448 



A LIST OF BRIEFS FEOM THE REGISTER BOOKS OF 

 LANGLEY BURRELL. 



Transcribed by the Rev. A. B. Mynoes. 



During the Middle Ages the Church was all powerful in Great 

 Britain, and in many ways was the friend of the people by ob- 

 taining funds for various necessary and charitable objects. 



Doubtless, therefore, in such calamities as fires, floods, &c, the 

 Church would devise means of affording relief. 



Church Charity Briefs were issued as appeals to particular 

 districts or to the kingdom at large. Collections were made at 

 the houses in the district, or, after reading of the Brief at Church. 

 The time for reading Briefs was declared, by a rubric in the Book 

 of Common Prayer, to be after the singing or saying of the Nicene 

 Creed. It is singular that, whilst Briefs were abolished by Act of 

 Parliament in 1828, 1 this notice remains. 



In the fifteenth century the King granted " Patents of Alms " 

 for like purposes with those of the Charity Briefs of the Church. 



Such Patents gradually became general under the designation of 

 " King's Briefs," and were really licenses for the collection of 

 money. 



The first printed King's Relief Brief known to exist does not 

 relate to a fire, but to a plague visitation. It bears date, 26 June, 

 1630 (6 Charles I.) Such Brief was addressed : — 



" To all and singular Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, Deans and 

 their officials . . . Justices of Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliffes, 

 Constables, Churchwardens . . . &c." 



Briefs were usually issued by the Lord Chancellor under the 

 authority of the King in Council, to those who furnished proof of 

 loss, accompanied by a recommendation from some nobleman or 

 other person attached to the Court. 



The earliest Fire Brief now known to exist was issued under 



1 Except in the case of the National Society, the Church Building Society, 

 and the S.P.C.K., for which Briefs continued to be issued till 1853. 



