2»'» a No 97., Nov. 7. '57.] 



. NOTES AND QUERIES. 



361 



LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7. 1857, 



CHURCH LEASES. 



There have been two crises in this matter, about 

 a century apart from each other. They seem to 

 have arisen thus : — The mode of letting leases 

 upon lives, imposed on ecclesiastics by law, gave 

 all kinds of persons an interest in taking less than 

 the value. The man who thought only about 

 himself could induce renewals by oifering low 

 terms, when he himself was at an advanced age ; 

 while the tenant was induced to renew, rather 

 than face the terms of a younger successor. The 

 man of a better kind was apt to remember that 

 moderation was expected from him, and that the 

 contrary would impair his utility. And so, be- 

 tween God and Mammon, there never was a time 

 when church property was as productive as lay. 

 The legislature, when it prohibited assurance on 

 life without an interest in the life assured, to pre- 

 vent gambling, shut its eyes on the large quantity 

 of gambling of a very injurious kind which was 

 an every day — or rather an any day — incident of 

 the dignified clergyman's pecuniary life. But the 

 telescope of the United Parliament very often 

 shows only part of the field. 



The second of the crises above-mentioned took 

 place in 1837, when the government proposed, 

 ineffectually, that the church estates sliould be 

 managed by the crown, and that the overplus 

 which arose from better management, that is, from 

 raising fines, should be applied in substitution for 

 church rates. It is not worth while, in our day, 

 to collect lists of political pamphlets, which are, 

 for the most part, rather addressed to the news- 

 papers than to the public ; and which, if they suc- 

 ceed, are preserved in newspaper arguments. 



The first of these crises began about 1729. As 

 far back as 1686 had appeared the celebrated 

 tables for purchasing leases, which have always 

 gone by the name of Newton. Who the author 

 was, I do not know : it may be a Query. It 

 would save print if it were always understood in 

 the pages of "N. & Q.," that "I do not know" 

 implies " Does any one else ? " The book seems 

 to have been intended especially for the consider- 

 ation of church landlords. The old tables called 

 JEcroicPs (who was he ?) were based on what was 

 a very high rate of interest in 1686. The tract 

 in question is — 



1. " Tables for renewing and purchasing of the leases 

 of Cathedral-churches and Colleges, according to several 

 rates of interest; with their construction and use ex- 

 plained. Also tables for Renewing and Purchasing Lives. 

 With Tables for purchasing the Leases of Land or Houses 

 according to several rates of interest, very necessary and 

 usefull for all purchasers, but especially for them who are 

 any way concerned in Church or College Leases. Cam- 



bridge, printed by John Hayes, Printer to tha University. 

 1686." 8vo., small. 



Newton's share in the matter is ehown in ]tb^ 

 following imprimatur : — 



" Methodus hujus libri rectfe se habet, numerique, ut 

 ex quibusdam ad calculum revocatis judico, satis exacts 

 tomputantur. Is. Newton, Math. Prof. Luc." 



So far as I can collect from the various pam-r 

 phlets presently named, the practice of demanding 

 higher fines had been growing for thirty or forty 

 years before the publication of ihe tables named 

 after Newton. The discontent of the tenants 

 seems to have grown to a height shortly before 

 1729, when a war of pamphlets commenced, and 

 the clergy were threatened with a bill to make 

 the old usages become positive law. Whether this 

 bill ever found its way into the House of Com-f 

 mons, I do not know. T'le following is the list of 

 the pamphlets, so far as I know them : — 



2. " The Value of Church and College Leases con- 

 sidered, and the advantage of the lessees made very ap- 

 parent. Third Edition, 1729, 8vo." Several times printed : 

 appended to the fourth and later editions of (1.). 



3. " Edward Laurence. A dissertation on Estates upon 

 Lives and years, whether in Lay or in Church hands. 

 London, 1730, 8vo." For the Lessors. 



4. " A true estimate of the value of Leasehold Estates. 

 .... London, 1731, 8vo." In answer to (2.). 



5. " Everard Fleetwood. An enquiry into the cus- 

 torpary-estates and tenant-rights of^those who hold lands 



of church and other foundations To which is 



added, the copy of a bill, drawn and perused b}- divers 

 eminent lawyers, for settling of Church-fines. London, 

 1731, 8vo." For the Lessees. 



6. Attributed to Dr. Gaily. " The reasonableness of 

 Church and college lines asserted. London, 1731, Sy.Q." 

 An answer to (5.). 



7. " W. Derham, D.D. A defence of the Churches 

 Eight in Leasehold Estates. London, 1731, 8vo." Another 

 answer to (o.). 



8. " Dicaiophjilus Cantabrigiensis [supposed to be Dr. 

 Long]. The rights of Churches and Colleges defended. 

 London, 1731, 8vo." Another answer to (5.). 



9. " Reasons for a law to oblige spiritual persons 



to renew their leases for customary and reasonable fines. 

 London, 8vo." This 1 have never seen. 



There are probably many other pamphlets, some 

 of which may be drawn out. It seems that in 

 1731, there was a bill before Parliament to pre- 

 vent suits for tythes : probably this bill was the 

 exciting cause of the writings of 1731. 



Thus it seems that in 1731 the clergy were 

 threatened with an enactment to prevent them 

 from raising their terms. But in 1837, they were 

 in danger of having their estates taken out of 

 their hands for not having raised their terms 

 enough. This reminds one of Reuben Butler's 

 grace before meat, which Knochdunder swore was 

 too long, and David Deans said was too short, 

 from which Walter Scott inferred it was exactly 

 the proper length. A. De Mobgan. 



