Queen Anne's Bounty Act 1714
| Year | 1714 |
(1 Geo. 1 St. 2) C A P. X. Anno Regni GEORGII Regis Magn Britanni, Franci &Hiberni, primo.
An Act for making more effectual her late Majesty's Gracious Intentions for augmenting the Maintenance of the poor Clergy.
I H. 8. c. 3 & 17. 27 H. 8. c. 8. 32 H. 8. c. 22. 2 & 3 Ed. 6. c. 20. 7 Ed. 6. c. 4. 1 El. c. 4. 2 Ann. c. 11. 5 Ann. c. 24. 7 Ann. c. 27.
'I. WHEREAS it is necessary for the Governors of the Bounty of QueenAnne, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, in order to the more regular making proper Augmentations, to be informed, as exactly as may be, of the clear improved yearly Value of the Maintenance of all such Parsons, Vicars, Curates and Ministers, officiating in any Church or Chapel within that Part of Great Britain called England, thee Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed, where the Liturgy, and Rites of the Church of England, as now by Law established, are or shall be used and observed, whole Maintenance is intended to be augmented:' Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That the respective Bishopsof every Diocese, and the Guardians of the Spiritualtiessede vacante , shall be and are hereby impowered and required, from Time to Time, as they shall see Occasion, and as may best serve the Purposes of the said Bounty to the Poor Clergy, as well by the Oath of two or more credible Witnesses (which they, or others commissioned by them under their Hands and Seals, are hereby impowered to administer) as by all other lawful Ways and Means, to inform themselves of the clear improved yearly Value of every Benefice with Cure of Souls, Living and Curacy, and of the true and clear improved yearly Value of thee Maintenance of every Parson, Vicar, Curate, and Minister, officiating in any such Churches or Chapels, as aforesaid, within their several Dioceses, or within any Peculiars or Places of exempt Jurisdiction within the Bounds and Limits of their respective Dioceses, or adjoining and contiguous thereunto, although the same be exempt from the Jurisdiction of any Bishop in other Cases, and how such yearly Values arise, with the other Circumstances thereof, and the same, or such of them whereof they shall have fully informed themselves, from Timeto Time, with all convenient Speed, to certify under their respective Hands and Seals or Seals of their respective Offices, to the said Governors of the Bounty of QueenAnne, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, for their better Information in the Premisses.
II Certificates returned into the Exchequer by Virtue of 5 Ann. c. 24. and 6 Ann, c. 27. shall ascertain the Value of Livings not exceeding 50 l. per Ann.
II. Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That whereby Certificates duly returned into her Majesty's Court of Exchequer atWestminster, pursuant to an Act made in the Parliament held in the fifth Year of the Reign of her said late Majesty, intituled, An Act for discharging small Livings from their First-fruits and Tenths, and all Arrears thereof , and one other Act made in the sixth Year of the Reign of her said late Majesty, intituled, An Act to enlarge the Time for returning the Certificates of all Ecclesiastical Livings, not exceeding the yearly Value of fifty Pounds: As 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 , or either of them, or made good by this Act, the yearly Value of any Livings, not exceeding the clear yearly Value of fifty Pounds, are particularly and duly expressed and specified, such Certificates shall ascertain the Yearly Values of such Livings, in order to their being augmented by the said Governors, and no new or different Valuation thereof shall be returned to the said Governors by virtue of this present Act.
III All Rules, Methods, &c. agreed on by the Governors, and proposed to his Majesty, and approved under his Sign Manual, shall be valid.
'III. And whereas by her late Majesty's Letters Patent under her Great Seal, bearing Date the third Day ofNovember in the third Year of her Reign, incorporating the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy, the said Governors were authorized to consider, consult, advise, agree upon, draw up, prepare and propose in Writing to her said Majesty, her Heirs and Successors, such proper and necessary Rules, Methods, Directions, Orders and Constitutions, as the said Governors, or any seven or more of them, with suchQuorum as is therein directed, should in their Discretions judge most convenient to be observed, for and towards the better Rule and Government of the said Corporation and the Members thereof, and the receiving, accounting for, and managing all and every the Revenues thereby granted, or mentioned to be granted, and all Arrears thereof, and also for and concerning the distributing, paying, and disposing of the same, and all other Gifts and Benevolences that should or might be given or bequeathed to the said Corporation for the charitable Ends in the said Letters Patent mentioned, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy aforesaid; and such Rules, Methods, Orders, Directions and Constitutions, as should be so proposed, and should be approved, altered or amended by her said late Majesty, her Heirs or Successors, and such as should be made by her said Majesty, her Heirs and Successors, and so signified and declared by her, her Heirs or Successors, under her or their Great Seal, her said late Majesty thereby willed should be the Rules, Methods, Directions, Orders and Constitutions, by which the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne, for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of the poor Clergy and their Successors, should receive, manage, govern, apply and dispose her said late Majesty's Royal Bounty, and other Gifts and Benevolences which should or might after that Time be given or bequeathed to the said Corporation (where the Donors thereof should not particularly direct the Application thereof) to and for the Increase of the Maintenance of such Parsons, Vicars, Curates and Ministers officiating in any Church or Chapel within the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed, where the Liturgy and Rites of the Church of England, as then by Law established were and should be used and observed, for whom a Maintenance was not then sufficiently provided: And whereas pursuant to the said Letters Patent of Incorporation, the said Governors did agree upon, prepare, and propose to her said late Majesty, certain Rules and Constitutions for the better Rule and Government of the said Corporation, and her said late Majesty, by Letters Patent under her Great Seal, bearing Date the fifth Day of March in the twelfth Year of her Reign, did establish the said Rules and Constitutions, reserving to herself, her Heirs and Successors, Power, from Time to Time, under her or their Great Seal, to alter the same, and to give and make in like Manner such other Rules and Constitutions, according to the true Intention of the said Letters Patent of Incorporation, as to her said Majesty, her Heirs or Successors should seem meet: And whereas a more expeditious and easy Method of making and altering the Rules and Constitutions, for the better Rule and Government of the said Corporation, may tend to the Advancement of the said Charity;' Be it enacted and declared by the Authority aforesaid, That all such Rules, Methods, Orders, Directions and Constitutions, as shall, from Time to Time, be by the said Governors agreed upon, prepared and proposed to his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, according to the true Intention of the said Letters Patent of Incorporation, and by his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, approved under his or their Sign Manual, shall be as good, valid and effectual Rules, Methods, Directions, Orders and Constitutions, for the Purposes aforesaid, as if the same were made or established under the Great Seal of his Majesty, his Heirs or Successors.
'IV. And whereas her said late Majesty's Royal Bounty to the poor Clergy was intended to extend, not only to Parsons and Vicars who come in by Presentation or Collation, Institution, and Induction, but likewise to such Ministers who come in by Donation, or are only Stipendiary Preachers or Curates, officiating in any Church or Chapel where the Liturgy and Rites of the Church ofEngland, is now by Law established, are and shall be used and observed, most of which are not Corporations, nor have a legal Succession, and therefore are incapable of taking a Grant or Conveyance of such perpetual Augmentation as is agreeable to her said late Majesty's gracious Intentions, and in many Places it would be in the Power of the Impropriator, Donor, Parson, or Vicar, to withdraw the Allowance now or heretofore paid to the Curate or Minister serving the Cure, or in case of a Chapelry, the Incumbent of the Mother-Church might refuse to employ a Curate, or permit a Minister duly nominated or licenced to officiate in such augmented Chapel, and might officiate there...
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