The ancient Rate of these New Lands in the King’s Books was 661 l. 6 s. and 8 d. per Annum; but according to the improved Rents, as they were then turned over to the College, 812 l. 12 s. 9 d. out of which 160 l. 2 s. 4 d. was yearly allowed them in Requital of their Lands passed to King Hen. VIII. and 600 l. per Annum, for accomplishment of his Will; but the remaining Sum, viz. 52 l. 10 s. 5 d. was reserved in lieu of Tenths, to be paid into the Court of Augmentation; nevertheless, this last reserved Sum was not assented unto by the Dean and Canons to be so paid, because the Charges issuing out of the Lands were larger than were expressed in the Rental. And we find that, shortly after, the Rents of St. Germains, Northam, Ilsington, &c. part of the New Lands, were received and accounted for, according to the old Rate in the King’s books, to wit, 162 l. 13 s. 4 d. per Annum, in Recompence for the Lands conveyed to King Hen. VIII. and out of which they paid a yearly Surplusage of 2 l. 2 s. 1 d. This Sum, together with the Rents of the rest of the New Lands, being upon the said Improvement accounted to be 597 l. 17 s. 11 d. made in all 600 l. per Annum; and this was laid out by the Dean and Canons for some time towards erecting the Alms-Knights Apartments.

Thus stood the Lands accounted for till the Settlement made by Queen Elizabeth, who in the First Year of her Reign appointed the Dean and Canons to convert the Rents of these New Lands to such Uses and Intents as she had set down in a Book signed with her Sign manual, and annexed to an Indenture made between her and the Dean and Canons; by which Indenture they were obliged to apply the Rents and Profits of these Lands, as was prescribed in the Book, and to observe the Ordinances therein, and upon Default, to abide such Orders as the Crown, or any Knight-Companion, deputed by the Sovereign, shall set forth.

l.s.d.
In this Book the Total of the Revenue reckon’d at the ancient Value 6610608
The Annual Charge and Disbursements therein set down 4301906
And so Remains 2300702

Which Remainder has been and is assigned for Payment of Tenths to the Crown, Vicars, Curates, Annual Stipends, Officers Fees, Reparation of the Premisses, and for the Relief of the Dean and Canons, in Maintenance and Defence of the said Lands.

And to the End the Queen might know how the Revenue was disposed of, she gave charge that her Lieutenant and the Knights-Companions should annually (at the Feast of the Order held at Windsor) state the Accompt, and see how the Income was expended, and that her Lieutenant should yearly be put in mind of it by one of the Officers of the Order. This Ordinance was renewed, 21 Jac. I. and the Chancellor of the Order was appointed to be the Remembrancer, and in Obedience thereunto, the Account of these new Lands (which begins at Lady-Day, as that of the old Lands doth at Michaelmas) was afterwards exhibited in Chapter, and in particular that Account, 9 Car. I. which was submitted to the Sovereign and Knights-Companion’s Consideration, who referred the Inspection thereof to the Knights-Commissaries, who were to consult over the Affairs of the Order.

§. 8. The Privileges of the Chapel and College are Ecclesiastical and Temporal: As to the first, Pope Clement VI. exempted the Chapel, College, Canons, Priests, Clerks, Alms-Knights and Officers, from all ordinary Jurisdiction of Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, and all Judges and Officers, and received them within the Protection of the Papal-See; and granted a farther Privilege, That the Custos should have Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over the Canons, Priests, &c. as also the Cure of their Souls, notwithstanding any Papal Constitution, Provincial, or Synodical, yet allowing that the Custos should receive that Cure from the Diocesan of the Place. In Consideration of this Exemption, the Custos was to pay annually, on St. George’s Day, a Mark in Silver, to the Pope’s Chamber. Two Years preceding, the Chapel was called the King’s Free Chapel, which Title it still enjoys; for it owes Subjection to none but the Sovereign of England, the Supream of the Church, as heretofore it stood divided between the King and See of Rome. The Privilege of Exemption included in the Confirmation of Liberties, made by the Founder in his Charter, dated Anno Regni sui 47. and all other Emoluments granted by him, are confirmed by Act of Parliament, 8 Hen. VI. As the College has its sole Dependance on the Crown, it is visitable only by the Lord-Chancellor, whose Visitations and Power are reserved to him by the Statutes of the College, and himself called in the King’s Commission for Visitation, 2 Rich. II. Governor of the said Chapel, as well in Spirituals as Temporals, and, under the King, immediate Custos. And so jealous were the Dean and Canons, lest the Power of the said Exemption should be infringed, that when Sixtus IV. had granted the Bishop of Salisbury, and themselves, to make new and interpret the ancient Statutes, they soon obtained a Revocation of that Authority, lest the said Bishop (in whose Diocess the College is situate) being so unpowered, might by Degrees bring them under his Jurisdiction, in prejudice to their Exemption. And, A. D. 1485. to prevent such design, the Archbishop of Canterbury, &c. were commission’d to see the Bull revoked, and Salisbury enjoyned not to intermeddle further in the College Affairs. Moreover other Bishops, and the Chancellor of England, were to renew, alter, or new make such Statutes as might accrue to the Advantage of the College.

If the Archbishop of Canterbury be present in the Chapel, he sits below the Dean, nor can he consecrate there, without his License. And this is very remarkable, that at the ratifying the Peace between King Charles I. and Lewis XIII. A. D. 1629. in the Chapel at Windsor, Dr. Wren, then Dean of the College, gave the Oath to the French Ambassador, and not the Archbishop of Canterbury, tho’ he was then present.

The Dean and Chapter are to weigh well and debate at their yearly Chapters all things fit to be dispatched in reference to the College Affairs, and whatsoever Determination they come to, not repugnant to their Statutes, all Persons are firmly obliged to observe.

The Deans have no Institution from any Bishop, but his Institution, Investiture, and Installation into the Custos-ship, Canonship, and Prebendship, is conferred from such of the Canons Resident, to whom the King (who collates) doth recommend him. Other Marks of Exemption appear in the constant proving of Wills before him, or in his Absence before his Lieutenant. In using the Power of Excommunication within their Jurisdiction (the Precincts of the College) granting a Dispensation for eating Flesh in Lent, a farther Mark of their Privilege appears, that the Ordination for the Chantry Priests were confirmed by the Dean and Chapter, and not the Bishop of the Diocess, as were the Statutes of the new Commons. The Dean is exempt from paying all Synodals, or Procurations, nor can any of the King’s Chaplains preach in the Chapel of St. George, unless he be a Canon there, or have License from the King, or from the Dean and Canons. They send no Delegates to the Synod, and when the Point was debated, 1640. it was carried in the Negative, as being against their Liberties, and might intitle them to the Payment of Subsidies; nor are they intitled to any Share in the Government of the Church, more than the Colleges in the Universities, where there are many nominal Deans. In short, when by the Act of Uniformity, 14 Car. II. every Clergyman was bound to subscribe before the Archbishop or his Ordinary, the Canons subscribed before the Dean; and tho’ some of them subscribed before the Bishop, yet was it with a Salvo, saving the Rights and Privileges of this Free Chapel.

Their Temporal Immunities and Privileges are these, as granted them by Charter, 6 Mar. 27 Edw. III. and confirmed by several of his Successors.