Church document details

Source:

The London Gazette.

Title:

Westmeston, St Martin and Streete Parish Church - Unification of benefice.

Date:

5 Mar 1909.

Body:

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 2nd day of March, 1909.

PRESENT,

The KING's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.

WHEREAS by section sixteen of the Pluralities. Act, 1838, as amended by the Pluralities Act, 1850, it is, amongst other things, enacted, "That whenever it shall appear to the Archbishop of the Province, with respect to his own diocese, and whenever it shall be represented to him by the Bishop of any diocese, or by the Bishops of any two dioceses, that two or more benefices, or that one or more benefice or benefices, and one or more spiritual sinecure rectory or rectories, vicarage or vicarages, in his or their diocese or dioceses, being either in the same parish or contiguous to each other, and of which the aggregate population shall not exceed one thousand five hundred persons, may, with advantage to the interests of religion, be united into one benefice, the said Archbishop of the Province shall inquire into the circumstances of the case; and if on such inquiry it shall appear to him that such union may be usefully made, and will not be of inconvenient extent, and that the patron or patrons of the said benefices, sinecure rectory or rectories, vicarage or vicarages respectively, is or are consenting thereto, such consent being signified in writing under the hands of such patron or patrons, the said Archbishop shall, six weeks before certifying such inquiry and consent to His Majesty as hereinafter directed, cause, with respect to his own diocese, a statement in writing of the facts, and in other cases a copy in writing of the aforesaid representation to be affixed on or near the principal outer door of the church, or in some public and conspicuous place in each of such benefices, sinecure rectories, or vicarages, with notice to any person or persons interested, that he she, or they, may, within such six weeks, show cause in writing under his, her, or their hand or hands, to the said Archbishop, against such union; and if no sufficient cause be shown within such time, the said Archbishop shall certify the inquiry and consent aforesaid to His Majesty in Council, and thereupon it shall be lawful for His Majesty in Council to make and issue an Order or Orders for uniting such benefices, sinecure rectory or rectories, vicarage or vicarages, into one benefice, with cure of souls, for ecclesiastical purposes only ; and it shall be lawful for His Majesty in Council to give directions for regulating the course and succession in which the patrons, if there be more than one patron, shall present or nominate to such united benefice, from time to time, as the same shall become vacant!"

And whereas the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, pursuant to the provisions of the said Act, hath duly prepared and laid before His Majesty in Council a certificate in writing, bearing date the fifth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and nine, in the words following, that is to say :—

"We the undersigned Randall Thomas, Archbishop of the Province of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Metropolitan, do hereby certify to Your Majesty in Council:—

"That the Right Reverend Charles John, Lord Bishop of Chichester, as Bishop of the diocese within which are situate the rectory of Westmeston and the rectory of Streete, both in the county of Sussex, having represented unto us that the said benefices being contiguous to each other and of which the aggregate population does not exceed fifteen hundred persons might with advantage to the interests of religion be united into one benefice, we inquired into the circumstances of the case.

"That on such inquiry it appeared to us that such union might be usefully made and would not be of inconvenient extent and that William Henry Campion, being the Patron or person entitled to present to the said rectory of Westmeston (if the same were now vacant) and William Reginald Fitz Hugh, being the Patron or person entitled to present to the said rectory of Streete (if the same were now vacant) have consented to the proposed union.

"That six weeks and upwards before certifying such inquiry and consent to Your Majesty in Council we caused a copy in writing of the aforesaid representation of the said Lord Bishop to be affixed to the principal outer door of the parish church of each of the said benefices with notice to any person or persons interested, that he she or they might within such six weeks show cause in writing under his her or their hand or hands to us the said Archbishop against such union and no such cause has been shown.

"The representation of the said Lord Bishop of Chichester, our inquiry into the circumstances of the case, the statement of circumstances in reply thereto, the consents in writing of the said William Henry Campion and the said William Reginald Fitz Hugh as Patrons respectively of the said benefices and the copies of the representation and notices before mentioned are hereunto annexed.

"And we do hereby certify the inquiry and consents aforesaid to Your Majesty in Council to the intent that Your Majesty in Council may in case Your Majesty in Council shall think fit so to do make and issue an Order for uniting the said benefices into one benefice with cure of souls for ecclesiastical purposes.

"And we further recommend that the patronage of the said united benefice shall be vested in the said William Reginald Fitz Hugh and the said William Henry Campion alternately and that the first right of presentation after, the said benefices shall come to be holden by the same Incumbent shall belong to the Patron or Patrons for the time being of the said rectory of Westmeston.

"Randall Cantuar."

Now, therefore, His Majesty in Council, by and with the advice of His said Council, is pleased to order, as it is hereby ordered, that the rectory of Streete, situate in the county of Sussex and diocese of Chichester and the rectory of Westmeston, situate in the same county and diocese, shall be united into one benefice with cure of souls for ecclesiastical purposes only.

And His Majesty in Council, by and with the advice of His said Council, is further pleased to direct that the patronage of such united benefice shall be vested in the said William Reginald Fitz Hugh and his successors in estate and his and their assigns, and the said William Henry Campion, and his successors in estate and his and their assigns, alternately, and that the first right of presentation, after the said benefices shall come to be holden by the same Incumbent, shall belong to and be exercised by the Patron or Patrons for the time being of the said rectory of Westmeston.

A. W. FitzRoy.

Transcription details

Transcribed by: Michael Metcalfe.

Church(es) covered:

King's Church, St Martin.

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