5. That two poor men teach the children—sometimes they have a few,
sometimes none. They are men of honest behaviour and sound of religion.
6. That there was a woman—Alice Maybanke—who did not go to church, but
frequented an ale house.
7. That certain strangers were excommunicated for not attending
Communion at Easter.
8. Also one honest man, who had been tried by the Archdeacon, and not
satisfying him, he, the honest man, was excommunicated.
Non-Communicants, none. Communicants (both sexes), 400.
As the authorized version of the Bible was printed in 1611 it is probable
the churchwardens wished to substitute that for the Bishops’ Bible which
was published 1568.
And as James I. had stated that “he would make all men conform or harry
them out of the land, or else worse,” perhaps the strangers and honest
man were Baptists, Independents, or Puritans.
A happier time, however, came with William III.
The old church, which was taken down a few years since, was built in
1696, King William III. giving £300 and Princess Ann £100 towards the
cost, the whole charge of which was £1,800.
In 1811 it was repaired and improved at a cost to the ratepayers of
£3,000.
The first organ cost £500.
Some financial extracts from the old parish books may be interesting and
amusing—
£ s. d.
1698 Paid the ringers for the King’s 00 06 08
coming home
1703 Paid for prayer books at general 00 3 06
thanksgiving
1704 Paid Mr. Jackson for a barrel of 00 15 00
beer for victory over French and
Bavarians
1709 Paid ringers for forcing the French 00 13 04
lines
1712 Paid ringers when the Queen made 00 6 08
her speech for peace (N.B.)
1713 Paid ringers when the Peace came 00 6 08
over
1714 Paid ringers for the pious memory 00 13 04
of Queen Ann
1716 Ditto, when King George went 00 6 08
through the town
Aug. 1 For a bonfire and Ringers 00 5 08
1683 Collection by order of the Bishop 03 12 06
for relief of poor of London
1693 Paid for a truss of straw for a 00 00 04
poor soldier
Paid for maimed soldiers 00 06 00
1694 1 bushel of coals for a poor family 00 01 00
1711 Paid for French prisoners and a 00 01 00
woman at Wingsdale Barn
1727 Paid charity boys for blowing organ 00 16 00
bellows and ringing the saint’s
bell for one whole year
Paid Theef Ketchers enquiring who 00 09 00
robbed the Church
Kensington was not at all a noted place until William III. ennobled it
with his court and residence.
Noel House, Kensington Goar, was built 1804.
Kensington House about William Third’s time.
Kensington Square in James Second’s reign, 1698.
Church Street probably took its name from the church at the end, or from
the house called Church House, which was occupied by the “poore of the
sufferance.”
Camden House was built by Sir Baptist Hickes, who possessed considerable
property in the parish in 1612.
Phillamore Place was built 1787, and in 1811 David Wilkie, Esq., R.A.,
resided here. His works the “Blind Fiddler,” “Rent Day,” “Village
Holiday,” &c., will be remembered by all.
Sir Isaac Newton, who by the way was never married, lived on Camden Hill.
Here he died, March 20th, 1726–7, at the age of 84.
His nephew wrote of him. “His whole life was one continued series of
labour, patience, charity, generosity, temperance, piety, goodness and
all other virtues without any mixture of vice whatever.”
The Royal Palace of Kensington is situated in the parish of St.
Margaret’s, Westminster.
The original mansion was built by a person named Finch, one of whose
descendants was promoted to the Peerage. The house was then called
Nottingham House.
The 2nd Earl of Nottingham sold it to King William III., 1691, for 18,000
guineas, and here, December 28, 1694, Queen Mary died of small pox.
William, who was much attached to this palace, divided his time between
Hampton Court and Kensington.
In the month of February, 1702, he was thrown from his horse and brought
back to Kensington, where he died March 8, 1702, in the 52nd year of his
age.
Queen Ann and Prince George of Denmark were the next inhabitants of the
palace. The Queen died here August 1, 1714.
In the reign of George I. the palace was much altered and improved.
George II. died in this palace 25th October, 1760, aged 77.
The State Apartments were not occupied afterwards.
The lower apartments, in the south-east portion of the palace, were for
some years occupied by the late Duke and Duchess of Kent, and on the 24th
May, 1819, an infant princess was born here, who is now our beloved