The CASE of the Church-Wardens, and other the Principal Inhabitants of the Upper-Hamblet of St. Mary White-Chapel, in the County of Middlesex, touching a Bill for the making the hamlet of Wapping a distinct Parish.  
THE accidental Poor of the said Upper-Hamblet are of late very much increased, they being now above Eight times as many as they were a few Years since; and the Pension-Poor and Nurse-Children, are also very much increased, and the Charges of the Repairs of the High-ways in the said Upper-Hamblet, is also very great, and much increased, there being a very Great and Wide Road leading through the same, out of the Country into London, which is very much worn. And there is in the said Upper-Hamblet, a Street against the Church and Church-Yard to Pave, which is Twenty Rods long, and half the breadth of the High-way, which was formerly Paved by an Act of Parliament, made in the Two and Thirtieth Year of Henry the Eighth, which hath run to ruin, and hath been of late Years Gravelled with the rest of the High-ways, to save the Charges of Paving. And there is now an Order of Sessions to Pave it again; which of Necessity must be done. And whereas the Repairs of the High-ways in the said Upper-Hamblet, formerly did not cost above Eighteen Pounds per Annum, and the Principal Inhabitants did not pay towards the same, above Twelve Pence a Piece by the Year, the Gravel being then dug upon the Common, the Repairs of the said High-ways did last Year, amount unto the Sum of Two Hundred Twenty Six Pounds, Six Shillings and Two Pence; as appears by the Surveyors accounts, they being then constrained( as they must also for the future be) to buy Gravel for the same.  
That by such Charges of Repairs as aforesaid, the said Inhabitants are not only very much already impoverished, but they are by several Acts of Parliament obliged to Repair the said High-ways, better than they have of late been done; and not only so, but they are also by an Order lately made by the Bench of Justices of the Peace, obliged to Repair more Highways, and particularly one High-way of Eighty Rods and upwards, which leads to the hamlet of Wapping White-Chapel, which was not used to be Repaired by the Parish of White-Chapel till these Two Years last past, the Charges of doing all which will contribute a great deal more to Impoverishing of the said Inhabitants; and should the hamlet of Wapping be made a distinct Parish, it would exceedingly Load and Impoverish the said Inhabitants by depriving them of the Contributions( which were considerable) of the said hamlet of Wapping towards the Repairs of the High-ways aforesaid, the said hamlet of Wapping( which about Twelve Years ago( according to the Computation in the Books of the Hearth-Money) did contain as many Houses within Thirty Five, or thereabouts, as the said Upper-Hamblet did) containing now above One Third part of as many Houses as the said Upper-Hamblet doth.  
By making the said hamlet of Wapping a distinct Parish, the said Upper-Hamblet would be yet further loaded with the Repairs of the Church of White-Chapel, the said hamlet of Wapping having of late Years paid Twelve or Fourteen Pound a Year for their Proportion of the Repairs of the said Church; which thereby will all fall upon the said Upper-Hamblet, who are too much Impoverished already.  
By making the said hamlet of Wapping a distinct Parish, the said Upper-Hamblet will sustain such Cost and Damage as aforesaid, without any considerable Benefit, if any at all accrueing to them in recompense thereof, for that whatsoever the Charges of the Paving of the Streets in the said hamlet of Wapping having of late amounted unto,( there being therein no Gravel High-Ways) are far less, and no Ways comparable to those of Paving and Repairing the Streets and High-ways in the said Upper-Hamblet, which are more numerous, and much wider, and a great deal more Worn than those in the said hamlet of Wapping.  
The said Inhabitants therefore hope, That in case it shall seem Reasonable to this Honourable House, to make the said hamlet of Wapping a distinct Parish, yet, That the same shall be no Prejudice to the Parish of White-Chapel. But that the said hamlet shall still continue subject to the Repairs of the Church and High-ways of the said Parish, as formerly.