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38
The Autobiography of Archbishop Thomas Seeker
FOLIO 51 general thinking, that Opposition would be unsafe, as
1758 some other Church Bills were then depending: else I would
have opposed it. *)[[Soon after I was made Archbishop, Sir
George Lee, Dean of the Arches, died. I appointed Dr Simpson to
succeed him, on the strong Recommendation of the Duke of Newcastle
& Lord Hardwicke: having then never heard any thing to the Disadvantage
of his Character. I heard too much afterwards. 3 )[July 7. I wrote a
strong Letter to the Duke of Newcastle in Favour of the University of
Oxford, which see.]]
July 10 I set out upon my Visitation: & July {26} returned to
reside at Lambeth. The King expressed great Satisfaction in both. In
those 18 Days I confirmed about 15 times. Bp Yonge, then of Bristol was
so kind as to assist me. The Expences of my Visitation were near 488^:
of which abt 90 1 * was for religious Tracts given away; & about 86 1 *
Charity to different Parishes & Persons. Procurations reed {then} in all
were {78-8-6} < 101-6-10). ABp Herring had not resided at Lambeth
for several of the last Years of his Life: ABp Hutton, not at all. An
absurd & hurtful Custom had obtained, of giving Ale to all Servants,
who came to the Gate on any Message. After so long an Intermission,
this might have been left off: but was continued long before I knew, that
any such Custom had ever been. And so the Opportunity was lost.
All the Drains, & the Canal from the East End of the Gallery, & the
Ditch from the Back-Gate, were nearly choaked up. And cleaning them,
which should have been made part of the Dilapidations, but was not,
cost a great Deal. Whilst this noisome Work was doing, in the month of
August, we went to Lord Roystons in St James's Square; where I had a
regular & moderate Fit of the Gout.
2)[Some time this Summer, the University of Oxford presented an
Address to the King. I took great personal Pains with him to persuade
him to receive it kindly. I could not prevail on him to speak to the
Persons, who presented it. But he read it afterwards: & then directed me
to return the University Thanks for it from him; which I did by a Letter
to the Vice-Chancellor.]
On the Duke of Newcastles Recommendation, I took for my Oxford
Chaplain, very willingly, Dr Hall, who had been
FOLIO 52 Chaplain to ABp Hutton; Dr Burton, for whom I was
1758-1764 instrumental in procuring a Canonry of Christ-Church,
having a Wife & Family, & the Care of a Church in Town.
3 )[To him I gave in Apr. 1760 All Hallows Breadstreet, worth 170 1 * a
year and in Oct. 1761 Bocking R. worth 450^, wch being above 30 miles
from London, though Dr Walker had held it with a London Living, I
would not give a Dispensation, though All Hallows thus fell to the
Church of Canterbury. In 1764 I added to Dr Hall South-Church R.