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104
The Autobiography of Archbishop Thomas Seeker
future George III as prince of Wales in 1751. He was approved of by
Archbishop Herring for his "Integrity, Strength of Constitution, Learning,
and Generosity of Spirit, with an ample Fortune" (B.L. Add. MS
32,716, fol. 393, to Newcastle, 29 September, 1748) but disliked by
George III as "an intriguing unworthy man, more fitted to be a Jesuit
than an English bishop" [Diaries and Correspondence of. . . George Rose, ed.
L.V. Harcourt (London, 1860), II, pp. 187-88]. Newcastle regarded
Hayter's appointment to London as the fruit of conspiracy by Pitt and
Bute against Newcastle himself (B.L. Add. MS 32,925, fol. 155, to
Hardwicke, 18 July, 1761). Seeker thought him "a very able and active
man, and hath friends of great influence" (L.P.L. MS 1123, fol. 238,
letter to William Smith at Philadelphia, 10 October, 1761). Hayterwasa
determined Protestant, stout against Popery.
St Annes Parish was probably St. Anne's, Limehouse (Limehouse was
originally part of the large parish of Stepney). Under the Act of 1711 the
building of 50 new churches was authorized, St. Anne's being the first of
three in Stepney. Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, it was started in
1714 and not completed until 1724. St. Anne's did not become a
separate parish until May, 1729.
Dr Barton: Philip Barton (1695-1765), of Winchester and New college
who was granted a B.C.L. 1720, made a fellow of New college in 1724,
and D.C.L. 1733. His benefices included a prebendary of Chichester
1730 and Winchester 1731. He was canon of Christ Church 1733, rector
of Hannington, Hampshire, 1728-31, Houghton 1729-32, vicar of
Buriton, Hampshire 1732, and of Portsea 1751. His epitaph in Christ
Church describes him as vir vita et studiis vere Academicus, Qui ingenia fovit,
doctos amavit (Foster, Alumni Oxon.).
to use Tickets: to prevent a repetition of confirmation and to lessen the
confusion while confirming very large crowds of people, oftentimes in
small churches, the bishops adopted the practice of requiring tickets
from their parochial clergy for all confirmands. Seeker strictly urged his
clergy to instruct their people that "they are never to be confirmed any
more than baptised a second time" (Seeker's Charge II quoted by
Sykes, Church and State, p. 133).
I do not remember in what Year: on 25 February, 1736, the opposition
motion to settle £100,000 on the Prince was after long debate rejected.
The Journals note the presence of Seeker, but not of Bishop Benson (L.J.,
XXV, 306).
other Bishops: Lichfield (Richard Smalbroke, 1731-49), Hereford
(Henry Egerton, 1724-46), Lincoln (Richard Reynolds, 1723-44).