April 1648: Ordinance to give Power to the Trustees for Sale of Bishops Lands, to convey Land to the Contractors, in Lieu of their Salaries.

April, 1648

[14 April, 1648.]

Be it Ordained, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Trustees named and appointed in and by several Ordinances of Parliament, for the Sale of the Lands and Possessions of the late Archbishops and Bishops, or any Five or more of them, upon the Desire or Request in Writing of the Contractors in the said Ordinances named, or of any One or more of them, under their or any One or more of their Hands and Seals, and upon a Particular or Particulars to be made forth, examined signed, and rated, under the Hand of Henry Elsinge Register, shall and may, and are hereby authorized, required, and enabled, by Bargain and Sale enrolled, or other good Assurance, to grant and convey (with like Warranty as to other Purchasers) unto the said Contractors, or unto such any One or more of them as shall so desire the same, his and their Heirs and Assigns for ever, any Manor or Manors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, or Hereditaments, Parcel of the Possessions of the said late Archbishops and Bishops, at the Rate of Ten Years Purchase for Lands or Estates in Possession, and for Reversions proportionably; the said Lands, so to be conveyed, to be in Lieu of, and accompted towards Satisfaction of, such Sum and Sums of Money as shall from Time to Time be due, and should or ought to be allowed and paid unto the said Contractors, or any One or more of them, proportionably, for his or their Salary, in respect of their or any of their Attendance and Service in the Sales already made, and hereafter to be made, of the Lands and Possessions aforesaid: Provided always, and it is hereby Ordained and Declared, That the said Purchaser or Purchasers shall not exceed the Proportion of Fourscore Pounds per Annum in Possession, or Reversions to the Value of Fourscore Pounds per Annum in Possession, according to the Rules of Proportion expressed in an Ordinance of Parliament of 17th of March, 1647, to each respective Contractor; and shall be of such Manors, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, whereof no Particular signed by the Register hath been or shall be taken forth by any Person or Persons within Threescore Days after Return and Publication of the Survey or Surveys wherein the same are or shall be comprized: Provided, That in case, at the Finishing of the Sale of the said late Archbishops and Bishops Lands, or at his or their Discharge from the said Service and Employment of a Contractor or Contractors, the Value of the Purchase to be made shall exceed his or their respective Salary from Time to Time to be then due, demanded, and allowed, as aforesaid, that then the Overplus of any such Purchase or Purchases, upon a Certificate thereof stated and delivered unto the Treasurers under the Hand of the Register, shall be, by the said Contractors or any One or more of them, paid within Six Months next after the Delivery of the said Certificate; and that the said Trustees shall immediately after the passing of the Assurance of the Lands or Estates so purchased as aforesaid, take Security by the Lands or Estates so to be by them conveyed for Performance thereof accordingly: Provided, That (if the said Premises in Possession to be sold and conveyed as aforesaid, be Part or Parcel of a Manor) the said Register shall rate, and Trustees shall, together with the Premises in Possession, sell and convey the Manor, with its Royalties and Appurtenances, or so much of it as shall be then unsold, according to the Particular signed as aforesaid, and according to the Proportions and Limitations as are before expressed; and in case any Manor to be purchased and conveyed as aforesaid shall exceed the Value of his or their Salary to be discounted as aforesaid, the said Trustees shall and may, and are hereby authorized to convey the same to the said Contractors, or any One or more of them as aforesaid, according to a Particular thereof made, and signed as aforesaid; he or they paying, for so much thereof as shall exceed the Proportion allowed, as aforesaid, for his Salary, such Rates as Henry Elsinge Register shall under his Hand ascertain and set down, so that the Rates be not under the Proportion expressed in the Ordinances of Parliament for the Sale of the said Lands.

And be it lastly Ordained, That this present Ordinance shall be valid, according to the Tenor and true Meaning thereof; any former or other Ordinance or Ordinances concerning the Lands and Possessions of the said late Archbishops and Bishops, or any Clause, Article, or Thing, in them or any of them contained to the contrary, in any Wise, notwithstanding.