settled and which, as it is the Mother Church in these Parts, must give Countenance or Discouragement to all the rest in Proportion to its Increase or Decline. We have many Difficultys to contend with in this Undertaking which occasion much Expence, and which call for the Countenance and Assistance of such as are Friends to our happy Constitution. We assure our Selves that we may number you among the first of these, and therefore beg Leave to promise our Selves your kind Notice of our Request.

To M John Thomlinson.

To these were added two other Letters, viz! :

MR THOS CORAM : 1

BOSTON, Dec 19th, 1748.

SR,We the Subscribers, the Minister and Committee appointed for rebuilding Kings Chapel in this Town, Considering your Attachment to the Church of England and upon how many occasions you have exerted your Interest and Influence in favour of the Infant Churches in this Country, have tho't proper to lay before you the present state of our Affairs.

Kings Chapel, wch was the first Church in New England, is now worn out and become necessary to be rebuilt; it is a Work in itself too burthensome for an Infant People, and has been rendered much more so by the violent Opposition of the Dissenters and the unreasonable Charges they have brôt upon us in the Purchase of a small peice of ground for its Inlargement. It has by their Management cost us upwards of £4,000 for Liberty to lengthen the Building about 20 or 30 feet, and this has so much lessened our Fund that we must despair of proceeding without

1 See Vol. I. 186. The famous founder of the Foundling Hospital in London, who made his fortune in the American plantations, was supposed to be particularly likely to be interested in the prosperity of King's Chapel, as he had probably been a worshipper there when in Boston many years before. He is supposed to have been settled in Taunton previous to 1692. He married a daughter of John Wait, probably in Massachusetts, about 1700, and left Taunton in 1703. He is said to have spent the earlier part of his life in command of a vessel trading to America. In 1718 he was largely interested in a scheme for colonizing Nova Scotia. Among his charitable interests was the school for Indian girls at Stockbridge; and he was one of the original trustees for the colony of Georgia. Hogarth painted his portrait, which expresses "a natural dignity and great benevolence, in a face

which, in the original, was rough and forbidding." He died in London, March 29, 1751, in the 84th year of his age, and was buried with imposing rites from the chapel of his hospital. See his Biography (manuscript), by S. Jennison, in Amer. Antiq. Soc. Library. Dickens gave an interesting account of him in his "Household Words." The name of Tatty Coram in "Little Dorrit" was probably derived from the philanthropist. Jennison says: "This worthy man, having laid out his fortune and impaired his health in acts of charity and mercy, was reduced to poverty in his old age. An annuity of £100 was privately purchased, and when it was presented to him he said: 'I did not waste the wealth that I possessed in self-indulgence or vain expense, and am not ashamed to own that in my old age I am poor."" See also p. 92, post, and Amer. Antiq. Soc. Proc. for April, 1892, N. S. viii. 133–148.

the kind Assistance of some Friends at home. A Few Applications of this Nature we have made to S: Peter Warren, to S H. Frankland, now in England; but we have address'd to none who have shown a greater Readiness and Zeal to appear in behalf of the Church's Interest than your self. . . .

The other to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury: 1

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BOSTON, Dec. 19th, 1748.

May it please your Grace, -To receive the humble Address of the Minister, Wardens, and Vestry of Kings Chapel in this Place. Our Distance has prevented us from being among the first who have congratulated your Grace's Translation to the See of Canterbury, but we assure our selves that none have done it with greater Sincerity or Pleasure. Distant as we are from your Grace's imediate Notice, we are no strangers to the Report of that Merit which our Gracious Sovereign has tho't proper to reward with the most exalted Station in the Church. We sincerely bless that good Providence of God which has called forth your Grace's Activity to preside and direct the Affairs of his Church at a time wch manifestly requires a distinguished Measure of Ability and Zeal to oppose itself to the Efforts of Infidelity, Popery, and Enthusiasm which seem to be conspiring the Destruction of our Ecclesiastical Constitution. Nor will any Loyal Subject forget your Grace's vigourous and noble Opposition to the late presumptuous Invasion of our civil Liberties.

We have frequently been honoured with the Notice of your Predecessors, and beg Leave in like manner to hope for your Grace's Favour; . and upon this Occasion particularly we think it our Duty to Acquaint your Grace that we are ingaged in rebuilding this antient Church, the first in these Parts of New England. In which expensive Work, as your Grace's Interest and Assistance would very much encourage and promote our Success, so we humbly beg Leave to hope that the first Instance of your Care for these remote and Infant Churches will distinguish it self in our Favour.

We have presumed to enclose a Copy of our subscription, which, tho' far short of what the Work will require, is yet an Evidence of the Zeal and good Dispositions of the People here.

One Favour more we presume to ask, wch is your Grace's Blessing, together with Leave to profess ourselves,

May it please your Grace,
Your Grace's most dutiful,

1 Right Rev. Thomas Herring, D.D., born 1693, B.A. Cambridge, Dean of Rochester 1731, Bishop of Bangor 1737, Archbishop of York 1743, Archbishop of Canterbury 1747, died March 13, 1757.

Most Obed: and most Humble Servts.

He had been active in organizing resistance to the Pretender in the Rebellion of 1745, and was rewarded by translation from York to the Primacy.

The former of these was seconded by one from the Revd D' Miller 1 reccommending its Contents. As the School House was now near compleated, the Committee turned their thôts upon the Affair of Materials

for the Chapel and to finish the Collection of the first Payment of the Subscription. Benj. Faneuil Esq had been handsomely ask'd for his Brother's Subscription, to whom he was Executor, but he refus'd to pay it; however, the Church Wardens were desired to wait upon him once