WWhereas the right Honou­rable Francis, late Earle of Bedford deceased, did erect a Fabrique of a Church for the use of the Inhabitants within the Precinct of Co­vent-Garden, and did intend to settle a certaine yearly Stipend of 100. l. per annum: And the House hereafter mentioned, to be in the tenure of Wil­liam Russell, towards the maintenance, and for the habitation of a Minister, to officiate in the said Church; And whereas it is found necessa­ry, for the better accommodation and Govern­ment of the Precinct hereafter mentioned, That the same be made Parochiall, and divided from the Parish of Saint Martins in the Fields, [Page 2] And that a further increase of maintenance may be provided for an able Minister, as is hereafter expressed. It is therefore Ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That all that Precinct included within the Bounds and Limits hereafter expressed, that is to say, beginning in the Strand, at the East end of the Messuage, called Bedford House, and in­cluding the said House, with all the out Hou­ses, Gardens, Yards, Buildings, and Backsides thereunto belonging; And all those Houses within the narrow Bounds, that is to say, for­ty Foot without the Brick Wall, And all Hou­ses, Edifices, and Buildings, and Lands with­in the said Bounds and Precinct, be from hence­forth for ever a distinct Parish of it self: And that the said Precinct be divided and exempted from the said Parish of Saint Martins, and from all Dependance, Offices, Charges, and Contri­butions, for, or in respect thereof, and from the cure of the Rector and Vicar of the Parish of Saint Martins, and their respective successors; And also discharged of all Tithes, Oblations, Obventions, Mortuaries, Easter Books, and all other Parochiall duties whatsoever. And it is further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the said new erected Church, within the said Precinct of the said new intended Parish, shall be the Parish Church for the said Precinct: And that the Right Honourable William Earle of Bedford, Sonne and Heire of the said Francis, [Page 3] late Earle of Bedford, and his Heires and Assigns for ever, shall have the Patronage of the said Church; And shall and may from time to time nominate some fit person to be Rector of the said Church now, and as often as the same shall be­come void: And that the Rector of the said Church, and his Successors, shall be incorpo­rate, and shall have capacity and succession by the name of the Rector of the Parish Church of Covent-Garden, and shall have the cure of souls of the Inhabitants within the said new intend­ed Parish; and shall hold and enioy all that house in Covent-Garden, late in the occupation of Maurice Obert, next adioyning to the Piazza, for and during all the tearm of twenty seven years, from the twenty five day of June, Anno 1644. sub­iect neverthelesse to the same yearly Rent, Con­ditions, Reservations, and Agreements, under which the same were demized to the said Mau­rice Obert, by the said Francis, late Earl of Bedford, and from and after the determination of that tearme, then all that House in Covent-Garden, aforesaid, late in the occupation of William Rus­sel. And it is further Ordained, That the said Rector and his Successors, shall have one year­ly Rent of 100. l. to be issuing out of the severall Houses scituate in Covent-Garden, aforesaid, late in the occupation of Sir Edm. Varney, Knight, Sir Charles Gawdy, Knight, and Sir Edward Sydenham, Knight, payable upon every six­teenth day of January, sixteenth day of Aprill, six­teenth [Page 4] day of July, and twentieth day of Octob. yearly by equal portions, with power to distrain for the same Rent of 100.l. or any part or parcell thereof, in or upon the said Houses; charged with the said Rent. And it is further Ordain­ed, That the Governours hereafter named, and their Successors, or the greater number of them, shall and may from time to time nominate some able Divine to be assistant to the said Rector, and his Successors; And the said Assistant and his Successors shall have for their habitation that Messuage in Covent-Garden, late in the oc­cupation of Mathew Plowman, for and during the Sequestration thereof, subiect to the yearly Rent, Conditions, Reservations, and Agree­ments, contained in the Demize thereof, made to the said Matthew Plowman, by the said Francis, late Earl of Bedford: And for the better regula­ting of the said affairs of the said Parish, and pro­vision of further maintenance for the said Re­ctor and Assistant, It is Further Ordained, That there shall be thirty foure persons, Inha­bitants of the said Precinct, who shall be called the Governours of the said new erected Parish; And that the Right Honourable William, Earl of Bedford, Denzill Hollis, Esq Sir William Uve­dale, Knight, Sir John Evelin, Knight, Sir John Seaton, Knight, Robert Wallop, Zouch Tate, John Trenchard, Robert Scawen, Matthew Hale, Anthony Wither, Edw. Carter, Will. Martin, James Davenport, and John Austee, Esquires, Minian Cunningham, [Page 7] John Hover, Thomas Constable, Richard Harris, Richard Brigham, Josias Fendall, Duncan Manro, Richard Reete, Samuel Smith, William Clifton, Richard Lazenby, Thomas Man, Humphrey Groves, Robert Pattison, Gilbert Meese, Peter Nichols, James Mickle, Christopher Jackson, and James Moore, Gentlemen, shalbe the first Governours of the said Precinct; And that as often as any of the said Governours shall die, or be removed, the House-holders, Inhabitants within the said new erected Parish, or the major part of them, within the space of two Moneths after such death, or removall, and in default ther­of, the remaining Governours, or the greater number of them, may choose another in the place of him or them dying, or removed: which said Governours and their Successors, or the greater number of such of them, as shalbe assembled to­gether upon publique warning, shall from hence­forth have power from time to time to nominate a Clerke, Sextons, Constables, Scavingers, & all other Officers for the said Precinct. And it is further Ordained, That the yearely sum of 400 li. shall from hence-forth be charged up­on the Inhabitants of the said new erected Parish, according to their respective abilities, except Bedford-House, with the appurtenances, the same to be Assessed by the said Governours, or the greater number of such of them, as shall be Assembled together upon publike notice, and paid unto them at such time or times, as to them shall seeme fit: Provided alwayes, That no In­habitants [Page 8] be assessed by vertue of this Ordi­nance, or any thing therein contained, above the yearely rate of eighteene pence in the pound, ac­cording to the true value of the yearely Rent of the House, wherein such Inhabitant shall dwell within the said Parish, at the time of making of this Assessement: which rate shall not be charged on the Rent of any Inhabitants, Person, or Landlord of any house, but shal be Assessed on the severall Inhabitants, according to their abili­ties, not exceeding the said Summe of eighteene pence per pound, in proportion to their severall Rents, as aforesaid, for any one yeare, and so pro­portionable for a greater or lesser time. And it is further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That in case the said Summes be not paid in manner aforesaid, That then the said Gover­nours, or any three of them, shall or may from time to time authorize any person or persons to Leavie the same by distresse, and sale of the goods of such person as shall be so in arreare, returning the overplus to the Owner, or else recover the same in Action of Debt, to be brought in the name of the Rector for the time being, wherein no Wager of Law to be allowed to the defendants. And it is further Ordained, That the said Go­vernours and their Successors, shall out of the Moneyes so by them received, pay unto the said Rector and his Successors, the yearely Summe of 150 pounds: To the said Assistant and his Successors, the yearely Summe of 150 pounds; the same payments to be made at the daies afore­said, [Page 9] or within twentie one dayes after; And that the said Governours, and their Successors, shall hold and injoy the said house, late in the occu­pation of the said William Russell, during the Tearme of the aforesaid twenty seven yeares, and shall convert and imploy, as well the profits of the said house, during the said Tearme of twenty seven yeares, as also all other moneyes remaining in their hands, over and above the said three hundred pounds, for the wages of the said Church-Officers, and such other publique uses, as shall seeme fit to the said Governours, or the greater number of such of them, as upon a publique warning shall assemble together; so as the number so assembled, exceed the number of seven persons. And it is further Ordained, That in case any default of payment happen of any the Summes aforesaid, the Lord Keeper, or Commissioners of the great Seale for the time being, shall and may upon the complaint of the partie grieved in this behalfe, give reliefe, accor­ding to the true intent of this Ordinance; And for as much as there is severall demands made by the Parish of S. Martins, against the said new erected Parish, touching Contribution to the Debts, Poore, and High-wayes of the Parish of Saint Martins, and also there are severall de­mands made by the said new erected Parish, of contribution to the Debts of the said new erected Parish, and touching a proportionable part of the publique Revenues of the said Parish of Saint Martins, and what proportion each Precinct [Page 10] should beare in publique Charges and Assesse­ments. It is therefore further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the said new Parish of Covent-Garden shall pay one Fifth part of the Publique Debts of the Parish of Saint Martins, the said Debts being au­dited, and then allowed by the Commissio­ners of the great Seale; and shall also pay one Fifth part towards the mending of the High-wayes of the Parish of Saint Martins; And shall also pay the Summe of one Hun­dred Seventeene Pounds, One shilling, Foure pence farthing, halfe farthing, and the Fifth part of an halfe farthing, Quar­terly to be paid unto the Parish of Saint Mar­tins, for the maintenance of their poore: which said Summe shall be paid by the Parish of Covent-Garden to the Parish of Saint Martins for ever. And the said Parish of Covent-Garden shall receive one Fifth part of the Publique Revenue of the Parish of Saint Martins forever, towards the payment aforesaid; And if the said Summes aforesaid shall not be paid, it shall be lawfull for the Parish of Saint Martins to Leavie the aforesaid Rate for the poore, and the proportion for the High-wayes, by all such lawfull meanes as they may doe in their owne Parish, by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme: Provided, that for the neglect of their payment of the Rate of the Poore, the same shall not extend to the making lyable Bedford-House, to distresse for the same: [Page 11] Provided alwayes, And it is neverthelesse De­clared, That this present Ordinance, and the matters therein Ordained, shall be subject to such Regulation as the Lords and Commons in Parliament shall hereafter Ordaine.