February 1643: Ordinance for raising Forces and Money in the County of Wilts.

February 1642/3

[3 February, 1642/3.]

Whereas it is found necessary, for the Security and Protection of the Persons and Estates of the Inhabitants of the County of Wilts, and Parts adjacent, and for the common Defence of the Kingdom from the Rapines and Plunderings of the Enemy, and for the Prevention of any Meeting, Invasion, or Incursion, of the Enemies Forces, at Oxon, or elsewhere, and in the West, that considerable Strength and Forces of Men and Horses should be forthwith prepared and raised, within the said County: It is therefore Ordered and Ordained, by the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, That Two Regiments of Horse, consisting of Four Troops apiece, and One Regiment of Dragooners consisting of a Thousand Men, shall forthwith be raised within the said County, to be disposed of within the said County or elsewhere, in such Manner as the Lord General shall from Time to Time appoint or think fit, for the Purposes aforesaid, under the Command of such Person or Persons as his Excellency the Earl of Essex shall nominate and appoint: And it is further Ordered and Ordained; That, for the Payment of these Regiments and Forces aforesaid, after the Rate and Proportion of the Parliament's Pay to other Forces of the like Nature, that no Monies shall be raised in the County of Wilts (by virtue of this Ordinance), but of the Estates of Papists, Delinquents, Bishops, Dean and Chapter, Prebendaries of Sarum, and other Prebendaries or Pluralists within the County; or out of the Estates of such as have not contributed unto the Parliament, or have opposed or assisted against the Parliament; or such as have been solicited to contribute to the Propositions, and have refused, or shall not contribute in considerable Proportion to their Condition and Estate; or such Clergymen or others, as have either refused to observe or obey the Orders and Ordinances of Parliament, or otherwise have expressed any Disaffection to the Parliament or Proceedings thereof: And it is Ordered, That Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath, calling to him any Two or more of the Deputy Lieutenants, or any Two or more of the Commissioners for Subscriptions for the said County, or Theobald Gorges, Edmond Mayneford, Alexander Thislethwayte Junior, Robert Nicholas, Walter White, Thomas Grove, John Morden, Thomas Bennett, Thomas South, Nicholas Greene, Esquires, or any Two or more of them; or, in the Absence of the said Sir Edward Hungerford out of the said County, any Three of the Persons aforementioned as the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall appoint, shall have Power, and are hereby authorized and required, to rate, tax, assess, and charge, all or any the Persons aforesaid, the Lands, Goods, and Tenements, at such Rates, and with such Sums of Money, and other Charges, and in such Manner and Proportion, as they shall think fit, and the Necessity of the Occasion shall require, using the best Indifferency and Moderation they can, not exceeding the Twentieth Part of their Personal Estate, or the Fifth Part of their Yearly Revenue, except Papists, Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Deans and Chapters, and such notorious Delinquents as have taken up Arms against the Parliament, or have been active in the Commission of Array; and to appoint such and so many Persons to collect, gather, and levy all such Sums, or other Charges, so assessed or charged, by such Ways and Means as by them shall be directed: And further, the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall have Power, by virtue of this Ordinance, to recieve and take all such Monies, Plate, and Horse, as are or shall be raised upon the Ordinance of Subscriptions within that County, to be employed by them in this Service upon Accompt; as also to receive the Remainders and Arrears of the Monies to be levied in that County upon the Bill of Four Hundred Thousand Pounds, to be employed by them in this Service; and in Case that present and sufficient Sums of Money cannot be gotten by any of the Means and Ways aforesaid, for Maintenance of the Forces aforesaid, that then, if any Person or Persons shall lend any Sum or Sums of Money, for the Advancement of the present Service, an Acquittance under the Hand of the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall be a sufficient Warrant to such Lenders to require Payment of the same, with consideration after the Rate of Eight Pounds per cent. upon the Public Faith: And it is likewise Ordered and Ordained, That the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall hereby have Power and authority to disarm all such as shall not willingly contribute, in Proportion to their Estates, to the assistance of the Parliament, and all such Persons as shall be found opposite or disaffected to the Service of the Parliament, notwithstanding any Protection had or obtained to the contrary; and also to have Power to put any Number of Soldiers into any City or Town within the said County, as to him shall seem fit and expedient, which City or Town shall be under his Command during the time of the Abode of any such Soldiers within the same: And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That Duplicates of Rolls be made, containing the Names and Surnames of every Person charged by virtue of this Ordinance, and the Places of their Abode, together with the particular Sums upon each of them set and assessed; and that like Duplicates be made of all such Sums of Money, or other things, as shall be received, disbursed, employed, or expended, in this Service, upon a just Accompt to be made, and allowed by the Commons House of Parliament; and that, in so doing, the said Sir Edward Hungerford, the Deputy Lieutenants, those of the Committee, the Persons above-named, and all others employed by them, and observing their Commands and Directions, or that join with and assist them in executing any of the Premises, or that shall willingly submit to perform and pay such Rates and Monies, and perform such Services, as shall be imposed on and required of them by virtue of this Ordinance, shall be protected, defended, and saved harmless, in their Estates, Lands, Goods, and Persons, by the Authority and Power of Parliament.