alwayes that whereas the Iland of Fowlenesse in the Countie of Essex being inuironed with the Sea and hauing a Chappel of ease for the inhabitants thereof and yet the said Iland is no Parish but the Lands in the same are situated within diuers Parishes farre distant from the same Iland Be it therefore enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that y e said Iustices of peace shall nominate and appoint Inhabitants within the said Iland to be Ouerseers for the poore people dwelling within the said Iland and that both they the said Iustices and the said Ouerseers shall haue the same power and authority to all intents considerations and purposes for the execution of the parts and articles of this Act and shall be subiect to the same paines and forfeitures likewise that the inhabitants and occupiers of lands there shall be lyable and chargeable to the same paiments charges expences and orders in such manner and forme as if the same Iland were a Parish In consideration whereof neither the said inhabitants or occupiers of land within the said Iland shall not be compelled to contribute towards the reliefe of the poore of those parishes wherin their houses or lands which they occupy within the said Iland are situated for or by reason of their said habitations or occupyings other then for the reliefe of the poore people within the said Iland neither yet shall the other inhabitants of the Parishes wherein such houses or lands are situated bee compelled by reason of their resiancie or dwelling to contribute to the reliefe of the poore inhabitants within the said Iland And bee it further enacted that if any Action or Trespasse or other suite shall happen to bee attempted and brought against any person or persons for taking of any distresse making of any sale or any other thing doing by authoritie of this present Act The defendant or defendants in any such action or suit shall and may either plead not guilty or otherwise make Auowry Cognisance or Iustification for the taking of the said distresses making of sale or other thing doing by vertue of this Act alledging in such Auowry Cognisance or Iustification That the said distresse sale trespasse or other thing whereof the plaintiffe or plaintiffes complained was done by authoritie of this Act and according to the tenour purport and effect of this Act without any expressing or rehearsall of any other matter of circumstance contained in this present Act. To which Auowrie Cognisance or Iustification the Plaintiffe shall be admitted to reply That the Defendant did take the said Distresse made the said sale or did any other Act or Trespasse supposed in his declaration of his owne worng without any such cause alledged by the said Defendant whereupon the issue in euery such Action shal be ioyned to be tryed by verdict of twelue men and not otherwise as is accustomed in other personall actions And vpon the triall of that issue the whole matter to be giuen on both parties in euidence according to the very truth of the same And after such issue tryed for the Defendant or non suite of the Plaintife after appearance the same Defendant to recouer treble dammages by reason of his wrongfull vexation in that behalfe with his Costs also in that part sustained and that to bee assessed by the same Iury or writ to enquire of the dammages as the same shall require Prouided alwaies that this Act shall endure no longer then to the end of the next Session of Parliament Anno xliij Reginae Elizabethae An Acte for the necessary reliefe of Souldiers and Mariners WHereas in the fiue and thirtieth yeere of the Queenes Maiesties Reigne that now is An Act was made intituled an Act for the necessary reliefe of Souldiers and Mariners And whereas in the nine and thirtieth yeere of her Maiesties Reigne there was also made another Act intituled An Act for the further continuance and explanation of the said former Bee it enacted by authority of this present Parliament that both the said Acts shall bee and continue in force vntill the feast of Easter next and shall be from and after the sayd feast discontinued And forasmuch as it is now found more needfull then it was at the making of the said Acts to prouide reliefe and maintenance to Souldiers and Mariners that haue lost their Limmes and disabled their bodies in the defence and seruice of her Maiestie and the State in respect the number of the said Souldiers is so much the greater by how much her Maiesties iust and honourable defensiue warres are increased To the end therefore that they the said Souldiers and Mariners may reap the fruits of their good deseruings and others may be encouraged to performe the like endeauours Be it enacted by the authority of this present Parliament that from and after the said feast of Easter next euery parish within this Realme of England and Wales shall be charged to pay weekly such a sum of money towards the reliefe of sick hurt and maimed Souldiers and Mariners that so haue bin as afore is said or shal lose their Lims or disable their bodies hauing bin Prest and in pay for her Maiesties seruice as by the Iustices of Peace or the more part of them in their general quarter Sessions to be holden in their seuerall counties next after the feast of Easter next and so from time to time at the like quarter Sessions to bee holden next after the feast of Easter yeerely shall be appointed so as no parish be rated aboue the summe of ten pence nor vnder the summe of two pence weekely to be paid and so as the totall summe of such taxation of the Parishes in any County where there shall be aboue fifty Parishes doe not exceed the rate of sixe pence for euery Parish in the same Countie which summes so taxed shall be yeerely assessed by the agreements of the parishioners within themselues or in default therof by the Churchwardens and the pety Constables of the same parish or the more part of them or in default of their agreement by the order of such Iustices or Iustice of Peace as shall dwell in the same parish or if none bee there dwelling in the parts next adioyning And if any person shall refuse or neglect to pay any such portion of money so taxed it shall be lawfull for the said Churchwardens and pety Constables and euery of them or in their defaults for the said Iustices of Peace or Iustice to leuy such summe by distresse and sale of the goods or chattels of the party so refusing or neglecting rendring to the party the ouerplus raised vpon such sale And for the collecting and custodie of the summes taxed in forme aforesaid Be it enacted that the Churchwardens and pety Constables of euery parish shall truely collect euery such sum and the same shall pay ouer vnto the high Constable in whose diuision such parish shall be situate ten dayes before the quarter Sessions to
This Act to endure to the end of the next Session of Parliament and no longer Anno xxxix Reginae Elizabethae An Act for punishment of Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggers FOr the suppressing of Rogues Vagabonds sturdie Beggers be it enacted by the authority of this present Parliament that from and after the feast of Easter next comming all Statutes heretofore made for the punishment of Rogues Vagabonds or sturdie Beggers or for the erection or maintenance of houses of correction or touching the same shall for so much as concerneth the same be vtterly repealed and that from and after the said Feast of Easter from time to time it shall and may be lawfull to and for the Iustices of Peace of any County or City in this Realme or the Dominions of Wales assembled at any Quarter Sessions of the Peace within the same County City Borough or Towne corporate or the more part of them to set downe order to erect to cause to be erected one or more houses of Correction within their seuerall Counties or Cities for the doing and performing whereof and for the prouiding of stocks of money and all other things necessary for the same and for raising and gouerning of the same and for correction and punishment of offenders thither to be committed such orders as the same Iustices or the more part of them shall from time to time take reforme or set down in any their said Quarter Sessions in that behalfe shall be of force and be duely performed and put in execution And bee it also further enacted by the authority aforesaid that all persons calling themselues Schollars going about begging all Sea faring men pretending losses of their ships or goods on the Sea going about the countrey begging all idle persons going about in any countrey either begging or vsing any subtile craft or vnlawfull games and playes or faining themselues to haue knowledge in Physiognomie Palmestry or other like crafty Science or pretending that they can tell Destinies Fortunes or such other like fantasticall imaginations All persons that be or vtter themselues to be Proctors Procurers Patent-gatherers or Collectors for Gaoles prisons or Hospitals All Fencers Bearewards Common Players of Interludes and Minstrels wandering abroad other then Players of Interludes belonging to any Baron of this Realme or any other honourable personage of greater degree to bee authorized to play vnder the hand and Seale of Armes of such Baron or personage all Iuglers Tinkers Pedlars and pety Chapmen wandering abroad all wandering persons and common Labourers being persons able in body vsing loytering and refusing to worke for such reasonable wages as is taxed or commonly giuen in such parts where such persons doe or shall happen to dwell or abide not hauing liuing otherwise to maintaine themselues All persons deliuered out of Gaoles that begge for their Fees or otherwise doe trauaile begging All such persons as shall wander abroad begging pretending losses by fire or otherwise And all such persons not being felons wandering and pretending themselues to bee Egyptians or wandering in the habit forâ—â—â— or 〈…〉 counterfeit Egyptians shall be taken adiudged and deemed Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy beggers and shall susteine such paine and punishments as by this Act is in that behalfe appointed And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid that euery person which is by this present Act declared to be a Rogue Vagabond or sturdy begger which shall be at any time after the said Feast of Easter next comming taken begging vagrant wandring or misordering themselues in any part of this Realme or the Dominion of Wales shall vpon their apprehension by the appointment of any Iustice of the Peace Constable Headborough or Tythingman of the same County Hundred Parish or Tything where such person shall be taken the Tythingman or Headborough being assisted therein with the aduice of the Minister and one other of that parish be stripped naked from the middle vpwards and shall bee openly whipped vntill his or her body be bloody and shall be forthwith sent from parish to parish by the Officers of euery the same the next straight way to the parish where hee was borne if the same may be knowen by the parties confession or otherwise And if the same be not knowen then to the parish where hee or shee last dwelt before the same punishment by the space of one whole yeare there to put him or her selfe to labour as a true subiect ought to doe Or not being knowen where hee or she was borne or last dwelt then to the parish through which he or she last passed without punishment After which whipping the same person shall haue a testimoniall subscribed with the hand sealed with the seale of the same Iustice of the peace Constable Headborough or Tythingman of the Minister of the same parish or of any two of them testifying that the same person hath beene punished according to this act and mentioning the day and place of his or her punishment and the place wherevnto such person is limited to goe and by what time the said person is limited to passe thither at his perill And if the said person through his or her default doe not accomplish the order appointed by the said testimoniall then to be eftsoones taken whipped and so as often as any default shall be found in him or her contrary to the forme of this statute in euery place to be whipped till such person be repaired to the place limited The substance of which testimoniall shall be registred by the minister of that parish in a booke to be prouided for that purpose vpon paine to forfeit 5. shillings for euery default thereof and the party so whipped not knowen where hee or she was borne or last dwelt by the space of a yeare shall by the officers of the said Village where he or she so last past thorow without punishment bee conueied to the house of Correction of the limit wherein the said Village standeth or to the common Gaole of that County or place there to remaine and be imployed in worke vntill hee or she shall be placed in some seruice and so to continue by the space of one yeare or not being able of body vntill he or she shall be placed to remaine in some Almeshouse in the same Countie or place Prouided alwaies and bee it enacted If any of the said Rogues shall appeare to bee dangerous to the inferiour sort of people where they shall be taken or otherwise bee such as will not be reformed of their roguish kinde of life by the former prouision of this Act that in euery such case it shall and may be lawfull to the said Iustices of the limit where any such Rogue shall be taken or any two of them wherof one to be of the Quorum to commit that Rogue to the house of correction or otherwise to the Gaole of the County there to remaine vntill their next quarter Sessions to be
for touching or concerning any liberty preheminence authority iurisdiction or inheritance which the said Iohn Dutton now lawfully vseth or hath or lawfully may or ought to vse within the County Palatine of Chester and the County of the City of Chester or either of them by reason of any ancient Charters of any Kings of this land or by reason of any prescription vsage or title whatsoeuer And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That all fines and forfeitures appointed or to grow by this present Act except such as are otherwise limited and appointed by this present Act shall wholly goe and be unployed to the vse of the reparations and maintenance of the said houses of Correction and stocke and store thereof or reliefe of the poore where the offence shall be committed at the discretion of the Iustices of the Peace of the same limit City Borough or Towne Corporate And that all fines and forfeitures appointed or to grow by conuiction of any person according to this present Act shall by warrant vnder the hands and seales of any two or more of the Iustices of the Peace of the same County City Borough or Towne Corporate belâ—ied by distresse and sale of the goods and chattels of the offender which sale shall be good in the Law against such offender And that if any of the said offences shal be confessed by the offender or that the same shall be proued by two sufficient and lawfull witnesses before such two or more Iustices of the Peace That then euery such person shall forthwith stand and be in the Law conuicted thereof And bee it also further enacted by the authority aforesaid that any two or more Iustices of the Peace within all the said seueral Shires Cities Boroughes or Townes corporate whereof one to be of the Quorum shal haue full power by authority of this present Act to heare and determine all causes that shall grow or come in question by reason of this Act. And bee it also further enacted by the authority aforesaid that the Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the great Seale of England for the time being shall and may at all times hereafter by vertue of this present Act without further warrant make and direct Commission or Commissions vnder the great Seale of England to any person or persons giuing them or some of them thereby authority as well by the oaths of good lawfull men as of witnesses or examination of parties or by any other lawfull wayes or meanes whatsoeuer to enquire what summes of money or other things haue been or shall bee collected or gathered for or towards the erection of any houses of Correction or any Stockes or other things to set poore on work or for the maintenance thereof at any time after the seuenteenth day of Nouember in the eighteenth yeere of the Reigne of the Queenes most excellent Maiesty and by whom the same were or shall be collected or gathered and to whose hands commen and to what vse and by whose direction the same was or shall bee employed And to call all euery such person persons and their sureties and euery of their executors or administrators to an accompt And to compell them and euery of them by attachment of their goods or bodies to appeare before them for the same and to heare determine the same and to leuie such money and things as they shal find not to haue been duly employed vpon the said houses of Correction or stockes or vpon other like vses hauing in such other like vses respect of things past by the said Commissioners to be allowed of either by distresse sale of the goods and chattels of such persons as they shall thinke fit to bee chargeable or answerable for the same or by imprisonment of their bodies at their discretion And that the said Commissioners shall haue full power and authority to execute the same Commission according to the tenor and purport thereof And that all their proceedings doings iudgements and executions by force and authority thereof shall be and remaine good and auaileable in the Law which said money so leuied by the said Commissioners shall bee deliuered and employed for the erecting or maintenance of the same Prouided alwayes neuerthelesse That euery Sea-faring man suffering shipwracke not hauing wherewith to relieue himselfe in his trauailes home wards but hauing a Testimoniall vnder the hand of some one Iustice of the Peace of or neere the place where he landed setting downe therein the place and time where and when he landed and the place of the parties dwelling or birth vnto which he is to passe and a conuenient time therein to be limited for his passage shall and may without incurring the danger and penalty of this Act in the vsuall wayes directly to the place vnto which he is directed to passe and within the time in such his testimoniall limited for his passage aske and receiue such reliefe as shall be necessary in and for his passage Prouided also that this Statute nor any thing therein contained shall extend to any children vnder the age of seuen yeares nor to any such Glassemen as shall be of good behauiour and doe trauaile in or through any Country without begging hauing licence for their trauailing vnder the hands and seales of three Iustices of the Peace of the same County where they trauaile whereof one to be of the Quorum And bee it also further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that this present Act shall bee proclaimed in the next quarter Session or Sessions in euery County and in such other market Townes or places as by the more part of the Iustices of the Peace in the said Sessions shal be agreed and appointed This Act to endure to the end of the first Session of the next Parliament ¶ Certaine branches of the Statute made in the first yeere of the Reigne of King IAMES concerning Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggars FOrasmuch as sithence the making of the Act of 39. Eliz. diuers doubts and questions haue been mooued and growen by diuersitie of opinions taken in and vpon the letter of the said Act For a plaine declaration whereof Be it declared and enacted That from henceforth no Authoritie to bee giuen or made by any Baron of this Realme or any other honourable Personage of greater degree vnto any other person or persons shall be auaileable to free and discharge the said persons or any of them from the paines and punishments in the said Statute mentioned but that they shall be taken within the offence and punishment of the same Statute And whereas in the said Statute there is a Prouiso conteined that the said Statute nor any thing therein conteined shall extend to any such Glassemen as shall be of good behauiour and shall trauell in or thorow any Countie without begging hauing Licence for their trauelling vnder the hands and Seales of three Iustices of the Peace of the same County
the said Countie within fiue miles of the sayd place infected at such reasonable weekely taxes and rates as they shall thinke fit for the reasonable reliefe of the said places infected to bee leuied by warrant from the said Iustices of Peace of the same County by sale of goods and in default therof by imprisonment of the body of euery partie so taxed as aforesaid The same taxes made by the said Iustices of Peace of the County for the reliefe of such Cities Boroughs townes corporate places priuiledged where there are no Iustices of Peace to be disposed as they shall think fit And where there are Iustices of Peace Then in such sort as to the Maior Bailifs head officers Iustices of Peace there or any two of them shall seeme fit conuenient All which taxes and rates made within any such Citie Borough town corporate or place priuiledged shal be certified at the next quarter Sessions to be holden within the same Citie Borough Towne corporate or place priuiledged And the said Taxes and Rates made within any part of the said County shall in like sort be certified at the next quarter Sessions to bee holden in and for the said Countie and that if the Iustices of Peace at such quarter Sessions respectiuely or the more part of them shall thinke it fit the said tax and rate should continue or be inlarged or extended to any other parts of the Countie or otherwise determined then the fame to be so enlarged extended or determined increased or taxed and leuied in manner and forme aforesaid as to the said Iustices at the Quarter Sessions respectiuely shall be thought fit and conuenient And euery Constable and other Officer that shall wilfully make default in leuying such money as they shall be commanded by the said Warrant or Warrants shall forfeit for euery such offence ten shillings to be employed on the charitable vses aforesaid And be it further enacted That if any person or persons infected or being dwelling in any house Infected shall bee by the Maior Bayliffes Constable or other head Officer of any Citie Borough Towne Corporate Priuiledged place or Market Towne or by any Iustice of Peace Constable Headborough or other Officer of the Countie if any such Infection be out of any Citie Borough Towne Corporate Priuiledged place or Market Towne commanded or appointed as aforesaid to keepe his or their house for auoiding of further Infection and shall notwithstanding wilfully and contemptuously disobey such direction and appointment offering and attempting to breake and goe abroad and to resist or going abroad and resisting such Keepers or Watchmen as shall be appointed as aforesaid to see them kept in That then it shal be lawful for such Watchmen with violence to inforce them to keepe their houses And if any hurt come by such enforcement to such disobedient persons That then the said Keepers Watchmen and any other their assist assistants shall not bee impeached therefore And if any infected persons as aforesaid so commanded to keepe house shall contrary to such Commandement wilfully and contemptuously go abroad and shall conuerse in company hauing any infectious Sore vpon him vncured That then such person and persons shall be taken deemed and adiudged as a Felon and to suffer paines of death as in case of Felonie But if such person shall not haue any such sore found about him Then for his said offence to be punished as a Vagabond in all respects should or ought to be by the Statute made in the nine and thirtieth yeere of the Reigne of our late Souereigne Lady Queene ELIZABETH for the punishment of Rogues and Vagabonds And further to be bound to his or their good behauiour for one whole yeere Prouided That no attainder of Felony by vertue of this Acte shall extend to any attainder or corruption of blood or forfeiture of any Goods Chattels Lands Tenements or Hereditaments And bee it further enacted by the Authoritie aforesayd That it shall be lawfull for Iustices of Peace Maiors Bayliffes and other head Officers aforesayd to appoint within the seuerall Limits Searchers Watchmen Examiners Keepers and Buriers for the persons and places respectiuely infected as aforesayd and to 〈…〉 vnto them Oathes for the performance of their Offices of Searchers Examiners Watchmen Keepers and Buriers and giue them other directions as vnto them for the present necessitie shall seeme good in their discretions And this Acte to continue no longer then vntill the end of the first Session of the next Parliament Prouided alwayes and be it enacted by authority of this present Parliament that no Maior Bayliffes head Officers or any Iustices of Peace shall by force or pretext of any thing in this Acte contained doe or execute any thing before mentioned within either the Vniuersities of Cambridge or Oxford or within any Cathedrall Church or the Liberties or Precincts thereof in this Realme of England or within the Colledges of Eaton or Winchester But that the Vicechancellor of either of the Vniuersities for the time being within either of the same respectiuely and the Bishop and Deane of such Cathedrall Church or one of them within such Cathedrall Church and the Prouost or Warden of either of the said Colledges within the same shall haue all such power and authority and shall doe and execute all and euery such Act and Acts thing and things in this Act before mentioned within their seuerall Precincts and Iurisdictions abouesaid as wholly absolutely and fully to all intents and purposes as any Maior Bayliffes head Officers or Iustices of Peace within their seuerall Precincts and Iurisdictions may elsewhere by force of this Act doe and execute In Camera Stellata coram Concilio ibidem vicesimo die Octobris Anno Regni Reginae ELIZABETHAE quadragesimo c. Praesentibus Thoma Egerton mil. Dn̄o Cultod Magni Sigilli Angliae Dn̄o North. Dn̄o Buckhurst Iohanne Fortescue milite Cancellar Scaccarij Archiepiscopo Cantuariens Popham milite Capitali Iustic de Banco Regis Anderson milite Capitali Iustic de Communi Banco THIS day Rice Griffin and Iohn Scrips were brought to the Barre against whome Edward Coke Esquire Her Maiesties Attourney Generall did enforme That the said Griffin had vnlawfully erected and built one Tenement in Hog-lane in the Countie of Middlesex which he diuided into two seuerall roomes wherein were now inhabiting two poore Tenants that onely liued and were maintained by the reliefe of the Parishioners there and begging abroad in other places And that the said Iohn Scrips had in like sort diuided a Tenement in Shordich into or about seuenteene Tenancies or dwellings and the same inhabited by diuers persons of very poore and base condition contrary to the intent and meaning of her Highnesse Proclamation published and set out the seuenth day of Iuly 1580. in the two and twentieth yeere of Her Highnesse Reigne whereby the same and such manner of buildings and diuisions are altogether forbidden and prohibited as by her Maiesties said
where they trauell whereof one to bee of the Quorum as by the Statute more at large appeareth By reason of which libertie many notorious Rogues and Vagabonds and euill disposed persons haue vndertaken and doe professe the trade of Glassemen and by colour thereof doe trauell vp and downe diuers Counties of this Realme and doe commit many Pickeries petty Felonies and other misdemeanours For the auoding of which inconuenience Bee it established and enacted by the Authoritie of this present Parliament That from and after two moneths next after the end of this present Session of Parliament all such person and persons as shall wander vp and downe the Countrey to sell Glasses shall be adiudged deemed and taken as Rogues and Vagabonds and shall suffer the like paine and punishment in euery degree as is appointed to bee inflicted vpon Rogues Vagabonds and sturdy Beggers by the intent and true meaning of the said Statute made in the nine and thirtieth yeere of the Reigne of the said late Queene Elizabeth and shall be set down limitted and appointed by this present Act Any thing in the said Statute of the nine and thirtieth yeere of her said Reigne to the contrary therof in any wise notwithstanding And forasmuch as one branch of the Statute of 39. Eliz. is taken to bee some what defectiue for that the said Rogues hauing no Marke vpon them to bee knowne by notwithstanding such iudgement of Banishment may returne or retire themselues into some other parts of this Realme where they are not known and so escape the due punishment which the said Statute did intend to inflict vpon them For remedy whereof Be it ordained and enacted That such Rogues as shall after the end of two moneths next after the end of this Session of Parliament be adiudged as aforesaid incorrigible or dangerous shall also by the iudgement of the same Iustices or the more part of them then present in their open Sessions of the Peace bee branded in the left shoulder with an hot burning Iron of the breadth of an English shilling with a great Romane R vpon the Iron and the branding vpon the shoulder to bee throughly burned and set on vpon the skinne and flesh that the Letter R bee seene and remaine for a perpetuall Marke vpon such Rogue during his or her life and therevpon bee sent by the same Iustices to the place of his dwelling if he haue any if not then to the place where hee last dwelt by the space of a yeere if that can be knowne by his confession or otherwise And if that cannot bee knowne then to the place of his birth there to bee placed in labour as a true Subiect ought to doe And after such punishment of any such Rogue as aforesaid if any Rogue so punished shall offend againe in begging or wandring contrary to the said Statute or this present Act That then in euery such case the party so offending shall bee iudged a Felon and shall suffer as in Cases of Felony without benefit of Clergie the same Felony to be tried in the County where any such offender shall bee taken Anno primo Iacobi Regis ¶ An Act for the charitable reliefe and ordering of persons infected with the Plague FOrasmuch as the Inhabitants of diuers Cities Boroughs Townes corporate and of other Parishes and places being visited with the Plague are found to bee vnable to relieue the poorer sort of such people so infected who of necessity must be by some charitable course prouided for lest they should wander abroad and thereby infect others And forasmuch as diuers persons infected with that disease and others inhabiting in places infected aswell poore people and vnable to relieue themselues that are carefully prouided for as other which of themselues are of abilitie being commanded by the Magistrate or officer of or within the place where the Infection shall be to keepe their houses or otherwise to separate themselues from company for the auoiding of further Infection do notwithstanding very dangerously and disorderly demeane themselues Bee it therefore enacted by the authoritie of this present Parliament That the Maior Bailiffes head Officers and Iustices of the Peace of euery City Borough Town corporate and places Priuiledged where any Maior and Bailiffes head Officers or Iustices of Peace are or shall bee or any two of them shall haue power and authority from time to time to taxe and assesse all and euery Inhabitant and all Houses of habitation Lands Tenements and Hereditaments within the said Citie Borough Towne corporate and places Priuiledged or the liberties or precincts thereof at such reasonable taxes and paiments as they shall thinke fit for the reasonable reliefe of such persons infected or inhabiting in houses and places infected in the same Cities Boroughs and Townes corporate and places priuiledged and from time to time leuie the same Taxes of the goods of euery person refusing or neglecting to pay the said Taxes by Warrant vnder the Hand and Seale of the Maior and Bailiffes and head Officers aforesaid or two such Iustices of Peace to bee directed to any person or persons for the execution thereof And if the party to whom such Warrant is or shall be directed shall not find any Goods to leuy the same and the party taxed shall refuse to pay the same Taxe That then vpon returne thereof the said Maior Bailiffes head Officers or Iustices of Peace or any two of them shall by like Warrant vnder their hands and Seales cause the same person so taxed to bee arrested and committed to the Gaole without Bayle or Maineprise vntill he shall satisfie the same taxation and the Arrerages thereof And if the Inhabitants of any such Citie Borough Towne corporate or place priuiledged shall finde themselues vnable to relieue their said poore infected persons and others as aforesaid That then vpon Certificate thereof by the Maior Bayliffe head Officers and other the said Iustices of Peace or any two of them to the Iustices of Peace of the Countie of or neere to the sayd Citie Borough Towne corporate or priuiledged place so infected or any two of them to be made the said Iustices of or neer the said County or any two of them shall or may taxe and assesse the Inhabitants of the Countie within fiue miles of the sayd place Infected at such reasonable and weekely Taxes and Rates as they shall thinke fit to be leuied by warrant from any such two Iustices of Peace of or neere the Countie by sale of Goods and in default thereof by imprisonment of the body of the party taxed as aforesayd And if any such Infection shall bee in any Borough Towne corporate or piuiledged place where there are or shall be no Iustices of peace or in any Village or Hamlet within any County That then it shall and may bee lawfull for any two Iustices of peace of the said County wherein the said place infected is or shall be to taxe and assesse the inhabitants of
in defect thereof it shall be lawfull for any two such Iustices of Peace and the said Aldermen and head Officers within their seuerall limits to commit the offendor to the said prison there to remaine without baile or maineprise till the said forfeitures shal be satisfied and payed And bee it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that the Iustices of Peace of euery County or place corporate or the more part of them in their generall Sessions to be holden next after the feast of Easter next and so yeerely as often as they shall thinke meet shall rate euery Parish to such a weekely summe of money as they shall thinke conuenient so as no Parish bee rated aboue the summe of sixe pence nor vnder the summe of a halfepeny weekely to be payed and so as the totall summe of such taxation of the Parishes in euery County amount not aboue the rate of two pence for euery Parish within the said County Which summes so taxed shall bee yeerely assessed by the agreement of the Parishioners within themselues or in default thereof by the Churchwardens and petie Constables of the same Parish or the more part of them or in default of their agreement by the order of such Iustice or Iustices of Peace as shall dwell in the same Parish or if none bee there dwelling in the parts next adioyning And if any person shal refuse or neglect to pay any such portion of money so taxed it shal be lawfull for the said Churchwardens and Constables or any of them or in their default for any Iustice of Peace of the said limite to leuie the same by distresse and sale of the goods of the party so refusing or neglecting rendring to the party the ouerplus and in default of such distresse it shal be lawful to any Iustice of that limit to commit such person to the said prison there to abide without baile or maine prise till he haue payed the same And be it also enacted That the said Iustices of the Peace at their generall quarter Sessions to bee holden at the time of such taxation shall set downe what competent sums of money shall be sent quarterly out of euery County or place corporate for the releife of the poore prisoners of the Kings Bench Marshalsey and also of such Hospitals and almes houses as shal be in the said County what sums of money shal be sent to euery one of the said Hospitals and almes houses so as there be sent out of euery Countie yeerely xx s. at the least to each of the said prisons of the Kings Bench and Marshalsey which summes ratably to be assessed vpon euery parish the Churchwardens of euery Parish shall truely collect pay ouer to the high Constables in whose diuision such Parish shall bee situate from time to time quarterly ten dayes before the end of euery quarter and euery such Constable at euery such quarter Sessions in such County shall pay ouer the same to such two Treasurers or to one of them as shall by the more part of the Iustices of Peace of the County be elected to be the said Treasurers to be chosen by the Iustices of Peace of the said County Citie or towne or place corporate or of others which were sessed and taxed at fiue pound lands or ten pound goods at the least at the taxe of Subsidie next before the time of the said Election to be made And the said Treasurers so elected to continue for the space of one whole yere in their office and then to giue vp their charge with a due account of their receipts and disbursements at the quarter Sessions to be holden next after the feast of Easter in euery yeere to such others as shall from yeere to yeere in forme aforesaid successiuely be elected Treasurers for the said County Citie Towne or place corporate which said Treasurers or one of them shall pay ouer the same to the Lord chiefe Iustice of England and Knight Marshal for the time being equally to be diuided to the vse aforesaid taking their acquittance for the same or in default of the said chiefe Iustice to the next ancientest Iustice of the Kings Bench as aforesaid And if any Churchwarden or high Constable or his executors or administrators shall faile to make payment in forme aboue specified then euery Churchwarden his executors or administrators so offending shall forfeit for euery time the summe of ten shillings and euerp high Constable his executors or administrators shall forfeit for euery time the sum of xx s. the same forfeitures together with the summes behinde to be leuied by the said Treasurer and Treasurers by way of distresse and sale of the goods as aforesaid in forme aforesaid and by them to bee imployed towards the charitable vses comprised in this Act. And bee it further enacted That all the surplusage of money which shall be remaining in the said Stocke of any County shal by discretion of the more part of the Iustices of Peace in their quarter Sessions be ordered distributed and bestowed for the reliefe of the poore Hospitals of that County and of those that shall sustaine losses by fire water the Sea or other Casualties and to such other charitable purposes for the releife of the poore as to the more part of the said Iustices of Peace shall seeme conuenient And bee it further enacted That if any Treasurer elected shall wilfully refuse to take vpon him the sayd office of Treasurership or refuse to distribute and giue reliefe or to account according to such forme as shall be appointed by the more part of the said Iustices of peace That then it shall be lawfull for the Iustices of Peace in their Qarter Sessions or in their default for the Iustices of Assize at y e Assizes to be holden in the same Countie to fine the same Treasurer by their discretion the same fine not to be vnder three pound and to be leuied by sale of his goods and to be prosecuted by any two of the said Iustices of Peace whom they shall authorize Prouided alwaies that this Act shall not take effect vntill the Feast of Easter next And be it enacted that the Statute made in the nine and thirtieth yere of her Maiesties Reigne entituled An Act for the reliefe of the poore shall continue and stand in force vntill the Feast of Easter next And that all Taxations heretofore imposed not payed nor that shal be payed before the said feast of Easter next And that all Taxes hereafter before the said Feast to be taxed by vertue of the said former Act which shal not be payed before the said Feast of Easter shall and may after the said Feast of Easter be leuied by the Ouerseers and other persons in this Act respectiuely appointed to leuy taxations by distresse by such warrant in euery respect as if they had been taxed imposed by vertue of this Act and were not paid Prouided