[Footnote 3: The minister and churchwardens of Greenwich applied to the
House of Commons on February 14th, 1710/1, for aid in the rebuilding of
their church. The House referred the application to a committee. On
February 28th the lower house of Convocation sent a deputation to the
Speaker expressing their satisfaction at what had been done. On his
reporting this to the House on the following day, they expressed their
readiness to receive information. The lower house of Convocation prepared
a scheme and presented it to the Speaker on March 9th; this was referred
to the committee on the 10th. Acting on a hint received from the court,
the bishops and clergy presented an Address to the Queen on March 26th,
and this was followed by a Message from Her Majesty, on the 29th, to the
House of Commons, recommending that Parliament should undertake "the
great and necessary work of building more churches." On April 9th the
House of Commons replied in an Address, promising to make provision, and
resolved, on May 1st, to grant a supply for building fifty new churches
in or about London and Westminster. On May 8th it fixed the amount at a
sum "not exceeding £350,000." In pursuance of this a Bill was introduced
on May 18th, which received the Royal Assent on June 12th (9 Ann. c. 17).
This Bill granted £350,000 (to be raised by a duty on coals) for building
fifty new churches in London and Westminster.
In this connection it is interesting to remember that Swift, two years
before, had recommended the building of more churches as part of his
suggestions for "the advancement of religion." See his "Project for
the Advancement of Religion" (vol. iii., p. 45 of present edition).
[T.S.]]
[Footnote 4: In their Address, on April 9th, 1711, the House of Commons
said: "Neither the long expensive war, in which we are engaged, nor the
pressure of heavy debts, under which we labour, shall hinder us from
granting to your Majesty whatever is necessary, to accomplish so
excellent a design, which, we hope, may be a means of drawing down
blessings from Heaven on all your Majesty's other undertakings, as it
adds to the number of those places, where the prayers of your devout and
faithful subjects will be daily offered up to God, for the prosperity of
your Majesty's government at home, and the success of your arms abroad."
[T.S.]]
[Footnote 5: "Natural and Political Observations ... upon the Bills of
Mortality." By John Graunt, 1662. The writer says in chap. x. that
Cripplegate parish was two hundred times as big as some of the parishes
in the city. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 6: An abbreviation of _modus decimandi_, a composition in lieu
of payment of tithes. [T.S.]]