October 1643: An Ordinance for the more speedy raising of the Monies formerly Imposed, and yet unpaid, within the City of London and Liberties thereof.

October 1643

[23 October, 1643.]

Agents appointed for execution of Ordinances.

The Lords and Commons taking into their consideration the great burthen and charge hitherto for the most part undergone by the willing part of the City of London and Liberties thereof, by their ready payments and contributions, in pursuance of severall Acts and Ordinances of Parliament, heretofore made for that purpose, whilest others through want of the due execution thereof, have either paid and contributed nothing, or not considerably thereunto: For remedy thereof, doe Ordaine, and be it Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that the severall persons hereafter named, shall within the severall Wards of the said City and Liberties, be imployed as Agents to put in execution the severall Acts and Ordinances herafter mentioned, in manner as is hereby declared, viz.

Agents Names.

In the Ward of Cheape and Cornhill, Edward Linsey, Iohn Paine.

In the Ward of Aldgate, Mathew Bugge, Samuel Poole.

In the Ward of Bassingshaw Colmanstreet, James Wight, Samuel Wight.

In the Ward of Bishopsgate within and without, Francis Laurence, Jeremy Arnold.

In the ward of Bridgeward Candlewicke, Richard Cole, Thomas Baker.

In the Ward of Billingsgate Tower Ward, Humphrey Burey, Lynam Robins.

In the Ward of Breadstreet Cordweyners, Arthur Coleman, John Anckle.

In the Ward of Vintrey, Thomas Lindsey, John Eames.

In the Ward of Cripplegate within, George Comes. Thomas Hamersley.

In the Ward of Cripplegate without, Thomas Layton, Jervis Goffe.

In the Ward of Dowgate Walbrooke, William Rudgdale, Thomas Williamson.

In the Ward of Queenehith, William Bridges, Edward Cole.

In the Ward of Aldersgate, Henry Whitingham, John Morton.

In the Ward of Broadstreet, Henry Wilson, Thomas Thorneton.

In the Ward of Portsoken, John Ford, Thomas Downeall.

In the Ward of Farringdon within, Joseph Hunscot, Maximilian Buck.

In the Ward of Farringdon without the East division, Clement Carter, Henry Hastings.

In the Ward of Farringdon without Fleetstreet division, John Digby, Laurence Forden.

In the Ward of Castle Baynard, Thomas Jervis, Adam Houghton.

In the Ward of Langborn Limestreet, Francis Burrist, Edward Edmonds.

Instruction to Agents Power to distrain goods of persons in arrear and refusing to pay.; Goods distrained to be inventoried.

Which said severall persons, or any other that the Committee for the Militia of London shall adde, who are hereby enabled thereunto, upon notice given them by the Collectors, or any of them, of the last Subsidies for foure hundred thousand pounds, and of the weekely Assessments or any Fifteenes heretofore granted by the Common-Councell of the City of London, who are hereby required upon the request of the persons above named to give notice thereof accordingly, what persons within their severall Wards, or Precincts have refused, or neglected to pay their said Subsidies, Weekly Assessments, and Fifteenes: And what the said Arrerages are and upon notice also given to the Persons above named by the Treasurers appointed to receive the Monies brought in upon the late Ordinance of the eighteenth of August last; Or by any of the Common-Councell men of any Ward what Arrerages are due thereupon, and from whom, (who are also required hereby upon the request of the Persons above named to give notice thereof accordingly) shall together with the said Collectors of each severall Ward or any of them, forthwith repaire to the severall Persons so in Arreare, or to the usuall places of their abode. And if upon demand thereof made, such persons shall neglect or refuse to pay the said Weekely Assessments, Subsidies or the said Fifteenes to the said Collectors or any of them; And shall neglect or refuse forthwith to pay the Arrerages due upon the said late Ordinance of the eighteenth of August to the Treasurers appointed for that purpose; That then it shall and may bee lawfull to and for the Persons above named, in the presence of the said Collectors, or any of them, or of the Constables of the said severall Wards, and Precincts, who are hereby required to bee ayding and assisting herein within their severall Precincts, and Wards, to destreyne, seize, take, and carry away from the severall persons so in Arreares. so much of the Goods and Estate of every such person. so refusing or neglecting to pay the same as aforesaid, as may fully satisfie the said Arrerages, with all charges of seisures. and removall thereof; And it is also Ordained, that all the Goods so seized, and distreined as aforesaid, shall be forthwith Inventoried by the said persons above named in the presence of the said Constables, and Collectors or some of them; And also appraised by such persons as shall be for that purpose appointed by William Rowell, Richard Willet, Henry Cale, Richard Everet, Robert Doleman,

Names of Committee to sit at Gresham College to receive Inventories.; In case Goods distrained be not redeemed in 3 days, to be sold, and proceeds sent to Treasurers at Guildhall.

Stock, Thomas Vincent, and John Bret, or any two of them, who are hereby appointed a Committee to sit at Gresham Colledge, to receive the said Inventories, and Goods so appraised: Which said Inventories are to be subscribed by the persons hereby appointed to destreyne, together with the Constables or Collectors that shall be present at the dist resse. And in case neither the persons whose Goods shall be seized, or distreyned, nor any in his behalfe doe within three dayes after seizure, redeeme the same, as they shall be appraised, Then the said Committee or any two of them, to sell the same for the best advantage; And from time to time to deliver the Monies so received for the same to the Treasurers sitting at Guild-Hall London appointed by the said Ordinance of the eighteenth of August last and to restore the overplus, if any be, to the persons so seized and destreined as aforesaid.

Power to Agents to break open Doors, etc.; Allowance to persons appointed to make Seizures, and others.; Power to Committees to cause Collectors, etc., to give account of their dealings upon Oath.

And it is hereby further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that the persons above named, shall hereby have power and Authority in the presence of the said Collectors and Constables, or any of them, as well within any priviledged places as without, to breake open all Lockes, Doores or other strength whatsoever, where the Estates, Money or Goods belonging to any such person so in Arreare, are, or shall be And the Trained Bands Voluntires and other Forces, their Commanders and Officers and also the severall Constables and other Officers, within their Limits, are hereby required and enjoyned to be ayding and assisting to the persons above nominated and imployed for the service aforesaid; And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons that the said Committee, or any two of them, shall allow to the persons above named & appointed to make seisures as aforesaid, 3.d. for every pound, which the Goods so distreined by them & sold shall amount unto, & also such other allowance to such other person or persons necessarily imployed for the Service aforesaid, as the said Com[m]ittee shall thinke requisite, to be paid out of the Money taken for the sale of the said Goods. It is also Ordained by the said Lords and Commons to the end both this, and the Ordinance for Sequestration formerly made, may be effectually put in execution, and that as well the severall Committees for Sequestrations, both within the said City of London and Liberties, and elsewhere appointed in pursuance of the Ordinances for Sequestrations formerly made as also the said Committee hereby appointed to sit at Gresham Colledge, shall have power at such times as the said Committees, or any of them thinke fit, to cause the said Collectors or any other their under Officers, to give an account upon Oath, to the said Committee, or any of them, concerning any the dealings and proceedings of the said Collectors, and under Officers in their severall Imployments under the said Committees.

This Ord. not to hinder due execution of former ordinances for Sequestration in London.

And to the end this present Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, may not hinder the due and orderly execution of the said Ordinances formerly made for the sequestrations of the Estates of Papists and Delinquents within the said City of London and Liberties thereof.

Persons avoiding Tax to be still taken to be Delinquents and their estates sequestered.; Common Councillors, etc., to give List of such persons on demand.; Collectors or Constables that refuse or neglect their service to be imprisoned or fined.; Indemnity.

Be it therefore ordained, that all such as shall fraudulently imbezile, conceale, or convey away all, or any part of their goods, money, or estate, without valuable consideration, bona fide, thereby preventing or avoyding the payment of any Taxes or Assessements, laid upon them by any Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, or any distrese or seisure in case of non payment thereof, or that after any such Tax or Assessements convey themselves away, or refuse to be spoken with, whereby any such Tax or Assessement layd on them by any Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament cannot be executed upon them, or their estates, according to the true meaning and purport thereof shall be still taken to bee delinquents, onely within the said Ordinance of Sequestration, and their Estates sequestred by the said sequestrators (the Common-Councell men and Collectors of each Ward and Precinct within the said Citie and Liberties, being hereby required upon request made to them, or any of them by the said Committee for sequestrations, or the Collectors appointed by the said Committee, to give a Catalogue or other notice of such persons now or heretofore inhabiting within their severall Wards. This present Ordinance or any thing therein contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding; And it is also ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that if the said Collectors, Constables or any other persons hereby appointed or to bee appointed for the purposes mentioned in this Ordinance, and in pursuance thereof, shall refuse or neglect to execute and doe what hereby is required from them or any of them that then upon proofe made thereof to the Committee of the House of Commons for Examinations sitting at Westminster, or to the Militia for the City of London, every person so refusing, or neglecting as aforesaid, shall bee by the said Committees, or either of them committed to safe custody without Baile or Maineprise or Assessed to pay such summes of money by way of fine, as the said Committee, or Militia shall thinke fit, so the same exceed not the summe of ten pounds for any one offence, and every person and persons doing and performing any thing in pursuance of this present Ordinance shall bee therefore from time to time kept harmlesse by the authority of both Houses of Parliament.