View source for Commission for Building Fifty New Churches

{{Short description|English legislation}}
{{Distinguish|Commissioners' church}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''Commission for Building Fifty New Churches''' (in [[London]] and the surroundings) was an organisation set up by [[Act of Parliament]] in [[England]] in 1711, the [[New Churches in London and Westminster Act 1710]], with the purpose of building fifty new churches for the rapidly growing conurbation of London.  It did not achieve its target, but did build a number of churches, which would become known as the '''Queen Anne Churches'''.
==Churches built==
Most of the churches were designed by [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]], with [[John James (architect)|John James]], [[Thomas Archer]] and [[James Gibbs]] also participating.
*[[Christ Church, Spitalfields]], Hawksmoor 1714&ndash;29
*[[St Alfege Church, Greenwich]], Hawksmoor 1712&ndash;18 (rebuilding of an existing church)
*[[St Anne's Limehouse]], Hawksmoor 1714&ndash;30
*[[St George's, Bloomsbury]], Hawksmoor 1716&ndash;31
*[[St George in the East]], Hawksmoor 1714&ndash;29
*[[St George's, Hanover Square]], James 1720&ndash;25
*[[St John Horsleydown]], Hawksmoor and James 1727&ndash;33
*[[St John's, Smith Square]], Archer 1713&ndash;28
*[[St Luke Old Street]], Hawksmoor and James 1727&ndash;33
*[[St Mary le Strand]], Gibbs 1714&ndash;23
*[[St Mary Woolnoth]], Hawksmoor 1716&ndash;24 (rebuilding of an existing church)
*[[St Paul's, Deptford]], Archer 1713&ndash;30
The Commission partly funded rebuilding of five churches: [[St George's Church, Gravesend|St George Gravesend]], [[St George the Martyr Southwark]], [[St Giles in the Fields]], [[St Mary Magdalen Woolwich]] and [[St Michael, Cornhill]].  It bought and altered [[St George the Martyr Holborn]] and bought [[St John Clerkenwell]].
==Funding==
The Commission was funded by a duty on coal coming into London.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nail|first=Martin|title=Government duty|url=http://www.coaldutyposts.org.uk/history/governmentduty.html|work=City posts: the coal duties of the City of London and their boundary marks|accessdate=2012-09-28}}</ref> This tax was originally levied in 1670 to pay for the rebuilding of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] and City churches destroyed in the [[Great Fire of London]]. When the Commission was set up the duty was assigned to it. In 1718 the duty became part of general government revenues but was still used to fund the Commissioners' work.
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=38870 |title=List of churches built |editor=M.H. Port  |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1986 |work=The Commissions for building fifty new churches: The minute books, 1711-27, a calendar |accessdate=30 January 2012 }}
*{{cite web|title=The Queen Anne Churches (MS 2690-2750)|url=https://archives.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=MSS%2f2690-2750&pos=2|work=Lambeth Palace Library Manuscripts|publisher=Lambeth Palace Library|accessdate=30 January 2012}}
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[[Category:1710s in London]]
[[Category:Church of England church buildings in London|*]]
[[Category:1710 in Great Britain]]
[[Category:Religion and politics]]
[[Category:History of Christianity in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:History of the Church of England]]
[[Category:1710 in England]]
[[Category:18th-century Church of England church buildings| ]]