The Reverend Mr. Russel, late Rector of this Parish, built the Parsonage House from the Ground, standing towards the Street, near the Church, which cost about 450l.

There is a free Charity School lately building in cock Alley, East of this Church; for poor Children of the Parish to be educated there in Reading, and Writing, and Cyphring, and Christian Manners: which by Calculation hath cost about 180l. more or less. Mr. Russel the said Rector hath very commendably undertook it, and went forward with it; depending upon the Charity of good People. He began on Lady Day 1704. and gave 50l. towards it. The School Room is in the middle Floor; the Ground Floor, and the Buildings over the School to be for Conveniences for the Teacher himself and his Family, who hath also allowed him 30l. per Ann. He hath the Care of Forty Boys maintained by a Charitable Society, consisting of thirty Persons, Inhabitants of this Parish. Who, by their own Contributions, and what they procure, partly by Collections in the Parish once a Year, and partly at their Monthly Sermons every third Sunday at Five a Clock in the Afternoon, do maintain not only the said Number of Boys at School and cloth them also, but had in the Year 1708, taken into their Charity 25. Girls to be clothed and taught by a Sober Schoolmistress. The Money for whose Maintenance, (both Mistress and Girls) they hoped to raise chiefly from the well disposed Gentlewomen of the Parish.

This Charitable Society began about 30 Years ago; the Members then agreeing among themselves to set up a Monthly Sermon for Preparation to the Sacrament, and for a Collection then to be made at the Church Door, and the Money to be distributed to poor Housekeepers or others, not maintained by Pension from the Parish. Afterwards they converted this Money for the keeping poor Parishioners Children at School. Which they continue commendably to this Day.

Wappin is to this Day chiefly inhabited by Seafaring Men, and Tradesmen dealing in Commodities for the Supply of Shipping, and Shipmen. It stands exceeding thick with Buildings, and is very populous; having been very much improved by human Industry. For this Place and the Parts about it were formerly one great Wash, covered with the Waters of the Thames. Afterwards, it was by Pains and Art, gained from the River, and made a Marsh or Meddow Ground, commonly called Wappin Marshes: and was defended from the Irruptions of the Thames by Walls; which were very chargeable in the continual maintaining of the same. And between the Years 1560 and 1570, the Force of the Water was such, that it brake the Wall in sundry Places and overflowed the whole Marshes. About the Year 1580. or thereabouts, the most Part of these Marshes came to the Queen, that then Reigned in Extent, till a great Sum of Money should be paid: and She rented out the same.

The Rents here being somewhat uncertain by the Breaches of the River into the Grounds about 1571. when the Water had again broke in, a View was made by the Commissioners of Sewers; who thought it necessary, that the Walls should be builded upon by any who would. Whereupon many took Land upon the Walls to build. And among the rest one William Page: who took a Lease of an hundred and ten Foot of the Wall, and laid the Foundation of his Building, and bestowed a great Sum of Money in making the Wall very strong; and in building to the strong Defence of the said Marshes, and Commodity and Ease of the Repairers and Maintainers of the said Wall. But in the Year 1583. the Queen issuing out a Proclamation for stopping all new Buildings, this Building was hindred for a Time: and Page was fain to make an humble Petition, and set forth his Case to the Lord Treasurer: and praying his Allowance to go on with his Building: shewing how it would be a Benefit to her Majesty, in Continuance of her Rent; and that it was not hurtful to any; and that his Building began before the Proclamation. But what Success Pages Petition had, I am not able to say: but it appears it afterwards went forward, since all the Wall is now thick built upon.]

Friday the 24th of July 1629. King Charles having hunted a Stagg or Hart from Wansted in Essex, killed him in Nightingale Lane, in the Hamlet of Wappin, in a Garden belonging to one who had some Damage among his Herbs, by Reason the Multitude of People there assembled suddenly.

In this Hamlet of Wappin, was builded Anno 1626. a large House of Timber by Master William Turner, Gentleman, Master George Low, Gentleman, and Thomas Jones, Gentleman, and others, for the making of Allom; which grew to such an Inconvenience through the Annoyance that was with boyling of Urine and other Materials, by Reason of the ill savour of it, and the excrement of it being found to be Annoyance to the River of Thames, that upon the Complaint of the Inhabitants to the King and Council, it was proceeded withal, as appeareth:

The sixteenth of July 1627. being Munday, and the Tide being near a low Water, about Eight of the Clock in the Evening of the same Day, there was a Lighter of Allom Grease lying in the Hermitage Dock, which was taken out of a Ship, lying