Notes and Queries, Number 52, October 26, 1850 | Page 3

the Danaïdes as a punishment, for it has been thus
moralised:
"These virgins, who in the flower of their age pour water into pierced
vessels which they can never fill, what is it but to be always bestowing
over love and benefits upon the ungrateful."
S. W. SINGER.
Mickleham, Oct. 4. 1850.
* * * * *
ORATORIES OF THE NONJURORS.
As the nooks and corners of London in olden times are now engaging
the quiet musings of most of the topographical brotherhood, perhaps
you can spare a nook or a corner of your valuable periodical for a few
notes on the Oratories of those good men and true--the Nonjurors.
"These were honourable men in their generation," and were made of
most unbending materials.
{355} On the Feast of St. Matthias, Feb. 24, 1693, the consecrations of

Dr. George Hickes and Thomas Wagstaffe were solemnly performed
according to the rites of the Church of England, by Dr. William Lloyd,
bishop of Norwich; Dr. Francis Turner, bishop of Ely; and Dr. Thomas
White, bishop of Peterborough, at the Bishop of Peterborough's
lodgings, at the Rev. William Giffard's house at Southgate in
Middlesex: Dr. Ken, bishop of Bath and Wells, giving his consent.
Henry Hall was consecrated bishop in the oratory of the Rev. Father in
Christ, John B---- [Blackburne?], in Gray's Inn, on the festival of St.
Barnabas, June 11, 1725.
Hilkiah Bedford was consecrated in the oratory of the Rev. R---- R----
[Richard Rawlinson], in Gray's Inn, on the festival of St. Paul, Jan. 25,
1720. Ralph Taylor was also consecrated at the same time and place.
Henry Gandy was consecrated at his oratory in the parish of St.
Andrew's, Holborn, on the festival of St. Paul, Jan. 25, 1716.
Grascome was interrupted by a messenger whilst he was ministering to
his little congregation in Scroope's Court, near St. Andrew's Church.
Jeremy Collier officiated at Broad Street, London, assisted by the Rev.
Samuel Carte, the father of the historian.
Mr. Hawkes officiated for some time at his own house opposite to St.
James' Palace.
On Easter-day, April 13, 1718, at the oratory of his brother, Mr.
William Lee, dyer, in Spitalfields, Dr. Francis Lee read a touching and
beautiful declaration of his faith, betwixt the reading of the sentences at
the offertory and the prayer for the state of Christ's church. It was
addressed to the Rev. James Daillon, Count de Lude, then officiating.
Charles Wheatly, author of A Rational Illustration of the Book of
Common Prayer, in a letter to Dr. Rawlinson, the nonjuring titular
bishop of London, says:
"I believe most of the books in Mr. Laurence's catalogue were really in

his library. Most of his chapel furniture I had seen; but his pix, and his
cruet, his box for unguent, and oil, I suppose you do not inquire after."
Roger Laurence was the learned author of Lay Baptism Invalid. Query,
Where did he officiate?
The Rev. John Lindsay, the translator of Mason's Vindication of the
Church of England, for many years officiated as minister of a nonjuring
congregation in Trinity Chapel, Aldersgate Street, and is said to have
been their last minister.
Thoresby, in his Diary, May 18, 1714, says, "I visited Mr. Nelson
(author of the Fasts and Festivals), and the learned Dr. George Hickes,
who not being at liberty for half an hour, I had the benefit of the
prayers in the adjoining church, and when the Nonjuring Conventicle
was over, I visited the said Dean Hickes, who is said to be bishop of
----" [Thetford]. Both Nelson and Hickes resided at this time in
Ormond Street; probably the conventicle was at one of their houses. It
should be noted that Thoresby, having quitted the Conventicles of the
Dissenters, had only recently joined what he calls the Church
established by law. He appears to have known as much about the
principles of the Nonjurors as he did of Chinese music.
Dr. Welton's chapel in Goodman's Fields being visited (1717) by
Colonel Ellis and other justices of the peace, with proper assistants,
about two hundred and fifty persons were found there assembled, of
whom but forty would take the oaths. The doctor refusing them also,
was ordered to be proceeded against according to law.
This reminds me of another Query. What has become of Dr. Welton's
famous Whitechapel altar-piece, which Bishop Compton drove out of
his church. Some doubts have been expressed whether that is the
identical one in the Saint's Chapel of St. Alban's Abbey. A friend has
assured the writer that he had seen it about twenty years ago, at a
Roman Catholic meeting-house in an obscure court at Greenwich. It is
not there now. The print of it in the library of the Society of
Antiquaries is accompanied with these MS. lines by Mr. Mattaire:--

"To