ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY Two methods of supplying new churches presented themselves. The earlier and more legitimate method was the erection of district chapels, in imitation of the New Chapel built in Westminster in 1631. The idea was adopted by Tenison and his successors in the overgrown parish of St. Martin's in the Fields.*" The first chapel was that built by Richard Baxter in Oxenden Street,"' and leased to the vestry of St. Martin's ; in 17 14 the parish was also supplied with chapels in Knightsbridge, Russell Court, formerly a Nonconformist place of worship, and now largely supported by ' the gentlemen of Her Majesty's Playhouse,' and Holy Trinity, Conduit Street.*^" At the same date there was a chapel of ease to St. James's West- minster, in King Street, Golden Square, built of wood by Tenison, and rebuilt in brick in 1702 ; further repairs in 171 3 rendered it 'a very spacious and beautiful chapel.' *'^ The parish of St. Margaret's Westminster was served by the New Chapel,*^^ now Christ Church Victoria Street, in the jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, which, twenty-five years later, was frequented by ' one of the best and politest congregations in town.'*^^ A chapel had been erected at the Restoration at Poplar in the parish of Stepney, which had also a tabernacle in Petticoat Lane, and St. Giles in the Fields had obtained the chapel in Great Queen Street erected in 1706 by the schismatic Baggely.*^* But though these and other chapels of ease were erected, it was felt that more systematic church-building was needed than the private efforts recommended by Nelson to persons of quality. Swift desired legislative action, and perhaps did more than any other man to bring it about. In 17 10 an Act was passed authorizing the erection of fifty new churches within the district known as the Bills of Mortality, to be erected with the proceeds of the coal tax.*^^ A commission was issued on 21 September 1710, and Wren was consulted on the disposition of the churches. *"° The report of the commissioners is not available, and the position of some of the twenty- three churches built cannot easily be explained.*" St. John's Westminster, consecrated in 1728, is remarkably close to St. Margaret's, which had just been enlarged, and to the New Chapel, from which it is said to have drawn off the congregation,*^^ though the new district was computed to contain 4,250 houses.*^** Proprietary chapels were the second remedy, and owed their origin either to the action of the inhabitants *^ or to individual enterprise. In either case their position was anomalous and opposed to the parochial system. The chapels built by subscription were the earliest type ; of these there were two in London in 1714 : the chapels in Noble Street in the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate, and St. George's Queen's Square. Those built by the landlords of the locality at the same date were in Duke Street, Queen's Square, and Spring Gardens, Westminster, Ailesbury Chapel and White Lion Yard ; *'^ they were always erected in fashionable districts, and their anomalous "° D. and C. Westm. extra-parochial box 2 ; ' The Chapels.' *" Calamy, Hist. Acct. ii, 71. "" Paterson, Ptetas Load. 127, 251, 278. "' Ibid. 126.
- '" D. and C. Westm. extra-parochial box 2 ; 'Caseabout the Chapels.' '-' Thomas Newton, Works, i, 9.
^" Paterson, op. cit. 246, 248, 268. *" Stat. 9 Anne, cap. 22. '-" Nelson, Address to Persons of Quality and Estate, App. i ; Wren, Parentalia, 318. '" J. E. Smith, S/. John the Evangelist Par. Mem. 17.
- '* D. and C. Westm. extra-parochial box 2 ; ' The Chapels.' *" Smith, op. cit. 14.
"° Johnson, Clergyman's Vade Mecum, 25. "' Paterson, Pietas Lond. 1, 73, 86, 209, 248, 261, 269. 365
