Union of Benefices Act 1860

The Union of Benefices Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. 142) was legislation which prevented the need for other acts^[2] if following its prescribed three-stage scheme. It enabled reduction of the number of parish churches and vicars/rectors in London's "Metropolis", as defined by a narrower Act five years before. It instead allowed commissions to recommend dissolution to various parties, which would then be a formality agreed by Order-in-Council.

Union of Benefices Act 1860^[1]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make better Provision for the Union of contiguous Benefices in Cities, Towns, and Boroughs.
Citation	23 & 24 Vict. c. 142
Territorial extent	Dioceses of London and Winchester
Dates
Royal assent	28 August 1860
Commencement	28 August 1860
Repealed	1974
Other legislation
Amended by	Statute Law Revision Act 1875
Repealed by	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

It was chiefly used for the City of London,^[3] as its residential population declined in favour of commercial land use^[4] in the second half of the 19th century.^[5]

Mechanism

1. Sections 3 to 6 imposed and regulated prior, unpaid, commissions of inquiry.
   Three of the Commissioners shall be beneficed Clergymen residing within the Diocese, of whom One shall be nominated by the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, and Two by the Bishop of the Diocese, and the remaining Two shall be Lay Members of the Church of England and shall be nominated to the Bishop by the Corporation of the City of London"
2. Section 7.
   If the Return to the Commission shall recommend an Union, the Bishop shall cause Proposals for a Scheme, based upon the Terms recommended, to be prepared for effecting the Union, which Proposals, with the Consent thereto in Writing of the Patron or Patrons of each of the Benefices affected, shall be transmitted by the Bishop to the Churchwardens of each Parish proposed to be united, in order that the same may be considered by the Inhabitants in Vestry assembled; and all such Proposals shall have especial Regard to the Residence of the Incumbent on the Benefice proposed to be constituted the united Benefice, and shall contain all necessary Provisions conducing to such Residence."
3. Section 8.
   Vestry to notify Assent, Suggestions for modification or Objections. Bishop to transmit final Proposals to Ecclesiastical Commissioners, to prepare Scheme, and certify same to the Queen in Council (in practice the Privy Council of the United Kingdom).

Eventual effects

Churches affected

Church	Fate	Year	United with
All Hallows Bread Street	Demolished	1876	St Mary-le-Bow
All-Hallows-the-Great	Tower demolished first; then main body	1876/1894	St Michael Paternoster Royal
All Hallows Lombard Street	Demolished[6]	1937	St Edmund the King and Martyr
All Hallows Staining[7]	Demolished	1870	St Olave Hart Street
Holy Trinity Gough Square	Demolished	1906	St Bride, Fleet Street
Holy Trinity, Minories	Closed[8](destroyed 1940[9])	1899	St Botolph's Aldgate
St Alphage London Wall	Demolished[7]	1924	St Mary Aldermanbury
St Antholin, Budge Row[10]	Demolished[11]	1875	St Mary Aldermary
St Benet Gracechurch	Demolished	1868	All Hallows Lombard Street
St Dionis Backchurch	Demolished[12]	1878	All Hallows Lombard Street
St George Botolph Lane	Demolished	1901-04[13]	St Mary-at-Hill
St James Duke's Place	Demolished	1874	St Katherine Cree
St Katherine Coleman	Demolished	1926	St Olave Hart Street
St Martin Outwich	Demolished	1874	St Helen's Bishopsgate
St Mary Somerset	Demolished[7]	1872	St Nicholas Cole Abbey
St. Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street	Caught fire,[14] subsequently pulled down	1887	St Martin Ludgate
St Matthew Friday Street	Demolished	1885	St Vedast alias Foster
St Michael Bassishaw	Demolished	1900	St Lawrence Jewry
St Michael Queenhithe	Demolished[15]	1875	St James Garlickhythe
St Michael Wood Street	Demolished	1895	St Alban, Wood Street
St Mildred, Poultry	Demolished	1872	St Olave Jewry
St Olave Jewry	Demolished	1888-91[7]	St Margaret Lothbury
St Peter Le Poer	Demolished	1907	St Michael, Cornhill

As churchyards were emptied for buildings such as the new railway stations and roads, many remains were exhumed and re-interred in the City of London Cemetery.

Union of Benefices Act 1898
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Union of Benefices Act, 1860.
Citation	61 & 62 Vict. c. 23
Dates
Royal assent	25 July 1898
Other legislation
Amends	Union of Benefices Act 1860
Repealed by	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974
Status: Repealed

This act was extended by the Union of Benefices Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 23) This simply stated any such scheme "may be made if it provides for the erection of another church or parsonage for a benefice in the vicinity of the metropolis" [including] "any benefice within or partly within the Metropolitan Police District".