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At a Vestrie holden at the parish Church of St. Margretts Westm.
the 19th daie of December, 1644, it is ordered that in respect
of the hardnes of these times, the Churchwardens shall supplie
the Overseers for the poore wh. such monyes as they can
convenientlie spare for the use of the poore.
At the same Vestry it was also ordered
That the Churchwardens shall make sale of the rich velvett
pulpitt Cloath given by the Lady Hervy at the best rate they
can and to accompt for the money received for the same for
that is subiect to be moth eaten and decaye.
That the Churchwardens shall make sale of the brass taken off
from the Tombstones and otherwise being lose in a chest to
the best value they can and to account for the money.
The 20th Ffebruary, 1645.
Ordered by His Maities Justices of the peace for the Citty and
liberty of Westmr. and dyvers of the Inhabitants that the
Burgesses and Assistants of their several! Wardes be desyred
by themselves or other Assistants to goe and desyre a
voluntary contribucion for and towards the raysing a stocke
for setting of the poore on worke in these hard tymes.
Under date 16th May, 1653, a Royal Warrant, which is
still preserved at the Town Hall, was issued, delivering to
the Churchwardens of St. Margaret, Westminster, "the
louer room of the late King's Slaughter House, wherein to
store coals for the poor." The storehouse was used for
many years, and annually replenished at the expense of
a bequest by Mr. Emery Hill.
In December, 1660, the Churchwardens and Overseers of
the Poor petitioned the King praying that the customary
allowance to the poor upon the death of a prince might be
granted on the occasion of the decease of the Duke of
Gloucester and the Princess of Orange.
The Vestry, by the Churchwardens, petitioned Sir Henry
Bennett, Secretary of State, in Nov., 1664, praying for a
restoration of the Royal grant of £100 which had been discontinued
since 1661, and urged in support of the appeal,
"that the Court of Whitehall is mostly in St. Margaret's
"parish, and that the poor have encreased by reason of
"soldiers, their widows and children having settled there,
"in order to be close to the coast and parliament."