August 1643: Ordinance for Raising Dragoons in the County of Essex.

August 1643

[12 August, 1643.]

Whereas, by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons, Five Hundred Horse are charged upon the County of Essex, to make up a Body of Horse, with others Counties, for the Preservation, Peace, and Safety of the People of this Kingdom, and securing their Persons and Estates from the Rapine and Fury of the Soldiers, and whereas, by an Order of the Committee for the Safety of the Kingdom, One Thousand Dragoons are charged upon the said County, for the Defence of the Kingdom; and that in Pursuance thereof, the Deputy Lieutenants and Committees of Parliament of the said County have set an equal Proportion of the said Thousand Dragoons upon the several Hundreds of the said County, to be levied according to Ability; and have charged the same County with the Sum of Thirteen Thousand and Five Hundred Pounds, for the raising and arming of the said Five Hundred Horse, and for a Month's Pay for them, and also for the arming of the said Thousand Dragoons, and for a Month's Pay for them, and that the same Sum of Money shall be rated and levied after the Manner and Proportion of the Weekly Assessments for the Payment of my Lord General's Army: It is Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That the said Levy of One Thousand Dragoons, and Charge of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Pounds, set by the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees upon the said County of Essex, and the Rates and Levies made thereupon, according to the Manner and Proportion of the Weekly Assessments, shall be ratified and confirmed by the Authority of the said Lords and Commons: And it is Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That if any Person which shall be rated towards the raising of the said One Thousand Dragoons shall refuse or neglect to pay his Rate, the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees, or any Two or more of them, shall or may set a reasonable Fine upon the Person so refusing or neglecting; and the same Fine to levy by Imprisonment of his Body, and Sequestration of his Estate, until the same shall be fully satisfied: And also it is Ordained, That if any Person, which shall be assessed as aforesaid, towards the Payment of the said Sum of Money, shall refuse or neglect to pay his Rate or Assessment to the Collector appointed, the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees, or any Two or more of them, shall charge the said Person so refusing or neglecting, with as much more Money as the said Person shall be rated at; and if the said Person shall refuse or neglect to pay the said Sum so doubled upon him, then it shall and may be lawful for the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees, or any Two or more of them, to commit the said Person so refusing or neglecting to Prison, and also to sequester his Estate, till the same be satisfied: And it is Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That if any Assessor or Collector, appointed by the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees, or any Two or more of them, shall be negligent or faulty in the said Service, the said Deputy Lieutenants and Committees, or any Two or more of them, shall and may commit such Assessor or Collector to Prison, and set such Fine upon him as they shall think fit, not exceeding the Sum of One Hundred Pounds, the same to be levied by Distress and Sale of the Offenders Goods, to the Uses aforesaid: And it is Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That Edward Berkhead, of Rumford, Esquire, shall be Treasurer, for receiving of the said Sum of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Pounds, and shall not issue out any of the same but by Warrant from the Deputy Lieutenants of the said County, or any Two or more of them: And it is Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That the Committees of the Weekly Assessment, or any Two or more of the several Divisions of the said County, shall forthwith certify to the said Treasurer, under their Hands, a Copy of the Weekly Assessment of their several Divisions: And it is further Ordained, by the said Lords and Commons, That the Captains, Officers, and Soldiers, of the Trained Bands, Voluntiers, or other Officers, shall be assistant to the Collector of those Monies, if Need be: Lastly, it is Ordained, That all those that do any Thing in the Performance of this Service, or in Execution of this Ordinance, or the said Ordinance for raising a Body of Horse as aforesaid, shall be saved harmless and indemnified, by the Power and Authority of the said Lords and Commons in Parliament.