House of Lords Journal Volume 9: 23 August 1647

DIE Lunæ, 23 die Augusti.

PRAYERS, by

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Comes Manchester, Speaker.

Maj. Lawrence and Col. Sowton sent for.

Upon reading the Affidavit of Wm. Hester, and also the Affidavit of Gowen Gauldega: (Here enter them.)

It is Ordered, That Major Laurance shall be attached, and brought before this House, to answer his Offence; and that Colonel Sowton shall be summoned to appear before this House To-morrow Morning, to answer the Complaint of Colonel Hardwicke.

Message from the H. C. with Ordinances, &c.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by John Corbett Esquire; who brought up divers Orders and Ordinances, wherein their Concurrence is desired:

1. An Ordinance concerning scandalous Ministers.

Read, and Agreed to; and Ordered to be printed and published.

2. An Ordinance concerning the ordering and regulating the Sale of Bishops Lands. (Here enter it.)

Read, and Agreed to; and Ordered to be printed and published.

3. A Letter concerning maimed Soldiers, to be signed by both Speakers. (Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

4. An Order to the Committee of Militia of London, for putting Reduced Officers out of the Lines of Communication, by former Ordinance. (Here enter it.)

Agreed.

5. An Order to pay to Captain Plunkett One Thousand Pounds, out of the Excise. (Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

6. An Order for Four Hundred Pounds, out of Habberdashers Hall, to Mrs. Issabell Pont Widow.

(Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

7. An Order to allow Thirty Pounds per Week to maimed Soldiers, out of Haberdashers Hall.

(Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

8. An Order for the Committee for the Army to go to the Common Council of London, about borrowing of Money upon the Credit of the Ordinance for the Army. (Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

9. An Ordinance for a Collection for the City of Chester. (Here enter it.)

Agreed to.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House agrees to all the Orders and Ordinances now brought up; and have appointed some Lords to go, with some of their Members of the Committee for the Army, To-morrow in the Afternoon.

Irish Committee.

An Order for the Committee for the Affairs of Ireland at the Star-chamber to sit constantly, was read.

(Here enter it.)

Agreed.

Thorne released.

Ordered, That Gyles Thorne Clerk shall be discharged from his Restraint.

Brown, Cler. Parl. &c. versus Morris, alias Poyntz, &c.

Ordered, That upon Thursday or Friday next, this House will take into Consideration what Judgement to give against John Morris, alias Pointz, Leonard Darby, John Harris, and Isabell Smyth, upon the several Complaints of Sir Adam Littleton, and John Browne Clerk of the Parliament.

Letter to the Judges of Assize, &c. to see Execution of the Ordinance for Relief of maimed Soldiers; &c.

"We are commanded, by both Houses of Parliament, to recommend to your more especial Care, the advancing of the speedy Execution of Two Ordinances of Parliament lately passed both Houses, concerning the Relief of the maimed Soldiers, Widows and fatherless Children of such Soldiers as have been wounded and died in the Parliament's Service; which Service is a Work of so much Justice and Charity, as we shall not need any other Arguments to persuade you therein, only, according to our said Commands, hereby to recommend it to you; desiring you so to proceed therein, that you may be able to give an Account thereof to the Committee for maimed Soldiers."

Reduced Officers, Delinquents, &c. to be sent out of the Lines.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Committee of the Militia of London be required to put in effectual Execution the Ordinances formerly passed both Houses, for putting Reduced Officers and Delinquents, and such as have been in Arms against the Parliament, out of the Lines of Communication, according to the Directions of the said Ordinances."

Order for 1000 l. to Captain Plunkett.

"It is this Day Ordained, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, That the Sum of One Thousand Pounds, with Interest payable each Six Months, be charged upon the Receipts of the Grand Excise, in Course, to be paid unto Captain Plunckett, or his Assigns; and the Commissioners of Excise for the Time being are hereby authorized to pay the said Sum of One Thousand Pounds, with Interest at the Rate of Eight Pounds per Cent. at the End of every Six Months, till the said Sum shall fall due in Course; and the Receipt of the said Captain Plunckett, or of his Assignee or Assignees, shall be a sufficient Discharge to the Commissioners of Excise on that Behalf."

Order for 400 l. to Mrs. Pont.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Sum of Four Hundred Pounds be charged upon the Receipt at Habberdashers Hall, and paid, by the Committee of Lords and Commons for Advance of Monies at Habberdash'rs Hall, upon Accompt, unto Isabell Pont Widow, the Widow of Major Abraham Pont, slain in the Parliament's Service, towards the Arrears certified to be due to her Husband, upon his Entertainment in the said Service."

Order for 30 l. per Week for maimed Soldiers.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Sum of Thirty Pounds per Week be allowed and paid, by the Committee for Advance of Monies at Habberdash'rs Hall, to the Treasurers for maimed Soldiers, for the Relief of sick and wounded Soldiers; and be issued, for the Relief of sick and maimed Soldiers, by the said Treasurers, upon such Directions as they shall receive from the Committee for maimed Soldiers."

Common Council to be desired to advance a Month's Pay for the Army.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Committee of the Army be appointed to go to the Common Council, to desire them forthwith to advance a Month's Pay for the Army, by Way of Loan; and that they shall be secured and reimbursed out of the Arrears due from the City to the Army; and that the Committee of the Army do prepare and bring in an Ordinance to this Purpose."

Committee for Irish Affairs at the Star-chamber to sit constantly.

"Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Committee for the Affairs of Ireland, that used to sit in the Star-chamber, be revived; and that they do sit constantly, and employ their best Endeavours for the speedy bringing in the Arrears of the Assessments due upon the Ordinances for the Service of Ireland."

"An Ordinance for keeping in godly Ministers, placed in Livings by Authority of Parliament.

Ordinance for quieting Ministers in their Livings, who were put in by the Houses.

"Whereas divers Ministers, in the several Counties of this Kingdom, for notorious Scandals and Delinquency, have been put out of their Livings by Authority of Parliament; and godly, learned, and orthodox Ministers placed in their Rooms; and whereas the said scandalous and delinquent Ministers, by Force or otherwise, have entered upon the Churches, and gained the Possession of the Parsonage-houses, Tithes, and Profits thereunto belonging, and have obstructed the Payment of the Tithes and other Profits due by the Parishioners unto the Ministers placed in the said Churches by Authority aforesaid: The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do therefore order and ordain, and be it Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That all Sheriffs, Mayors, Bailiffs, Justices of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenants, and Committees of Parliament, in the several Counties, Cities, and Places, within this Kingdom, do forthwith apprehend, or cause to be apprehended, all such Ministers as by Authority of Parliament have been put out of any Church or Chapel within this Kingdom, or any other Person or Persons who have entered upon any such Church or Chapel, or gained the Possession of such Parsonage-houses, Tithes, and Profits thereunto belonging, or have obstructed the Payment of the Tithes and other Profits due by the Parishioners to the said Ministers there placed by Authority of Parliament, or Sequestrators appointed wherein no Ministers are settled to receive the same, and all such Persons as have been Aiders, Abettors, or Assisters in the Premises; and commit them to Prison, there to remain until such Satisfaction be made unto the several Ministers placed by the said Authority of Parliament, for his or their Damages sustained, as to the said Sheriffs, Mayors, Bailiffs, Justices of Peace, Deputy Lieutenants, or Committees of Parliament, or any Two of them, shall appear to be just, upon Hearing and Proof made upon the Oath of Two sufficient Witnesses (which they, or any Two of them, are hereby authorized to administer); who are likewise required to restore, settle, and quiet, the Possession in such Ministers as have been placed by the said Authority of Parliament; and they, or any Two of them, have hereby Power to raise Trained Bands, or any other Forces, within the said several Counties, Cities, and Places, to put this Ordinance in Execution; and the said Sheriff, Mayors, Bailiffs, Justices of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenants, and Committees of Parliament respectively, are hereby required to take effectual Course, according to the several Orders and Ordinances of Parliament in that Behalf made, that all Men do pay their Tithes or Profits due unto the said respective Ministers: And it is hereby further Ordered and Ordained, That the Committee appointed for plundered Ministers have Power to see this Ordinance put in Execution: And it is further Ordained, That the Committee of Complaints do give the like Remedy to all such Ministers put in by the said Authority of Parliament, and Sequestrators of the Profits, against whom any Action shall be brought by any such delinquent or scandalous Minister, or any other claiming by or under them, for their Livings, Tithes, and Profits, as they are authorized unto by any Order or Ordinance in other Cases: It is lastly Ordered and Ordained, That if any such scandalous or delinquent Minister, put out as aforesaid, their Aiders or Abettors, shall, at any Time hereafter, disturb, molest, or hinder, such Minister as is put into such Church or Chapel as aforesaid, in the exercising of the Office of his Ministry; upon Proof thereof made, upon the Oath of Two Witnesses, before the said Sheriff, Mayor, Bailiffs, Justices of Peace, Deputy Lieutenants, or Committees of Parliament, or any Two of them, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Sheriff, Mayor, Bailiffs, Justices of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenants, or Committees, of Parliament, or any Two of them, to commit such Offender or Offenders to Prison for One Month, so often as he or they shall so offend."

"An Ordinance of the Lords and-Commons assembled in Parliament, for regulating the Sale of Bishops Lands, and expediting the Conveyance thereof.

Ordinance to regulate the Sale of Bishops Lands, and to expedite the Conveyances.

"Be it Ordered and Ordained, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That whereas, in the late Ordinance of Parliament, made the 16th of November, Anno Domini 1646, it is appointed, That the Purchaser of any Bishops Lands shall pay the latter Moiety of his Purchase-money within Six Months after the Sealing of the Assurance; and whereas divers Purchasers have, before the Sealing of the Assurance, obtained the Possession of the said purchased Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments; in all such Cases, the said Six Months wherein the latter Moiety of the Purchase-money ought to be paid shall be recovered from the Time of the Contract, and not from the Sealing of the Assurance; and that, in Lieu thereof, the Purchaser shall have and enjoy all the Mean Profits which he hath had or received in mean Time; and that the Treasurers for Bishops Lands shall allow and rebate, to any Purchaser who hath any Money due by the said Ordinance, the Interest which shall be due unto him, together with the Principal, the same to be defaulked at the Times of Payment of his Purchase-money; and that all Assignees of any Monies due by the said Ordinance may defaulk the same upon Purchases, in like Manner as the Lenders themselves might do: And the Contractors, Trustees, Treasurers, and all others employed in the Sale of Bishops Lands, are hereby required and enjoined to perfect and seal the respective Conveyances or Assurances with all possible Expedition."

Ordinance for a Collection for Relief of Chester.

"Whereas the City of Chester is grievously infected and visited with the Plague of Pestilence in every Parish and Part thereof, very few Families being clear; by Reason whereof, almost all the Persons of Ability have left the said City, and there are remaining (for the most Part) only the Poor, that have no Means of Subsistence, being altogther deprived of Trading, which, if they be not presently relieved in an extraordinary Way, are like to perish for Want, and to endanger the infecting the adjacent Counties; and whereas the County of Chester is exceedingly impoverished by the late War, whereby they are disabled for affording them any considerable Relief: It is therefore Ordered, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the respective Ministers of every Parish and Congregational Church, within the Cities of London and Westm'r, the Lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality, and within the Counties of Chester, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, South'ton, Middlesex, Essex, Hertford, Cambridge, Suffolke, and Norffolke, do, upon the next Lord's day after Receipt of this present Ordinance, or the Copy thereof, publish the distressed Condition of the poor Inhabitants of the said City of Chester, and earnestly move their People to contribute to so charitable a Work; and that the Sums so collected be paid, by the Collectors thereof, unto William Drinkewater and Robert Wilding Citizens of London, their Deputy or Deputies; and the said William Drinkewater and Robert Wilding are hereby required forthwith to send such Monies as they shall receive, unto the Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs, of the said City of Chester, or any Two of them, to be by them distributed to the poor Inhabitants of the said City; and the said William Drinkewater and Robert Wilding shall take Acquittances for such Sums of Money as they shall upon this Collection pay to the said Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs, or any Two of them, under their Hands; which Acquittances shall be a sufficient Discharge to them for the same: And it is further Ordained, That the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs, or any Two of them, shall certify unto the Committee of Accompts the Total Sum which shall be received by them by virtue of this present Ordinance."

Vaughan to be instituted to Llandissel.

Ordered, That Dr. Heath give Institution unto Edmund Vaughan Clerk, to the Rectory of Llandissell, in the County of Cardigan; salvo Jure cujuscunque; granted by the Great Seal.