THE Inhabitants of Wapping , Their Allegations of Number of Inhabitants in the said Parish , of New Buildings , of Increase of Tythes . which is part of the Parish of St. Mary Whitechappel , Petitioning , that they may be made a distinct Parish , do suggest and alleadge the following things , viz. The great number of Inhabitants in the said Parish , so that the Church is no way able to contain them , and also the great Increase of new Buildings within late years in the Upper Hamlet of Whitechappel ; whereby , they pretend , the value of the said Living is greatly increased to the Rector beyond what it was in former years , and that it is now worth 600 l. per Annum , whereas it was but 350 l. per Annum in the year 1660 , and that it will be worth 400 l. per Annum without Wapping .

In Answer to which the Rector Replies as followeth ,

I. Their Bill is not to Build or Enlarge any Church or Chappel , but only to free themselves from their Old Tythes and Parish Charges It is confessed that the Number of Inhabitants in the said Parish is very great , as in all the out-Parishes about London , and he wishes there were more Churches and Places for Religious Worship built in all of them , but no such thing is proposed or designed by the Bill to make Wapping a distinct Parish , which is not to Erect or Enlarge any New Church or Chappel for the better Service of Religion , or the Conveniency of a greater Number to repair to Divine Worship , the said Hamlet having a Large and Capacious Chappel already built with Brick , and a Yearly Fund to keep it in Repair out of the Burials there , but their only design is to take away the Tythes from the Rector of Whitechappel , and to free themselves from those , and other Parish Charges .

II . They have had a Chappel almost Fourscore Years , with Maintenance for a Curate , and a Fund to Repair it . The said Chappel of Wapping hath been built almost Fourscore Years , and hath ever since had a Competent Maintenance for a Curate , having some Endowment upon its Consecration , and several Gifts of Hou●●s settled upon it since , which with the Perquisites of Christnings , Burials and Marriages , and the Usual Contributions of the Inhabitants ( which is but the same Charge to them with all other Parishes in and about London to their Lecturers ) hath been always Computed at Six or Seven Score Pounds per Annum , so that upon avoidance of the said Curacy , there hath been great Competition for the same by Clergy-Men of good Worth .

III . They have paid their Old Tythes to the Rectors of Whitechappel , as is done in all other places in England where are Chappels of Ease . The New Buildings have not lessened the Parish Rates , nor increased the Old Tythes . The said Inhabitants before and ever since the building of the said Chappel have payd Tythes to the Rectors of Whitechappel , as is done likewise in all other Chapelries in England , where many hundred such Chappels of Ease are , and have been built , and a Curate distinctly maintained in them , without taking away the Tythes , or any part of them from the proper Rectors or Impropriators of the said respective Parishes , to do which ( without consent ) would be a thing of dangerous consequence not only to several Rectors , but to many Impropriators in England .

IV . There have within some years last past been many New Houses Erected in the said Parish as in all the Out-Parishes of London , several of which have dropt down before they were Inhabited , or quite finished , and the old Houses in the said Parish have greatly faln in their Rents , by reason of the New Ones , and many of them are quite decayed and faln down , and ●●●ers stand Empty , or are filled only with very poor People : So little benefit hath therefore ac●●●d to the said Parish or the Rectory thereof by the said New Buildings , that as all parish Rates have been higher since to the particular Inhabitants , and been considerably raised to what they were formerly , so neither have the Tythes and Profits of the said Rectory been increased beyond what they were in former Years , nor do amount to more now than they did Threescore Years agoe , as appears by the Old Decimaries and Tythe Books of the said Parish , neither is the value of the Living now above Two Thirds of what they falsly compute it , nor does almost any thing exceed what they own it to have been in 1660 , viz. 350 l. per annum , out of which the Rector payes Yearly Taxes of 60 l. per Annum , besides Charge of Curate , Collector , and Tenths to the King , all which the Curate of Wapping is free from .

V. The Hamlet of Wapping the most Trading and Rich part of the Parish , their Old Tythes 130 l. per Annum . The said Hamlet of Wapping is above a Third part of the said Parish , and having the Advantage of the River Thames , 〈◇〉 〈◇〉 the side of which the greatest part of it is built for above a Mile together , hath always had , and ever will have a very great Trade much above the other parts of the Parish , and most of their Inhabitants have been accounted a Rich and Wealthy People , therefore their Old Rate Tythes in respect of their Houses have been always much above a Third part of the Tythes of the whole Parish , and are of the Yearly Value of 130 l. or thereabouts , and were so ab●●●● Threescore Years agde , as appears by the Old Decimaries and Tyth-Books .

The Rector therefore of the said Parish who hath been legally possessed of the said Tythes for near Thirteen Years , and for several years last past pay'd Taxes for the same to the full , doth not at all doubt but the Justice of the Honourable House of Commons , who have been always the Assertors of the Property and Liberty of the Subjects , will preserve to him his Property and Freehold in the ●●id Tythes , and not let the same , which are above a Third part of his Live●● 〈…〉 away from him by the Bill to make Wapping a distinct Parish , but that the 〈…〉 to him during his Life .