [p. 336] 16 May 1717

1. Warrant signed for paying Grove £500.

2. Hy Smith's petition for half-year's salary and two and a quarter year's house rent referred to next meeting.

3. Surveyors to consider further the number of pillars in Lombard Street church and report to next meeting.

4,5. Dunn and John Townsend delivered proposals for mason's work at St Mary Woolnoth; Dunn to be employed as more reasonable.

6. Hester to be employed as bricklayer at aforesaid church; Solicitor to make contract.

7. Simmons to be employed for joiner's work in Strand church.

8. Gibbs' plan for pewing Strand church approved, except that aisle be ten feet wide.

9. Secretary to inquire how much money remitted to Talman for the Queen's statue, and report to next meeting.

10. Notice to be given in next Saturday's Gazette for glaziers' and plasterers' proposals for Strand church.

11. Surveyors reporting that item of carriage in mason's bill for Spitalfields church of £53. 15s. 6d. had been omitted, warrant of 9 May cancelled and a new one signed.

179. [p. 339] 23 May 1717

1. Surveyors submitted new design setting out disposition and number of pillars in Lombard Street church, which was allowed.

2,3. Hy Smith to be paid £136. 17s. for salary from Midsummer to 9 December 1715; committee to examine his claims.

4. Petition from Wapping referred to next meeting.

5. Letters from Directors of Greenwich Hospital referred to next meeting.

180. [p. 341] 31 May 1717

1. Talman attending reported he had spent £340 at Florence towards making the Queen's statue.

2,3. Talman to be desired to attend next Thursday and give particular account of his expenditure, Smith to attend to give account of the £460 he received to transmit to Florence.

4-6. Read petition for church to be speedily built on Johnson's site, Wapping; Surveyors to prepare plan and estimate; resolved to build there with all possible speed.

7. Surveyors to submit plan of boundaries of new parish intended at Bow.

8. Waugh, Waddington, Sir Harcourt Masters and Peck to view site proposed by Mr Tillard with Surveyors and report to next meeting.

9. Chas Scriven to be employed as glazier at Strand church.

10. Surveyors to report on plasterers' proposals for Strand church and carpenters' for Spitalfields.

11. Committee to consider Smith's affair to meet on Monday next.

181. [p. 343] 8 June 1717

1. Smith allowed £100 for use of his house for meetings of the late Commissioners, £10 for coals for two winters and his bill of fees, £89. 17s.

2. Leacroft to discuss with Auditors of Imprest their annual fee of £40 for passing Commission's accounts.

3,4. Marshall and trustees of St George's chapel [Ormond Street] representing its state, Surveyors to report what sum sufficient for its repair.

5. Secretary to make out warrant paying Hawksmoor £275. 5s. 9d. for models made by several artificers.

6. Notice to be given in next Saturday's Gazette for plumbers' proposals for Upper Wapping new church.

7. Consideration of Talman's particular account of his expenditure on the Queen's statue referred to another meeting.

8. Smith to submit all letters sent him from Talman about the statue.

182. [p. 345] 20 June 1717

1. Leacroft reported that Auditors of Imprest insisted on payment of fee. Leacroft to see the Auditor himself and report to next meeting.

2. Marshall petitioned for repair of roof of St George's chapel [Ormond Street], now very ruinous. Surveyors to view and report to next meeting.

3. Surveyors to survey Bow and Old Ford, set out boundaries, and consider condition of Bow chapel.

4. Secretary to select any proper person as his clerk.

183. [p. 347] 11 July 1717

1. Leacroft reported that Mr Auditor Foley insisted on his fee.

2,3. Surveyors reported that £500 would repair St George's chapel fit for worship. Surveyor to search proceedings of late and present Commissions to discover true state of what has been done. Solicitor to report on past proceedings about chapel, and ascertain what Marshall and trustees desire of the Commissioners.

72. Sir Fisher Tench attended about Hatton Garden; Lord Hatton will treat about some houses.

5. Surveyors submitted a map of Bow hamlet; Solicitor and Surveyors to make the hamlet parochial by ascertaining its boundaries.

6,7. Geo. Osmond to be employed for plumber's work for Wapping new church, his good, substantial work under the Commission being approved of, and his prices the same as Rob. Evans.

Surveyors to determine what every work done since last Christmas severally mounts to, for paying sums on account.

7 [sic]. Commissioners ready to comply with request of Directors of Greenwich Hospital as soon as Attorney-General states that this Board 'is empowered to meddle with the moneys appropriated towards the finishing of Greenwich Hospital'.

8. Surveyors and Agent to report on Shadwell site.

184. [p. 350] 18 July 1717

1-3. Secretary reported what had been done to make St George's chapel [Ormond Street] parochial; necessary repairs to be made; Surveyors to view the area before the chapel.

4. Consideration of Hatton Garden to be continued at next meeting.

5. Secretary to prepare memorial to Treasury for taking in £11,000 on coal dues.

6,7. Surveyors submitted model and design for Lower Wapping new church; church to be built accordingly.

8,9. Read petition of Rob. Burgess for satisfaction for damage to house sustained by demolition of St Mary Woolnoth; Surveyors to view.

185. [p. 352] 25 July 1717

1. Signed application to Treasury to take in £11,000 loan.

2. A debate arising upon the fifth article of the Ironmongers' Company's proposals [for Cripplegate site], resolved that no houses should be nearer than 25 ft to churchyard wall, and no buildings nearer than ten feet.

3. Greenwich church altar 'neech' to be painted in plain panels.

4. Warrants for Auditors' fees.

5. Hatton Garden question referred to next meeting.

186. [p. 353a] 5 Aug. 1717

1. Signed application to Treasury for loan.

2. Warrants signed.

3. Ric. Goodchild to pay Treasurer £250 for old materials of St Mary Woolnoth.

4. Auditors of Imprest certify that £11. 10s. intended as commission for Sir Edw. Gould's transmitting money to Talman.

5. Sir Fisher Tench delivered more papers about Hatton Garden.

6. Secretary to make out general warrant for workmen.

7. Agreed Ironmongers' Company might built houses on east or west sides of site [Old Street, Cripplegate] either facing or away from it.

187. [p. 356] 15 Aug. 1717

Warrant signed for paying £10,750 to the workmen.

1 [sic]. Ironmongers' Company agree about site; Solicitor to proceed.

2. Surveyors to submit plan or design for church for that site.

3. Solicitor to prepare instrument for ascertaining bounds of hamlet of Bow.

4,5. Solicitor to ascertain rent of houses to be sold near Hatton Garden chapel; Surveyors to estimate their value if a new church built there.

6. Surveyors to view site formerly proposed at north end of Hatton Garden.

7. Deptford parsonage house to be put in hand according to Archer's design.

188. [p. 358] 12 Sep. 1717

1. James to bring design of a church for the Ironmongers' Company's site in St Giles Cripplegate parish by next meeting; masonry between the compartments of windows to be range work of rag stone; Surveyors to call on masons employed in the churches to give estimates for rag stone.

2. Hatton Garden to be considered at next meeting (minutes 4 and 5 of 15 August).

3. The workmen having been guilty of great disorders at Strand church upon finishing of tower, master mason and other master workmen to attend at next meeting.

There being no plan left in the office for the intended parsonage house at Deptford, Surveyors to stop the work till a particular plan and estimate be submitted.

4. Memorandum. Minute 7 of 15 August stating that there was a plan for Deptford parsonage house delivered by Archer was a mistake, only a general plan of the church being produced and Archer not present.

189. [p. 360] 10 Oct. 1717

1. James submitted design of church for Ironmongers' Company's site, St Giles Cripplegate.

2. The said plan approved; James to bring two estimates to next meeting: one built with ashlar, the other with rag stone.

3. James and Edwards reported enquiry about value of Hatton Garden houses; proprietors of the seven houses to be informed that Commissioners willing to treat with them.

4. Townsend attending was asked to explain disorders at the finishing of tower of Strand church, and charged to try to prevent such disorders in future.

190. [p. 362] 17 Oct. 1717

1. Johnson, of whom site in Lower Wapping was purchased, reported death of Mrs Caley alias Bodelow in Jamaica; to bring a certificate from minister and churchwardens of Kingston in Jamaica attested by a public notary, in order to obtain his securities.

2. James submitted two estimates for church in St Giles Cripplegate for ashlar and rag stone. South front to be built in Portland stone in the Ionic order, according to design now given in; north front and east and west ends of rag stone; coins, windows and entablatures to be of Portland.

3. Nothing having been done in relation to minute of 11 July last about Hastings's ground, Shadwell, the Surveyors and Agent to inspect ground, and Edwards to examine the agreement.

4. Whitton asked £850 for six houses and a coach house in Hatton Garden, but no one appeared for Alridge, proprietor of the seventh house.

5. Notice to be given in Gazette for plumbers' proposals for Limehouse church this day fortnight.

6. Groves to make a shed at Spitalfields church for the engines, the place where they now are being spoilt by the new works.

191. [p. 365] 31 Oct. 1717

1. James submitted a plan for ascertaining bounds of Bow.

2. Edwards reported conveyance with plan of Hastings's site, Shadwell. Site to be separated from adjoining ground by line of stakes; Skeat to enquire for a tenant.

3. Edwards to make best agreement he can with Alridge's executor for house on south side of Hatton Garden chapel.

4. Fresh notice to be given in next Gazette for plumbers' proposals for covering Limehouse church, Evans' and Osmond's proposals being advanced in each article.

192. [p. 367] 14 Nov. 1717

1. Skeat reported that Hastings's site was separated from adjoining ground by a line of stakes. Edwards to submit conveyance at next meeting; Secretary to write out all Minutes relating to it; and open side to be walled in brick work.

2. Evans' and Osmond's proposals for plumber's work at Limehouse church being considered, resolved that Osmond be employed.

3. Read petition of minister and inhabitants of East Greenwich; Surveyors to make estimate for repairing tower, enclosing burial ground and paving about church.

4. Signed application to Treasury for impresting £1,122. 12s. 11d.

193. [p. 369] 28 Nov. 1717

1. Edwards submitted conveyance of Hastings's site; does not appear that Mrs Hastings has any right to fruit trees, etc.

2. Edwards to prepare an article to oblige Alridge and Whitton to convey their Hatton Garden interests for £850 and £440 respectively [sic], on passing of an act of parliament for appropriating site of Hatton Garden chapel for a new church.

3. Hy Hester and Fra. Withers delivered their proposal for making good bricks.

4. Notice to be given in Saturday's Gazette for bricklayers' proposals for new church in Old Street, 'with the best hard burnt bricks, free from sammel or under burnt bricks'.

5,6. Bow and Old Ford: parish marks for fixing the boundaries to be erected in proper places.

7. Edwards to inform Bishop of Ely that Commissioners have resolved to build a new church in room of Hatton Garden chapel; a draught of a bill for appropriating the site for a new church, the bishop consenting, to be prepared by Solicitor.

[One folio, numbered 371-2, has been cut out of the book]