Page:Archaeologia Volume 13.djvu/340

 2^8 Extraflsfrom the ParifJi Regijler of September 2; in April 1645, i ; in July i ; in Auguft 13; Sep- tember 18; October 8. In the following year, 1646, on June 18, was i buried of the plague, and in September i. It commenced again in February 1647, in which month 2 died of it; there is no farther mention of this horrid vifitation in the regifter, not even in the dreadful year 166,5 ; the reafon of w r hich I fuppofe is, that the burial ground is fo fmall that none w r ere permitted to bring their dead there who died of the infection. There is nothing farther memorable in thefe regifters except that it being the parifh in which Doctors' Commons ftands, it is won- derful to fee the vaft numbers of marriages by licence, before the marriage act took place, perfons coming thither from every part of England to be united in this favoured temple, I had almoft faid, of Hymen. In genealogies nothing is more difficult than to get the regifters of marriages before that act pafTed ; it would be advifable where a pedigree is defective, in this refpect, to fearch the regifters of marriages belonging to St. Bennet's. There are many items of unfortunate deaths, particularly by drowning. There have been many adults baptized ; one woman who was brought from Turkey; one, a quaker-woman, was baptized and married in the fame day ; feveral Africans ; of one there is a declaration that he was a free negro. There have been many foundlings, efpecially in the beginning and middle of the laft cen- tury. Thefe children have generally had two baptifmal names, the latter Bennet, that it might be ufed as a firname. The num- ber of expofed children, and murdered ones, in the period I have mentioned, when contrafted with the contrary conduct of the prc- fent inhabitants, is a convincing proof of the better morals, or better police of the times in which we live, or at leaft of the excellence of thofe benevolent inftitutions which are maintained by the rich to aid poverty and wretchednefs. Such