The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-22 00:00:00

The Ironmongers' Company.

A curious dispute is now pending between the
Master and Wardens of the Ironmongers' Company,
which is one of the oldest and wealthiest of the
guilds in the city of London, and the churchwardens
and overseers of the parish of Allhallows, Staining.
This dispute has resulted in litigation, and an appeal
i is about to be made to one of the superior courts—
probably the court of Queen's Bench—at the instance
of the company, to decide which party is in the right.
For many years the company have paid tithes to
the parish in respect of their corporate hall, situate in
Fenchurch-street, but in 1865 they claimed exemp-
tion under an Act of Henry VIII., which provided
that " the tithe rates should not extend to the
houses of great men or noblemen and noblewomen,
in their own lauds, which are not let for any rent,
and have paid no tithes, as long as they shall con-
tinue to be uulet ; nor to any halls of craft or com-
pany so long as they are kept unlet, providing the
same halls did not in times past pay any tithes."
The parish authorities allege that the company had
paid tithes ever since the year 1700 without raising
any objection, and now that the rate had increased,
they claimed exemption under the Act of Henry
VIII. The register-books have been searched
from 1555, and the first payment to the parish that
can be found is 3s. 4d., in 1719. The company ap-
pear to have gone on paying 3s. 4d. a year until
1047, when they paid 17s. Bd., and that rate was
continued till 1802, when it was increased to
£2 ss. 91. That greater sum was paid from 1802
till 1851, when it was raised to £3O, and afterwards
to £soa year. The rate now claimed by the parish
authorities in respect of the hall of the company is
about £lOO a year, and that they refused to pay, but
were willing to pay £5O a year. The Master and
Wardens were lately summoned before the Lord
Mayor to show cause why they refused to pay
£lB6 13s. 4d., alleged to be due to the parish in
respect of their hall. On that occasion, it may be
remembered, the company could not themselves
hpfeonvre thnbeny
thadcontended
not
onten paid tithes
dedthiprior
itto thhtheeApcatrioshf
authorities to prove that they had. That the parish
refused to do:on the ground that the company had
paid tithesfor more than 160 years without raising
eny objection. The Lord Mayor decided that the
bonus lay on the company to show that they had
not paid the tithes before the Act of Ilenry, and,
failing to do that, he ruled that they must pay the
parish the full amount claimed. A reasonable time
having elapsed since this decision was pronounced,
and the money, £lB6 odd, not having been paid,
and the company having refused to ply, a distress
warrant was issued under the hand of the Lord
Mayor directing the sum to be levie3 upon their
goods and chattels. This an officer from the Man-
sion-hous, was sent a few days ago to the ball of
the company to execute, accompanied by Mr. Mur-
rell, a gentleman acting on the part of the
parish, and the ceremony on the occasion was
somewhat curious. Four fine candelabra belong-
ing to the company
upon a table, and
and two of their most
cherished loving cups were placed
of these the emissaries of the law took formal but
only momentary possession. The Master and
anticipating their visit)
eWntearrdeednisnotof
athre mepeleoripnabnoy,
d, and upon the execu-
tionn of that the precious articles, which had never
been removed, were formally restored to them. The
effect of that proceeding was to stay the execution
of the distress pending the appeal to a superior
court from the decision of the Lord Mayor,

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