January 1644: An Ordinance for the Recruiting, maintaining, and regulating of the Forces of the seven Associated Counties, under the Command of Edward Earle of Manchester.

January 1644

[20 January, 1643/4.]

Whereas the Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the other Associated Counties, out of their loyall respect to his Majestie, their pious disposition to the peace and happinesse of this Kingdom, in obedience to the Orders of Parliament, have raysed and maintained, to the number of fourteen thousand Horse, Foot, and dragoons, or thereabouts, And with them, within five moneths last past, have done many services against the common Enemy, tending much to the safety of the Kingdom, and intend to rayse a farre more considerable Force, both of Horse and Foot, And have also bought many Armes and Ammunition, and must buy more, whereby to furnish themselves with a Traine of Artillery, and have been, and must be at great charges in maintaining and Recruiting the said Forces, and in keeping severall Garrisons, making and erecting of Fortifications, Magazines, Courts of Guard, and other things requisite and necessary for the defence and safety of the said Association, against the Incursions of the Enemy. By all which meanes, the said Association has become much indebted, and without the speedy raysing of large and considerable summes of Money, proportionable to their past expences, cannot long subsist in a condition to keep themselves from Ruine, and to advance the Publique safety.

Weekly Assessment on 7 Associated Counties.; What Sum on each County.; How long Assessment to continue.

It is thereupon Ordained, by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same, That for the intents and purposes aforesaid, the severall weekly summes of Money hereafter in this Ordinance mentioned, shall be Charged, Rated, Taxed, and levyed, upon the several Counties, according to the proportions herein expressed, the same to be payd in weekly to the severall Collectors, and by them to the Treasurer or Treasurers appointed by this Ordinance for the receiving hereof, That is to say, upon the County of Essex, the weekly summe of one thousand six hundred eighty seven pounds ten shillings. Upon the County of Suffolke, the weekly summe of one thousand eight hundred seventy five pounds. Upon the County of Norfolke, and City of Norwich, the weekly summe of one thousand eight hundred seventy five pounds. Upon the County of Hertford, the weekly summe of six hundred seventy-five pounds. Upon the County of Cambridge, the weekly sum of five hundred sixty two pounds ten shillings. Upon the County of Huntington, the weekly summe of three hundred and thirty pounds. Upon the County of Lincolne, and City of Lincolne, the weekly summe of one thousand two hundred eighteene pounds fifteene shillings; and upon the Isle of Ely, the weekly summe of two hundred twenty one pounds five shillings: And the said weekly payments are to begin from the first day of January instant, and so to continue weekly for foure moneths next ensuing from the said first day of January.

Penalty for non-payment.; Powers to Deputy Lieutenants and Committees; Collectors' Office.; Treasurers' Office.

And be it further Ordained, that every person or persons that were to be assessed or Taxed, by any former Ordinance of Parliament, shall be Assessed and Taxed by this Ordinance, and shall be lyable to as great Forfeitures and Penalties, for not paying of the summe or summes to be Assessed, as they should have been, if the same had been Assessed, by vertue of the last Ordinance for the weekly payment for the said Association made the twentieth of September last; and the severall and respective Deputy-Lievtenants and Committees, named and trusted within the said Association, or any part thereof, by the said recited Ordinance, to take care for the Assessing, Collecting, or Levying of any Moneys, are named and intrusted by this Ordinance, and have as full Power and Authority given them by this Ordinance, to nominate and appoint Collectors and Assessors, and to Distreine, Fine, Imprison, or Sequester, as they or any of them had, by vertue of the said recited Ordinance, in all, or any part of the said Associated Counties, And the severall Collectors, shall pay the severall summes by them Collected, at the place or severall places where the Earle of Manchester, and the Committee for the Association attending the said Earle shall appoint, and to the Treasurer and Treasurers to be by them named, which Treasurer or Treasurers are to Issue out the Moneys received for the purposes aforementioned, according to the Warrants or directions of the said Earle of Manchester, and of any two of the said Committees for the said Association, which shall be appointed thereunto by the said Earle and a full Committee, consisting of one for every County at least, and of the Commissary Generall for the time being of the said Earle of Manchester: And that no Moneys be issued out without Order under the hands of the said Earle, such two of the said Committee, and the said Commissary Generall, nor yet without a privity of the whole Committee attending the said Earls.

Directions for Forces under Lord Manchester's Command.; All Officers in said Forces to respite part of their pay on the Public Faith till the war be ended.

And be it further Ordained, That all the Forces raysed, or to bee raysed, under the command of the said Earle, shall be kept intire, and not drawne forth, or kept, or continued forth upon any service, without the knowledge and joynt consent of the said Earle, and the said Committee while they are together, or of one of them, while they are distant one from another, or without particular directions of Parliament, And that every Captaine both of Horse and Foot, and every other Superior or Inferiour Officer, or other in the Army of the said Earle of Manchester, or belonging to the said Associated Counties, whose pay comes to ten shillings a day or above, shall take but halfe the pay due to him, and shall respit the other halfe upon the Publique Faith, untill these unnaturall Warres be ended; And every Officer or Other, that is to have five shillings a day or above and under ten shillings, shall accept of two thirds of the pay due to him, and shall respit one third part upon the Publique Faith until these unnaturall Warres shall be ended. And when there is three moneths pay due to one of them, or more, a Certificate thereof from the said Earle, such two of the said Committee and Commissary, as may give out Warrants for the Issuing out Moneys, shall be sufficient to demand the said Moneys owing upon the Publique Faith as aforesaid.

Captains to make good Horses and Arms lost under their Command, unless they can prove them lost in service against enemy.; Moneys how to be disposed of.

And be it further Ordained, that all the said Captaines both of Horse and Foot, are to make good to the said Committee all the Horses and Horse-Armes and Foot-Arms, that shall be lost or imbeazel'd by them, or under their command, unlesse they can make it appeare, that they were lost in service against the Enemy: And the said Captaines are enjoyned to give a List uuder their hands, to the said Committee, for the Association, of all men, horses, and armes, under their command; And the said Lords and Commons doe further Ordaine, that all the Moneys Collected and not disposed of, or to be Collected upon the fifth and twentieth part of mens estates, or of the last three Moneths pay: and all the Moneys or other benefit arising by vertue of any Ordinance, for the third part of the sequestration, setled upon the Earle of Manchester, shall be paid unto the Treasurers appointed as aforesaid and from thence to issue out againe for the intents and purposes aforementioned.

Officers having free quarters to take less pay.

And it is likewise Ordained, That if any of the said Associated Forces, have taken, or shall take free quarter within the said Association, every Officer is then to have but one third part of the present pay due to him by this Ordinance, for so long time as he or they have had or shall have free quarter.

Lincoln to send one or two Deputy-Lieutenants or Commissioners to Committee at Cambridge, to have equal powers with them.; Power to Lord Manchester and Committee.; Penalties for Collectors or Treasurers that refuse to account, or pay in Moneys in hand.; Their Allowances.; Treasurer to keep Register-Book.

And every Common foot Souldier buf halfe pay, and every Common Horseman, or Trooper, fourteen pence a day, and the residue of their pay, is to be reserved for the Payment of their quarters, and to be imployed for the purposes afore-mentioned; And they further Ordaine, that the County of Lincolne, and the County and City of Lincolne, shall send one or two of their Deputy-Lievtenants, or Committees trusted by the Parliament, with the Affaires of the said County and City, to the Committee for the said Association to Cambridge, who shall have hereby equall power with any other of the said Committee at Cambridge, while they sit there, or in any other place; And the said Earle and Committee for the said Association, have hereby power given them to call all Collectors, Treasurers, or others, that have or are thought to have any of the said Moneys in their hands, to an accompt, and to cause the said Money in their hands to be paid unto the Treasurers appointed by this Ordinance; And if any Colleetors, Treasurers, or others, shall refuse to accompt, or to pay in the Moneys wherewith they are charged, then the said Earle and Committee shall Fine them double the sum charged upon them, which if it be not paid within six dayes after, the summe is set, and notice thereof left at his or their dwelling house, It shall be lawfull to distraine for the same, and if there be not sufficient distresse wherewith to satisfie; Then the said Earle and Committee, may imprison the offender herein, and Sequester his estate, untill the Money charged, and the Fine set, be levied and paid. And it is Ordained, that six pence in the pound, shall be allowed for every summe of Money, which shall be Collected and paid to the said Treasurer, whereof three pence shall be for the Collectors, and three pence for the Treasurer; And the said Treasurer shall keep a Register Booke, of the severall summes received and paid out by them, and shall render an accompt thereof, unto the said Earle and Committee, once every Moneth at least.

Indemnity

And be it lastly Ordained, that the said Earle, Deputy-Lievtenants, Committees, Collectors, Assessors, and every one of them, and every other person that shall be aiding and assisting to them, or any of them, in doing any thing by vertue of this Ordinance, shall be defended and saved harmlesse therein, by authority of both Houses of Parliament.