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In A.D. 1828, special powers were conferred on the Church 
Building Society and Royal Letters were issued triennially for 
_ many years, the last being A.D. 1851, In A.D. 1854, Briefs 
were finally abolished. 
Among the Briefs of earlier date than those in the Keynsham 
book I may mention the Brief for that Church which had suffered 
' so much from the tempestuous weather January 13, 1631, that 
it led to a new Tower being built. An original copy of this Brief 
___ is preserved in Keynsham Church. The Brief for re-building that 
part of London which was burnt in the Great Fire obtained 7 /8 
at Horningsham, near Longleat, July 14, 1661, and for the Sugar 
House, London (whatever it might have been) which had also 
been burnt down, Stanton Prior sent a contribution (July 1, 1672). 
_ An exaggerated use of Briefs was one for an individual. 
None occur among the Keynsham Briefs, but from among many 
others I have read of, I may select Rose Walters, of Oxford— 
William Man, of Gillingham—while for John Hall, of Ratlief, 
_ Middlesex, the respectability of the individual would be much 
doubted at the present day unless testimonials of good character 
were attached. 
_ Reforms had been introduced (4 Anne) but the evil had so 
much increased that Briefs seem to have been sent as far away 
as possible and to places where the facts were unknown. It is 
remarkable that among the Keynsham Briefs no collections are 
recorded for Somerset. Local wants and distresses were, I trust, 
pleaded for on off Sundays, and elicited more than the usual 74d. 
¢ he number of Briefs appear to have varied with the distance of 
the County. Yorkshire, which has taken away the woollen trade, 
‘was then endeavouring to obtain the most money. Forty-six 
Briefs came from Yorkshire, 34 from Staffordshire, 17 from 
Lancashire, 16 from Salop, as compared with 8 from Wilts, and 
6 each from Surrey and Sussex ; only 2 Briefs were received for 
