October 1643: An Ordinance for the Reliefe and maintenance of sicke and maimed Souldiers, and of poore Widowes and children of Souldiers, slaine in the Service of the Parliament.

October 1643

[31 October 1643.]

Sick and maimed Soldiers, and Widows and Orphans of those slain in Parliament's service to be provided for during six months.; Money to be raised for the purpose.

The Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, being desirous to use their utmost care for the reliefe and maintenance of the sicke and maimed Souldiers of the Parliaments Army, and to provide for the sustenance of poore Widows and children of such Souldiers as have been slaine in the Service of the Parliament, doe hereby Ordaine, and be it Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That all such poore Souldiers as have either passed the Chyrurgions hand, or shall lye under cure, and by the losse of any member, or other maime in the Service of the Parliament, are or shall not be able to maintaine themselves during the time of such inability, and all such sicke and wounded Souldiers, as are or shall be sent sick or wounded from the said Army, during the time of such sicknesse and disability for service; And all poore Widowes and children of such Souldiers as have beene slaine in the aforesaid Service, and are not able of themselves to subsist during the time of such poverty, shall for the space of six moneths to begin from the first of November next, be provided for, and maintained in manner as is by this present Ordinance, Provided Ordered, and appointed: For which purpose the said Lords and Commons doe Ordaine, that the severall sums of Money ensuing shall be rated and levyed upon the severall counties following, (viz.)

Counties to be rated and in what proportion.

Upon the County of Berks, one hundred and twenty pounds. Upon the County of Bedford, one hundred pounds. Upon the County of Bucks, one hundred and twenty pounds. Upon the Counnty of Cambridge, and the Isle of Ely, one hundred and twenty pounds. Upon the County of Essex, three hundred pounds. Upon the County of Hertford, one hundred and twenty pounds. Upon the County of Huntingdon, eighty pounds. Upon the County of Hampshire, two hundred pounds. Upon the County of Kent, three hundred pounds. Upon the County of Middlesex, one hundred and twenty five pounds. Upon the County of Northampton, two hundred pounds. Upon the County of Norfolk and City of Norwich, three hundred pounds. Upon the County of Suffolke, three hundred pounds. Upon the County of Sussex, two hundred and fifty pounds. Upon the County of Surry, with the Burrough of Southwarke, one hundred forty five pounds. The Cities of London and Westminster, within the Suburbs, one thousand two hundred pounds.

High Constables to meet to proportion sums.; and issue Warrants for collecting same.; Distress of goods on refusal to pay.; Names of persons that refuse to pay to be certified to Treasurer.

For the rating, levying, and collecting whereof, Be it Ordained by the said Lords and Commons that all and every the High Constables of the severall Counties aforesaid, shall upon the first notice hereof, meet together, and divide the sums set upon the severall Counties, and upon the severall Hundreds, in such Proportion as they were rated upon the first payment of the Subsidie of foure hundred thousand pounds. And after the division of the said sum in the severall Hundreds, then the particular High Constables of every Hundred respectively shall be hereby Authorized and required, forthwith to issue out their Warrants and Precepts to the Petty Constables of the Towns, Parishes, and Hamlets within their respective Hundreds and divisions, and also to such other persons as the said High Constables shall thinke fit to employ as Assistants therein, for the levying and collecting such sums of Money as by the High Constables of each Hundred or division, or such as they shall appoint, shall be proportioned and rated upon the severall Inhabitants of each Parish, Towne or Hamlet, within their respective Hundred or division, and in case of refusall or neglect of any person or persons so rated to pay the same, to Authorize the said Petty Constables, and the said other persons to be appointed as Assistants therein, to distraine the Goods and Chattels of such person so refusing or neglecting as aforesaid, and to sell the same for the service and purposes aforesaid and that for the Cities of London and Westminster, and Suburbs thereof, the Committee for the Militia doo likewise upon notice hereof Issue forth their Warrants and Precepts to the Churchwardens of the severall Parishes within the said Cities and Suburbs, and such others as they shall thinke fit for the rating, levying, and collecting such sums of Money as they shall proportion to be rated and collected upon the severall Parishes within the said Cities of London and Westminster, and the Suburbs thereof, and in case of refusall or neglect as abovesaid, the like course to be taken by way of distresse, is in afore directed for the severall Counties, And also that the said High Constables and Church-wardens doe certifie the names of all such persons so refusing or neglecting, to the Treasurers hereafter named, who are to signify the same to the Committee of the House of Commons for maimed Souldiers, to the end such persons may be proceeded against according to Justice.

Moneys by whom to be received and where returned.; Treasurers' Names.

And it is also Ordained, that the high Constables of the severall Counties shall receive the moneys so levyed and collected within their respective Hundred and divisions, and upon receipt thereof shall within three weekes next after the receipt of this Ordinance bring the said moneys, or cause the same to be brought to Cord-Wainers-Hall, in London; And the Church-wardens of the severall Parishes within the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Suburbs, are to receive the moneys levyed upon their respective Parishes, and within fourteen dayes to make returne thereof to Cord-Wainers-Hall in London as aforesaid: at which place of receipt, William Greenehill, John Pocock, John Randall and Richard Hutchinson, Citizens of London, or some of them, are hereby appointed to receive the same every Tuesday, and Friday, and to be Treasurers for the same, and to give receipts and discharges for the same under their, or some of their hands.

Moneys how to be disposed.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons that the money so levyed, and received by the said Treasurers as aforesaid shall be by them or any two of them, disposed of for the best advantage, and for the uses and purposes aforesaid, so that not above foure shillings be allowed weekly to any such maimed, wounded, diseased, or Sicke Souldier or poore family as aforesaid.

Agents.; Their Office.

And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons that for the better executing of this Ordinance, Nathaniel Wyburne and Roger Bincks Gent or such others as the said Treasurers shall appoint, shall be employed as Agents into the said severall Counties, to give notice hereof to the said severall high Constables, and to certifie the Committee of the House of Commons, for maimed Souldiers, of any obstruction or neglect that shall be or arise in any person or persons, to hinder the execution of this Ordinance, and who causeth the same, and to doe and performe such other service in the pursuance hereof, as to the said Committee, or to the Treasurers aforesaid, shall be conceived requisite for the due execution of this Ordinance.

Allowance to Treasurers and Agents.

And it is lastly Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, that the said Treasurers and Agents from time to time shall receive such allowance for their paines and charges in the executing of this present Ordinance, as by the said Committee of the house of Commons shall be allowed and appointed, by which Committee the said Treasurers shall be from time to time directed, and shall yeild an accompt unto them, when the same shall be required.

Proviso.

Provided alwayes, that where any Captaine under whose command any such sicke or maimed Souldiers is, or hath beene listed shall receive pay for any such sicke or maimed Souldiers, that notwithstanding the allowance before mentioned to any such sicke or maimed Souldier, the said Captaine that shall receive such allowance, shall pay and allow the same to the said Souldier.