io8 CANVEY ISLAND 



ever brought them there — the Church left the 

 islanders absolutely alone. For marriage they had to 

 trudge to their respective parish churches on the 

 mainland, often a weary way; for burial they took 

 their dead to Benfleet. A little chapel put up by the 

 Dutch colonists in the seventeenth century was the 

 first place of worship on the island. But the Dutch 

 left, and the chapel fell into decay. It was rebuilt by 

 one who held a small farm there, which he charged 

 with ;^8 for a few sermons. This was slowly improved 

 upon, and in 1715 a wooden chapel was consecrated 

 by Compton, Bishop of London, " for 20 sermons a 

 year." After a long interval some of the neighbouring 

 clergy provided by contributions for a few more 

 sermons, which were supplied in fine weather by the 

 chaplain for the time being. Things have gradually 

 improved, and for some years now Canvey has 

 been happy in the possession of a vicar, a wooden 

 vicarage, and a wooden church ; while more recently, 

 by a crowning and an almost superhuman effort, the 

 island has been semi-parochialised. All the houses 

 \ in Canvey are of wood, any heavier material is con- 

 ' sidered liable to disappear beneath the soft alluvial 

 soil. 



The cause of law and order was further promoted 



