Parish Monies and Vestry Business

At the Vestry of 27 August 1601 concern was shown that some parishioners had not paid their taxes and 'doe refuse to pay' for the new great bell. The fourth bell had broken as well which meant another charge on the parishioners for its recasting. In addition the new gallery was to be proceeded with to provide more seating.

One whole years pew rent was to be paid in one sum, by those being placed in a pew, in addition to the quarterly rent. Those who did not have a pew were to pay four pence besides their quarterly charge.

James Tailor and his wife Margaret had apparently begun a suit against the churchwardens Stephen Houghton, Francis Snow, William Pratt and John Belman and arrangements were made for the cost of matter to be paid by the parish provided that the churchwardens did their best to collect the outstanding money for the bell and pew rent.

The vicar in 1604 was in dispute with the Vestry because he had not passed on the Communion pence to the Churchwardens. The Rector, John Haiward, who was also Rector of St Mary Woolchurch, had to intervene.

Mr Gouldma, the next vicar, 'a quiet man' compared to the previous David English was allowed in 1605 to resume collecting the Communion pennies. In 1606 the vestry heard there had been complaints as to the use which collections and legacies for the poor had been put. It was agreed that in future the money would be kept locked in a chest to which the Vicar and four churchwardens only had the keys. None of this money it was decided was to be spent without the agreement of the vicar, the four Churchwardens and one vestryman from each hamlet. Account books would also be kept in future in the same chest.

John Triggs of Ratcliffe owed St Dunstan's vestry his quarterly 6d on 8 September 1617 and was sued by them for church repairs. Thomas Mootam of Wapping Wall and Henry Goodgame of Wapping also refused to pay. Other business was the addition of some more pews. The vestrymen were also reminded that they could be fined 12 pence if they did not attend the Vestries.

The vestry was once more concerned with bells in 1618 and the renewing of some of the pews and the repairing of others. The 5th bell was now broken and the poor rate was raised by one third to pay for its recasting. The roof over the vestry was altered to allow the opening of two windows previously closed up, to improve the light. Gates were needed under the belfry, the floor in the porch needed repairing and the windows mended. To cover these costs parishioners would have to pay a year's Pew money.

A new meeting house for the vestry was built in 1620 at a cost of thirty five pounds.

Roger Gonston, churchwarden of Ratcliffe, was ill when audit time came in January 1621-2 (he died in 1623.) Íand the curate and four vestrymen had to attend him at his home to receive his accounts. This was not the only auditing problem for the Vestry. John Newett, the Mile End merchant and churchwarden, was warned to deliver his accounts up and Richard Phillips, who had taken over the task from John Moore, who had died, was also ordered to deliver his accounts.

In December 1627 the churchwarden Thomas Hartlie of Ratcliffe, who had replaced Robert Bell, was also causing problems. He had spent fourteen pounds twelve shillings and eleven pence more than he was allowed by the vestry and would have to carry the expense himself as would Richard Bromfeild of Limehouse (whom he had fallen out with who had expended eight pounds and twopence). Richard Bromfeild, mentioned in these vestry minutes, was a mariner of Limehouse. He petitioned on behalf of his daughter who was the widow of Captain Browne who had died in the East India company service.

Henry Rivers of Poplar had overspent to the sum of two pounds and two shillings and for George Conquest of Mile End it had been five pounds and thirteen shillings. When the accounts were finally presented in October 1628 the vestry agreed that Thomas Hartlie need only pay ten pounds and Richard five. In April 1629 the vestry was still waiting for Thomas 's payment.

The lead and timbers of the church roof was found to be much decayed by April 1632. To raise money for the repairs the vestry on April 9 agreed on a land tax of sixpence an acre from everyone holding or occupying land whether living in the parish or not. Other inhabitants would have to pay a quarter of the poor rate. However by the August the roof was found to be so ruinous that it was decided that Stepney inhabitants who did not own or occupy land would have to be assessed according to their personal estate.

In the September the churchwardens had done their work and produced four books listing the taxes. Ratcliffe had been assessed for forty pounds, Limehouse twenty pounds, Mile End twelve pounds and Poplar nine pounds.

In the September 1634 the vestry once more had to raise money for the continuing repair of the church by a tax of 6 pence an acre.

The vestry in 1636 decided that should fire break out in the parish and the church's buckets were used 'if any of them lent and used shalbe casually or negligently broken and lost then they shalbe repaired by the whole parish every Hamlett bearing theyre proportion'. They were not to be used for any other purpose.

The vestry decided in 1637 that 'whereas the Churchwardens of the parish in former times have usually paid divers summes of monies for maymed souldiers, hospitalls and the like out of church monies' in future if they did it the cost would come out of their pockets. And that 'when any collection is made for the redeeming of any Captive, that the party requiring such collection shall first put in sufficient security for the employing of the mony so collected ...... and if the Captive.... die before his redemption then to repay the said summe .... to the use of the poore of the parish'.

At a vestry of 1641 Hillary Mempris tendered his accounts 'touching the Almeshouses of Mileend greene'. In 1639 the vestry had decided to approach the Company of Mercers to find out whether they wanted to continue governing these Almeshouses according to John Fuller's will or if they wanted to relinquish this duty. Nothing further is recorded in the minutes regarding this. Hillary had collected eighty eight pounds and had paid money to the Shoreditch churchwarden, the Almshouse and for a lawsuit. The Almshouse had been paid thirty seven pounds thirteen shillings.