APPENDIX B: THE PARISHES OF ST. MARGARET'S AND ST. MARTIN'S.

S.P. 1–87 [Henry VIII]. ff. 27–8.

Reverend Father in God Rt trusty & Welbeloved we greet you well Forasmuch as by natural Inclinacion we be bounden to provide for the Safe Guard of our Personage & Majesty & for the Personage of our most Excell^t and most intirely beloved Lady our Queen as of our most Dear Daughter or Princess & of all other Noble Subjects Family and Traine And that part of that our Mannor at Westm^r is now Scite & Scituate as in the Midle of two Parishes (that is to say) of St. Margarett Where you have Jurisdiction Ordinary & of St. Martin in the Feilds Where Yee be persons & Proprietaries & that Sundry & often times by recourse of much People resorting from Sundry Parts of the World unto us often times great Sickness doth Raign in both those Parishes by reason whereof the Corpes of Such Inhabitants & Dwellers within the Bounds Limitts & precincts of the Parish of St. Martin in the Feilds & that be of the Parish of St. Margarett when they doe Dye of any Desease Pestilence Ague or any other Contagious Sickness. The same Corps of the Dead Persons be brought & borne Earley & late nightley & Dailey throughout our Said Mannor to their Buriall & Parish Church to be buryed to no little Jeperdy of us & of all other our Subjects & Trayne as well in their goeing & comeing by the Infect Persons accompying the Dead Persons & Bodys as by the Infection of their Cloaths & otherwise in time of Visitacion of Such as Chance to fall Sick Wee in Consideracion thereof & for lawfull remedy in this behalfe to be had Will & pray You & also command you haveing Ordinary Power and being as before is Said Persons and Proprietaries of both these Churches and to whom and our Monastry of Westm^r both those Churches be Appropriate & Incorporate & Calling also unto you in our name the Vicar of St. Martins that you together fall & goe to Such Communicacion Composition & Devise betwixt You by the Advise Decree Sentence & Confirmation Ordinarie of those that have Interest in this behalfe as shall Stand with right & Equity So that all & the whole Inhabitants now Parishioners of Your Parish of St. Margarett dwelling within the said Limitts bounds & Precincts of St. Martins afores^d & by North & East Our said Mannor be Seperate Divided & Dimembred from the Parish & Parishion^rs of St. Margaretts & that they & Every one of them Soe dwelling from henceforth be Ordained Deputed Decreed Lymitted & taken for Parishioners of St. Martins & there to hear all other Divine Services & to Receive all their Sacraments & Sacramentalls as well Buriall as other And that at St. Martins they do pay all their Tythes Rights and Oblations Offerings as other the Parishioners of St. Martins now there doth Perpetually—demanding also all Such Your Composition Decree & Sentence in this behalfe to be made to be put in Execution And comanding the Same in our name to be published in both those Churches and inviolately to be Observed by the Inhabitants aforesaid without any Contradiction from henceforth not failing hereof with Deligent Expedition as Yee intend our Pleasure & Do bear good Zeale towards us & others in these premisses Given at our Mannor at Westm^r the 12th Day of November in the 26th Year of our Reigne.

Indorsed. The Copy of the King's most Gracious Letters delivered unto the Abbott of Westm^r.

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH