Queen Annes Bounty

Queen Anne's Bounty was established in 1704 for the purpose of aiding the poorer clergy. The fund was derived from the proceeds of the tax called annates or first-fruits (consisting of the first year's income of every living) and also that which exacted the tenth portion of the income in subsequent years. These taxes, originally levied by the Pope, had been appropriated by the king at the Reformation. Their administration was now placed in the hands of a corporation comprising various ecclesiastical, legal, and other dignitaries. The revenue in 1890 amounted to £176,896.