CHURCH PROPERTY IN THE HANDS OF THE RUSSELL FAMILY.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 330, 19 July 1849, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHURCH PROPERTY IN THE HANDS OF THE RUSSELL FAMILY.

Dr. Murray, the Dean of Atdagh, says, in a letter just published :—": — " Should the present Government be so infatuated a* to bring in a measure for the endowment of Poppiy in thi» country, the only endowment they could, with any semblance of justice, make avatlab'e for that purpose, would be the property once belonging to the monastic institutions, now in the ; hands (as already remarked) of the landed proprietors of England and Ireland ; and as the endowment of the Romish Cliurch in Ireland must, at the natural consequent c, be followed by the endowment of the same Church in England, 'The Convert Garden,' now called ' Covent Gat den,' of London, would be a pleasing and disintcreited kind of first fruits to devote to 'his their favourite measure. This subject is especially worthy of Lord John Russell's serious consideration." The fol'owing is a list of Church property bestowed on the family of the Ru&irlls :-— 1. Dunkswell Abbey, in Devonshire, was granted to John Russfll, in the 2Gth of Henry VIII. The annual value, at the time of the gnnt, according to Speed.) was £298 11s. lOd. Probable present value, £19,000, | 2. Tavi«,tock Abbey, in Devonshire, was endowed at j the suppression of the monasteries, according to Speed, with an annual income of j£9Q2 ss. 7d. Present prohable value, .£57,7/2. Granted, 31st Henry VIII., to Jo' n Russell. 3. Mountgrace Priory, in Yorkshire, valued at the dissolution at £382 ss. lid. per annum. The i-ite of this Priory was granted iv 32nd Henry VIII. to James Strangeways ; but a large share of the territorial property was given to Lot d John Russell. HougU>n-on-tlie-hill was attached to this Priory. The p eser t tisi'ssed annual value of this parish is nearly £b 000. Ihe property has passed, by marriage or purchase, ' into other bands, but was oiiginally granted by Henry VIII. to Lord John Russell, and with o'her lands granted from Monte;race Priory, would give a probal Is present value c f £13,000 per annum. 4. C i le Hymel, or Finneshed, in the parish of La*oi , county of Northampton, valued at dissoh ti n at £<2 16s. Granted, 33id Hen.y VIII, to Lo d John Russell. Probable present va'ue, £3,847 per annum. 5. Woburn Abbey, county of Bedfo'd, valued at the disso'ution at £430 13s. lid. G-anted in Ist Edward VI. to Lnd John RutseU. Probable present value, £27,00J per annum. | 6. Beaulieu Abbey, in New Forest, Hampshire, j Annual va'uo at dissolution, £428 Gs. Bd. This was .ranted to Thomas Wrioiheoli'y. The famous hero of he Whigs, Lord William Russell (executed for tirason iv 1683), married a Lady llachel VVnothesley, tb.3 heiress of her father's property, who was a descendant • f th§ above Thomns Writhesley, ao that the fami'y of the deserving servant of Henry VIII. became eventual^ possessed of this fine portion of Church approbation. Probable present val&e, £20,000 per annum.

7. Melchburn, a preceptory in the county of Bedford. Value at dissolution £242 9<t. lOd. Granted, 3rd Edward, to John Earl of Russell. Probable present value, £13,0u0 per annum. 8. St. Pieran, St. Kaveryn, or Kexvan, in Cornwall. The Manor here, as parcel of the possession of Beaulieu Abbey, in Hampshire, was grunted in 2nd Elizabeth to Francis Eal of Bedford. Value unknown. 9. A house of Dominican or preaching friars, on the north side of the Cathedral of Exeter, granted at the dissolution to Lord John Russell. Now called Bedford House* Value unknown. 10. Thorney Abbey, Cambridgeshire. Value at dissolution, .£4ll U: lid. Granted, 3rd Edward VI , to John Earl of Bedford. There are in the parish or minor of Tliorney 19,000 acres of land, whosr average annual value is 275. per acre. Actual present value, therefore, £25,600. 11. Covent Garden. Value not known at the dissolution. Iti probable pi eient value is ,£lo,ooo' per annum. Tot-U of Church property granted to that deserving servant of Henry VIII., John Russell, and to his family, in money value of the present day '—Dunkswell Abbey, £19, 00; Tavistoik, £57,712; Mountgrace Priory, £13,000; Casile Ilymel, £3,847; Wolurn Abbey, £27,0 0; Melchburn Pieceptory, ;£I3,'JOO ; 1 homey Abbey, Covent Garden* £10,000 ; St. Pieran, in Cornwall, and the property of the Dominican Friars at Exet'r, probably £10,000. To these must be added, Beauheu, £20,000. Total, £199,208 per annum.— Exeter Gazette.