According to its long title, the purpose of the Islington Church Act of 1750 was to enable the Parishioners of the Parish of Saint Mary, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, to rebuild the Church of the said Parish. The church of St Mary the Virgin is situated in Upper Street, Islington. A church has stood on this site since the twelfth century. The original church was re-built in 1483, 1754 and finally in 1956. The preamble to the 1750 Act recorded that the whole of the church "is now in a very ruinous Condition".
Provisions
The 1750 Act provided as follows-
authorised the Trustees appointed under the Act to pull down the old church and steeple and re-build the same
fees charged for funerals, bell-ringing and the use of palls at funerals were to be used for the re-building works
appointment of Trustees to carry out this Act; Trustees authorised to levy and enforce payment of the rates and duties authorised by this Act
appointment of collectors and receivers of the rates and duties to be raised under this Act; duties of collectors and penalties for default
the Trustees were authorised to raise up to £7000 by selling annuities; annuities to be charged on the rates; assignment of annuities
the Trustees were authorised to levy and collect rates to meet any short fall in the rates and duties chargeable under this Act resulting in insufficient moneys with which to pay the annuities; such rates to be payable by owners and occupiers of parish land; special provisions for properties let out
appointment of replacement trustees; disqualification of Trustees
rates chargeable under this Act to commence on 24 June1751 and to cease when all the annuities had been paid off
Trustees authorised to sell and dispose of the remains of the old church;temporary tabernacle to be built to serve as a place of worship during the church re-building
Trustees required to keep records of all payments and receipts and to make such records available for inspection
Act not to affect private graves, gravestones or vaults, or the rights of the vicar and his successors in relation to the chancel of the old or the new church
In 2011, The Law Commission consulted on its proposal to repeal the Act, stating that, "The 1750 Act no longer serves any useful purpose. It was passed to facilitate the re-building of St Mary’s Church, Islington. That objective was achieved in 1754 when the building works were completed and the new church was opened. The provisions in the Act for raising local rates ended when the final annuity secured by the rates had come to an end. That would have been no later than 1790 or thereabouts. The 1750 Act is accordingly obsolete and its repeal is proposed on that basis."
