194 On the Revenues of the 



facts will here be mentioned, illustra- 

 tive of tlie revenues, the numbers, and 

 patronage of the English clergy. The 

 writer has long been engaged in in- 

 quiries connected with these topics, 

 and he believes his statements will 

 bear investigation. 

 I. — Revenues of the Established Clergy, 



Most statements of ecclesiastical in- 

 come are limited to a valuation of the 

 tithe and real property of the church. 

 This plan is adopted in the pamphlet 

 on the " Consumption of Public Wealth 

 by the Clergy," in which the revenues 

 of the church are stated at 7,600,000/. 

 a-year, which is little more than two- 

 thirds of their real amount. We will 

 briefly indicate the sources of revenue 

 omitted in this publication : and, first, 

 of public charities. 



The revenue of charitable founda- 

 tions has been estimated by Mr. 

 Brougham at near two millions a- 

 year ;* and, from the tenure of eleemo- 

 synary endowments, they are almost 

 in entire possession of the clergy. In 

 England and Wales, according td the 

 returns under the Gilbert Act.f there 

 are 3,898 grammar schools, and other 

 endowments for education, of which 

 the clergy enjoy the exclusive emolu- 

 ment, and in the remaining charities 

 they largely participate as trustees, or 

 in other capacity. The pious credulity 

 of the preceding generation, induced 

 them to place implicit reliance on the 

 clergy ; little foreseeing how their 

 confidence would be abused. Three- 

 fourths of charitable property, at least, 

 were thus left to the mercy of eccle- 

 siastics. The Universities, the great 

 Schools of Westminster, St. Paul's, 

 Harrow, and Rugby, the Charter- 

 house, Christ's Hospital, and all the 

 principal foundations in the metropo- 

 lis and neighbourhood, are in exclusive 

 possession of the clergy of the esta- 

 blishment, from which they derive 

 large emoluments, as wardens, pro- 

 vosts, fellows, tutors, high-masters, 

 ushers, and assistants. Probably the 

 total revenue derived by the clergy 

 from charitable foundations is not less 

 than 1,200,000/. per animm. 



Surplice-fees form another abundant 

 source of ecclesiastical income. For- 

 merly, fees on burials, marriages, 

 churchiugs, and christenings, were 



* Speech in the House of Commons, 

 May 1818. 

 t 26 George III. 



Established Clergy. [April I, 



paid only by the rich, and were in- 

 tended for charity : what was formerly 

 a gift has been converted into a de- 

 mand, and, instead of the poor re- 

 ceiving these donations, they are now 

 pocketed by the minister. London 

 church-fees are supposed to be equal 

 to one-third of the priests' salary ; but 

 it is difficult to estimate their yearly 

 value. The Rev. Mr. Cove,* whose 

 estimates of church property seldom 

 exceed one-half the real amount, cal- 

 culates the annual value of the glebe 

 and surplice fees of each parish, on an 

 average, at 40/. a-year; making, ac- 

 cording to him, a tax upon the popu- 

 lation of half a million per annum. 



Easter and Whitsun offerings form 

 a third source of revenue. These 

 offerings, or dues, as they are some- 

 times called, are certain customary 

 payments at Easter and all church 

 festivals, to which inhabitant house- 

 keepers are liable. Their amount 

 varies in difl'erent parts of the country. 

 In the north they commonly pay six- 

 pence in lieu of an offering-hen ; a 

 shilling in lieu of an offering goose or 

 turkey ; one penny called smoke ; and 

 three half-pence for every communi- 

 cant above the age of sixteen. We 

 have no means of estimating the an- 

 nual worth of these candle-ends and 

 cheese-parings of mother church : all 

 that we can say is, that in some parts 

 they are very pertinaciously levied, 

 and considered by the clergy as a part 

 of their ancient rights. Probably they 

 may be taken at 100,000/. a-year. 



Lectureships form another branch 

 of clerical income : where there is no 

 endowment for a lectureship, the pa- 

 rishioners provide one at their own 

 charge. The value of a lectureship 

 varies, of course, with the number and 

 liberality of the subscribers. They 

 are generally held with other prefer- 

 ments, and may be stated at 60,000/. 

 a-year. 



The last branches of revenue we 

 shall notice are chaplainships, and 

 such public offices as the clergy may 

 be said to hold ex-officio, and to which 

 they are generally preferred. The 

 value of chaplainships to the nobilitj', 

 to embassies, to public bodies, and 

 commercial factories abroad, must be 

 considerable ; but of the value of these, 

 and of the offices held by the clergy 



* Essay on the Revenues of the Church 

 of England, p. 21;^. 



in 



