The Queen Anne's Bounty Act 1703 (2 & 3 Anne) led to the formation of a fund to provide financial assistance to impoverished Church of England clergy. In 1704, Queen Anne signed a Charter outlining the detrimental effect on the reputation of the Church produced by the poverty of many clergymen, redirecting two ecclesiastical taxes (the First Fruits and Tenths) from the Crown to a Corporation administered by a Board of Governors who were directed to use the revenue to augment the poorest livings. Although First Fruits and Tenths had originated as taxes paid to the Pope, at the Reformation Henry VIII assumed receipt of these monies, and by the early eighteenth century the estimated £17,000 per annum was used primarily for royal pensions, including a number awarded to illegitimate…

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Citation: King, Shelley. "Queen Anne's Bounty". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 November 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1686, accessed 25 November 2024.]