| AdminHistory | On the opening of Parliament on 26 November 1695, William III told the Commons that the Civil List (which comprised the revenue for the royal state as well as the revenue for the civil government of the country) was so short of money that he would be unable to go on unless the House made adequate provision; and in particular he was moved to stress the misery of the French Protestant refugees. Early in 1696, the Commons resolved that a grant should be made to His Majesty for defraying the Civil List for 1696, and that a further sum not exceeding £15000 should be granted to him for the relief of the poor French Protestants. On 27 April 1696, the Low Wines Act making provision inter alia for such grants received the royal assent. Furthermore, in April 1697 an Act was passed granting the King certain duties on malt, rum, etc.
The passing of the Acts of 1696 and 1697 provides the strongest testimony to the King's anxiety for his Civil List and for the Protestant refugees. From the time of his accession he had shown his preoccupation with the care of the poor French Protestants. These Acts translated his appeals into a statutory enactment of a grant for a period of years; and this grant established a precedent for further grants from the Civil List for a century or more.
Under a warrant of 20 July 1696 (and similar warrants of 1697-1699) issued by William III consequent upon these Acts, the King directed the Treasury to pay to Edward Nicholas, Treasurer and Receiver-General, the sum of £15000. Edward Nicholas in his turn was to pay £3000 to persons designated, to be used for the relief of poor French Ministers living in England. The remaining £12000 he was to pay over for the relief of poor French Protestants as he should be directed by Lords Commissioners nominated by the King or any four of them. This amount was in fact allocated to the French Committee for distribution to the laity and returns of expenditure were made by the Committee to the Chamber of London
For the first three years (1696-1698) of the (£12000) grant it was paid at the Committee at irregular intervals not in cash but in the form of exchequers tallies or lottery tickets.The grant for 1699 was paid in two instalments, in tallies deposited in the Bank of England, charged on the 25% augmentation duties on all French commodities. The whole amount was paid to the Committee without deductions.
There was a grant for 1700, but it would appear that there was none for 1701; and that in 1708 the French Committee was still attempting to obtain the money for it. There is in fact some confusion over the grants for the years 1701 and 1702. William died on 8 March 1701/2 and according to a petition of French refugees to the Lord Treasurer on 8 December 1702, payments were suspended by a warrant of 14 January 1701 and continued being suspended until after the accession of Anne.The refugees complained that they had been without funds for more than eighteen months and had contracted large debts; and begged for the continuation of the grant. Yet in 'The English government and the relief of Protestant refugees', Huguenot Society Proceedings, vol. V (1898), pp. 343-423, W A Shaw lists a sign manual for a grant of £15000 dated 14 January 1701/2 , and a sign manual of 28 May 1702 for the dame amount. Further, in 'The documents relating to the relief of French Protestant refugees, 1693 to 1718, preserved in the Records Office at the Guildhall, London', Huguenot Society Proceedings, vol XII (1924), pp. 263-287, A H Thomas refers to a sign manual of 14 january 1700/1, a warrant of the Lords Directors of 31 January 1700/1, and acquittances of 1701 and 1702. |