Court of Chancery. The King, at the relation of the Bishop of London , versus Anderson and Gipps.
On the 18th of June, 1692, the Hon. Mr. Boyle left by will the sum of 5400l. to be laid out in lands in Yorkshire, out of the rents of which the sum of 90l. was to be paid annually to the College of William and Mary, in New England, to be applied for the purpose of propagating the Christian religion amongst the Indians in the back settlements in North America ; and likewise a further sum of 45l. to be paid to the same College, for the support of two missionaries to preach the gospel. The city of London were left trustees, and the management under the trust was, by the will, committed to the care of the Bishop of London. The present Bishop instituted this suit, in which the city, and a great number of other persons, were parties, for the single, and indeed novel purpose of knowing, whether (as the teststor had originally devised the several sums for the use of British subjects, and the Americans having ceased to be in that situations since their independence), the annuity ought not to revert to this kingdom, or to some other of his Majesty’s colonies, to be applied to similar purposes. This being the first determination of that nature since the American Revolution, the Lord Chancellor decided it with that superior dignity of sentiment that always attends his decrees. Two phrases are sufficient– “all charitable devices are to be held sacred– we cannot rake up the ashes of the dead, in search of latent intentions. The annuities and arrears must be paid, and Messrs. Anderson and Gipps, and likewise the city of London, must be paid their costs.”
Citation: Glasgow Advertiser (Glasgow, United Kingdom), 19 November 1790, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/73.