By the Commissioners of the Land Revenue.
These are to certify, that the said commissioners have contracted and agreed with the Reverend John Arrow, vicar of Lowestoft, in the county of Suffolk, clerk, for the sale to him of all that yearly rent of three shillings and fourpence, due and payable to his Majesty by the said John Arrow, as vicar of Lowestoft aforesaid, for or in respect of a certain messuage or tenement and pightle of land, called St. Roch’s Light, situate and being at Lowestoft, with the appurtenances thereof, at or for the price or sum of five pounds of lawful money of Great Britain, to be paid by the said John Arrow into the Bank of England, in the name of the said Commissioners. Which said rent, from and immediately after the payment of the said sum, in manner aforesaid, and the inrollment of this certificate with the receipt of the said purchase-money, in the office of the auditor of the land-revenue for the county aforesaid, shall be adjudged, deemed, and taken to be absolutely vested in the said purchaser and his successors, vicar of Lowestoft, for ever by virtue of an Act passed in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his present Majesty King George the Third, intitled, “An Act for appointing commissioners to inquire into the state and condition of the woods, forests, and land-revenues belonging to the crown, and to sell or nalieate fee-farm and improveable rents.”
Given under the hands of the said Commissioners, the twenty-ninth day
of Feburary, one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight.Charles Middleton, John Call, John Fordyce.
Witness to the signing, by the said Commissioners,
William Harrison.
Received the 6th day of March, 1788, of and from the above-named, the Rev. John Arrow, the sum of five pounds, of lawful money of Great Britain, being the consideration-money expressed in the above certificate.
Witness my hand, for the governor and company of the Bank of England,
J. Padman, cashier.
Inrolled the 6th day of March, 1788, before me,
John Hosier, dep. aud.
Paid for the conveyance of the premises £0 11s. 8d.; Paid into the Bank of England, for purchase of ditto £5; Paid for inrolling ditto at the Auditor’s office, New Palace Yard, Westminister 10s. 0d.; Total £6 1s. 8d.
Mr. Tanner was greatly encouraged in this undertaking by Mr. Thomas Mighells, of Lowestoft, merchant [120a] and assisted by the Rev. Gregory Clarke, rector of Blundeston.
It appears that there was a suit in chancery respecting the impropriation of Lowestoft, and that it was obliged to be sold by order of a decree of that court. Mr. Tanner alludes to this suit in the following letter addressed to Mrs. Dorothy Mighells, Burlington Key, Yorkshire:
Madam, The suit which was begun in chancery two or three years ago, concerning the great tithes of this parish, is now brought so near to an end that ’tis thought they will be sold before harvest; so that we are now making all the interest we can to get them. And to that end Mr. Clarke and I are to ride about the country two or three days every week a-begging; and, God be thanked, we have made a pretty good beginning. As you were pleased to tell me more than once that you would give £5 towards it, I have presumed to put you down so much, for an example and encouragement to others; and also have sent you a copy of the paper which we have printed and sent to such as we cannot well get to.
I am, your most obliged Kinsman,
J. Tanner. [120b]Lowestoft, 21st May, 1719.
The undertaking of the Rev. Tanner proved so successful in the subscription, as to enable him to complete the purchase, and consequently endowed the vicarage of Lowestoft with the impropriation of the great tithes in the manner inserted under:
IMPROPRIATION OF LOWESTOFT.
The impropriation of the parish of Lowestoft, being to be sold in the year 1719, John Tanner, then vicar, being greatly encouraged by Mr. Thomas Mighells, of Lowestoft, merchant, and very much assisted by the Rev. Gregory Clarke, rector of Blundestone, solicited contributions from the tradesmen and gentlemen of the country, and obtained Queen Anne’s bounty towards it; and got conveyances thereof to him the said John Tanner, about Christmas, 1719; but several difficulties arising, it could not be finally settled till 1721; when the great tithes of all the lands lying on the north, or right-hand part of the highway leading from the Swan Lane to Mutford Bridge, were settled (in conjunction with the govenors of Queen Anne’s bounty, who have all the writings relating to this purchase) on the then vicar immediately, and his successors for ever, without any condition but that of paying thirty shillings per year towards repairing the chancel. And in November, 1721, the said John Tanner conveyed the other moiety, or the great tithes of all those lands lying upon the south, or left-hand part of the aforesaid highway, unto Mr. Thomas Mighells, Mr. Stephen Buxton, Mr. John Barker, jun., Mr. Robert Hayward, and Mr. John Durrant, of Lowestoft; to the Rev. Clarke, of Blundestone; Mr. Burton, of Gisleham; Mr. Richardson, of Pakefield; Mr. Camell, of Bradwell; and Mr. Woolmer, of Carleton; and their heirs for ever. That out of the profits of the same the sum of our hundred and forty pounds (which being wanted to complete the purchase, was kindly lent by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Tanner, a Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich) might be repaid with interest; and after the said £440 was repaid, then to be for the benefit of the Vicar of Lowestoft for the time being for ever, in the following words:—
And from and after he the said Dr. Thomas Tanner, his executors, administrators, or assigns, shall be fully reimbursed and repaid the said sum of £440 of good and lawful money of this nation, and also all interest for the same, to become and grow due; and also all costs, charges and expenses which he or they shall be put unto for or by reason or means as aforesaid. That then the said Thomas Mighells, Stephen Buxton, John Barker, Robert Hayward, John Durrant, George Clarke, Joshua Buxton, Philip Richardson, Robert Camel and Robert Woolmer, and the survivors or survivor of them, and the heirs and assigns of the survivor of them, shall stand be seized of the said tithes of corn and grain, in that part of the said parish above particularly described, to the only use, benefit and behoof of the Vicar of Lowestoft aforesaid for the time being for ever. So as, and upon this express proviso and condition, nevertheless, That such Vicar for the time being, and all and every his successors, vicars of the said parish of Lowestoft, shall, for rightfully qualifying him or themselves to take and enjoy such tithes, or the rents and profits thereof, reside within the said parish of Lowestoft for the space of eight kalendar months, or five and thirty weeks in every year to be computed from Midsummer to Midsummer wherein he shall have or claim such tithes, or the rents and profits thereof. And by himself, or his sufficient curate or curates, read divine service and preach twice every Lord’s day, commonly called Sunday, and read prayers every Wednesday and Friday weekly, and also on every holy day; and publicly administer the holy sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the said parish church at Lowestoft, in every year at least six times, as now within the said parish is accustomed to be done. And so as such person or persons who shall, by virtue of these presents, become entitled to the said tithes of corn and grain in that part of the said parish of Lowestoft, herein before particularly mentioned or described, or the rents and profits thereof, shall from time to time, and at all times for ever hereafter, maintain, repair, and keep the whole chancel of the church of Lowestoft aforesaid in good and tenantable repair, being yearly and every year allowed towards the doing of the same, the sum of thirty shillings, by or from such person or persons as shall rightfully have claim, receive or take the tithes of corn and grain growing or arising, or to be received in that part of the said parish as lyeth on the north or right-hand side of the said score, lane, way or road, before herein particularly described and distinguished from the other part on the southern part thereof. Provided always, and upon this further condition, that if the said Vicar for the time being, or his successor or successors, vicar or vicars of the said parish of Lowestoft shall, after the first Midsummer after the institution and induction of such vicar or vicars, unto and into the said parish church, be absent from the said parish by the space of four kalender months, or seventeen weeks in any year, to be computed from Midsummer to Midsummer; or shall neglect to perform, or cause the said duties to be performed, in any manner that shall be judged wilful negligence, and not casual, undersigned, or allowable omitance, by the chancellor of the diocese of Norwich, or any other person or persons deputed by him (whose sentence shall be final.) Then for every year the vicar is negligent or absent as aforesaid (after the said sums repaid and re-imbursed unto the said Dr. Tanner, his executors, administrators or assigns), it shall and may be lawful for the churchwardens of the said parish of Lowestoft, and the schoolmaster of the free school of the foundation of Mr. Annott in Lowestoft to take, collect, and receive the said tithes of corn and grain in that part of the said parish of Lowestoft herein particularly mentioned and described, for the use and benefit of the schoolmaster of the said free school; upon this condition nevertheless, that the said schoolmaster shall for every year’s profit that shall by this means fall to him, teach six such poor children as shall be sent unto him by the churchwardens of Lowestoft aforesaid for the time being for the space of three years. And whereas it may so happen, that he that is schoolmaster of the said free school, when the vicar is thus absent, may be removed within three years afterwards: it is hereby directed and appointed, that the monies arising by and from the said tithes shall be laid up in the hands of the churchwardens, or one of them, or such other person or persons as the said schoolmaster shall appoint and approve of, who shall give sufficient security to the satisfaction of the said schoolmaster, to pay the sixth part of it every half-year to the schoolmaster of the said free school for the time being, for teaching such six poor children as shall be sent thither as aforesaid; exclusive of such part or parts thereof as shall be for the repair of the said chancel, having such allowance as aforesaid. And so shall every year that the vicar is absent or negligent, as aforesaid. And when the vicar is resident, and performs, or causes the duties aforesaid to be performed, within the said parish, by the space of eight kalendar months, as aforesaid, then the same is to be for the use of the vicar only, anything herein before mentioned to the contrary thereof, in any wise notwithstanding.
In witness whereof, etc.
That the above £440 and interest was (after a great deal of money laid out about the chancel etc.,) cleared off and discharged about Lady Day, 1742, by the above twenty years care and trouble of the above John Tanner, vicar of the said parish of Lowestoft, who besides his contribution of eighty pounds, given by him when the subscription was first opened, gave likewise afterwards twenty years’ profits of that part of the tithes, which was settled on the vicar by the govenors of Queen Anne’s bounty, in the year 1721; disclaiming at the same time all merits to himself, and attributing it solely to the bounty and goodness of the Supreme Being, saying
At non nobis, Domine, sed nomini tuo sit Gloria. Amen.
Not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name be the Glory. Amen.