Amen corner, at the end of Pater-noster-row, near St. Paul’s. See Pater-noster-row.
Amersham, or Agmondesham, a small but very ancient borough, in Buckinghamshire, situated in a vale between woody hills, 29 miles from London. This town does not come within the compass which we have prescribed round London, but our map of the environs not being a circle, the angles of it take in some few places at a greater distance than 20 miles; and these being inserted in our map, we thought we could not dispense with taking notice of them, as well as of those within the prescribed limits. The town consists of a long street, divided about the middle by a shorter cross street; in the intersection of which stands the church, said to be the best rectory in the county; it being well endowed by Geoffery de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, in the reign of King Stephen. There is here a handsome market-house, built with brick on arched pillars, about 80 years ago, by Sir William Drake, Knt. It has a free school founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and here is also a fine seat called Shardelowes, the manor of which formerly belonged to the noble family of the Russels; but about the time of the restoration it was sold, with the borough, to Sir William Drake, Bart. in whose family it still remains.
Amicable Society, in Serjeants-inn Fleet street, was incorporated by a charter granted by Queen Anne, in the year 1706, for a perpetual Assurance-office for the purpose of making a provision for their wives, children, and other relations, after an easy, certain and advantageous manner, with power to purchase lands, &c. and to have a seal, which is a dove standing upon a serpent, and above in a scroll the motto Prudens Simplicitas. The number of persons to be incorporated was not to exceed 2000. After paying the charges of the policy, and 10s. entrance-money, each person was to pay 6l. 4s. per annum, which annual payments have since, by the increase of the Society’s stock, been reduced to 5l. a year, payable quarterly, and from these payments the dividends to claimants are to arise.
That this Society has been greatly beneficial to the public, evidently appears from a state of their yearly dividends from Lady-day 1710, to Lady 1757, during which each claim amounted upon an average to 106l. 1s. 4d. but taking the computation only for these twenty-three years last past, viz. from the year 1734, (when by an order of the general court, a part of their yearly income was appropriated for augmenting their claims whenever they should happen to be under 100l.) the quantum of such claims from the year 1734 to 1757, have amounted upon an average to 120l. 9s. 1d. and so considerable has been the increase of the dividends for these nine years last past, that each claim, during that period, has been advanced upon an average to 142l. 6s. 5d.
However, at a general court held May 12, 1757, an order was made for farther augmenting the dividends on claims, so as that for the future they will not be less than 125l. each claim, but yet may happen to be considerably more, which has been the case of several former years.
The advantages from becoming members of this society are such as follow:
To clergymen, physicians, surgeons, lawyers, tradesmen, and particularly persons possessed of places or employments for life: to such parents, husbands, or wives, and other relations, whose income is subject to be determined or diminished at their respective deaths, who by insuring their lives by means of this Society, may now in all events leave to their families a claim, or right, to receive a sum not less than 125l. for every five pounds annually paid in, and very probably a larger sum, as appears by the above account.
To married persons, more especially where a jointure, pension, or annuity depends on both or either of their lives, by insuring the life of the persons intitled to such annuity, pension or jointure.
To dependents upon any other person intitled to a salary, benefaction, or other means of subsistence, during the life of such person, whose life being insured in this society, either by themselves, or by the person upon whom they are dependent, will intitle them to receive upon the death of such person, a sum not less than 125l. for each number so insured.
To persons wanting to borrow money, who by insuring their lives, are enabled to give a collateral security for the money borrowed.