| AdminHistory | George II succeeded George I on 11 June 1727, and died 25 October 1760. George I had reduced the grant to £8591 in 1726, £1718.4 being allocated for Ministers and £6872.16 for laymen. By warrant of 11 December 1727 it was renewed at that figure and on that basis by George II. During the remaining years of his reign there were three changes: the system for proselytes set up in 1717
was abandoned in 1730; a Committee for Ministers was set up in 1739; and the grant to the French Committee was made at a lower rate, £6700.19.0, during the period 1751-1752 to 1759-1760.
First, on the relief for proselytes. According to the warrant dated 20 February 1730 decreeing the change, the reason for it was that the appropriation of part of the grant to converts from the Church of Rome had caused many inconveniences and difficulties. And so that part of the warrant of 1727 was declared null and void. In effect the Commission for proselytes came to an end, and as far as new proselytes were concerned the system of relief reverted to the practice obtaining before 1717. Special arrangements were made in 1730 by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London for proselytes to whom relief was being accorded in 1729, and relief continued to be distributed to them for many years, until in fact the death of the last survivor in 1772.
The Committee for Ministers set up in 1739 had a precursor in 1696, when sundry persons were appointed under a royal warrant of 20 July to receive and distribute the £3,000 grant. No records of this body have been found in the Huguenot Library. Captain Deguilhon makes his appearance as distributor of the grant in 1705, and as receiver and distributor in 1717; and he was connected with the grant as a distributor up to 1739. There is a reference in 1730 to Captain Deguilhon as a person authorized to appoint distributors of relief to proselytes; and another in the same context to 'the Committee for Ministers' as contributors to the fund for proselytes. But nothing further is disclosed of this 'committee' of 1730, not even the names of its members; and no records of it have been traced.
As regards the grant to the French Committee, in the accounts up to the year 1750-1751 this is shown at the rate fixed in 1726: £6872.16.0. In the accounts for the years 1751-1752 to 1759-1760 it is shown as £6700.19.0 a year, a reduction of £171.17.0. The official warrants remained at £6872.16.0 throughout. |