Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/207

Rh cases, cited by Mr. Hawkins, of the removal of churches for alleged purposes of modern convenience, appeared on various grounds highly reprehensible and injurious to public as well as private interests. Mr. Hawkins considered that this was an emergency in which the Institute might with great propriety request the consideration of the Government to the evils which must accompany the proposed measure, unless averted by the enactment of suitable conservative precautions. He would accordingly submit to the meeting the following memorial:—

Your Memorialists beg leave to call the attention of your Lordship to the very great importance at the present time of preserving Monumental Inscriptions and Tombstones, those more especially which are threatened with destruction in consequence of the permanent closing of churchyards, and the removal of churches in course of the execution of public works, or for other causes.

In the City of London, according to the arrangement recently proposed, it is to be apprehended that a large number of parish churches will be destroyed or closed, and propositions have been formally and officially entertained to pave some of the churchyards, and to convert others into gardens and shrubberies. No provision appears to have been contemplated for the preservation of the monumental inscriptions, many of which in the city churches and churchyards are not only of much interest and value in genealogical and biographical researches, but of the first importance as legal evidence in support of rights to property and personal privileges. It may be unnecessary to remind your Lordship that, even in a legal point of view, the Registers would not supply the loss of these inscriptions, because they contain many statements of material facts of which they would be admissible as evidence, that are not generally found in the Registers, and which even when inserted in the Registers could not be proved by them. On which account monumental inscriptions often form a considerable part of the proofs adduced in support of pedigrees before courts of justice, not less than on other occasions.

This projected destruction of memorials so valuable in themselves, as well as dear to the feelings of surviving relatives and friends, and to the descendants of the deceased, is not limited to the metropolis, or consequent only on the closing of churchyards.

Your Memorialists beg to submit the following facts in reference to this subject.

The church of St. Benet's, Threadneedle-street, was demolished, and the churchyard destroyed, when the Royal Exchange was rebuilt.

The churchyard of St. Martin's in the Fields was destroyed about twenty years since, and the monumental records have perished.

The churchyard of St. Clement's Danes has been sold to King's College Hospital, and is at the present time a place for the deposit of building materials, no precautions having been taken for the preservation of the sepulchral memorials.

The church of St. Michael's, near London Bridge, was removed, and the churchyard destroyed in making the approaches to the New London Bridge.