October 1646: An Ordinance appointing the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament Commissioners of the Great Seal, With the Commission for hearing Causes in Chancery.

October, 1646

[31 October, 1646.]

Commissioners of the Great Seal.; To seal Commission in form annexed.

It is this day Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That Edward Earl of Manchester Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore and William Lenthal Esq.; Speaker of the House of Commons, shall be and are hereby appointed Commissioners for the custody of the Great Seal of England, and shall have and exercise the same Power and Authority that any Lord Chancelor, Lord Keeper, or Commissioners for the Great Seal have usually had or ought to have: This Ordinance, and the Power hereby given, to continue until the end of twenty days next after this present Michaelmas Term and no longer. And be it further Ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the said Commissioners of the Great Seal shall Seal a Commission according to the tenor of the Commission hereunto annexed, for which this present Ordinance shall be their Warrant; And the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery is hereby required to prepare the same accordingly.

[The Commission.]

Carolus Dei gratia Anglie, Scotie, Francie & Hibernie, Rex, fidei defensor, &c. Dilectis & fidelibus nostris Willielme Lenthal Armiger, Magistro Rotulorum Cur' Cancellar' nostræ ac Prolocutor Dom' Com' in Parliament' apud Westm' in Com' Middlesex, tent' modo Assemblat, Thomæ Trevor Militi uni Baronum Scacarii nostri, Edmundo Reeve Militi uni Justiciar' nostrorum de Banco, Francisco Bacon uni Justiciar' nostrorum ad placita corum nobis tenend' assignat, Petro Phesant uni Justiciar' nostror' de Banco, Edwardo Atkins uni Baron' Scacarii nostri, Henrico Roll uni Justiciar' nostrorum ad placita coram nobis tenend' assignat', Edwardo Leech Militi, Johanni Page Armigero, Roberto Aylet, Thomæ Heath legum Doctoribus, & Johanni Sadler Armigero, Magistris Cur' Cancellar' nostræ prædict', salutem, Quia præhonorabilis & prædilectus consanguineus nostr' Edwardus Comes Manchester, & præfat' dilectus & fidelis nostr' Willielmus Lenthal Commissionar' nostri authoritate Parliament' nostri prædict' constitut' ad Magnum Sigillum Angliæ, inter alia custodiend' & disponend' arduis negotiis Regni nostri Angliæ continue intendentes in iisdem adeo versantur quod attendere non possint ea quæ in causis & materiis inter diversos ligeos & fubditos nostros ac alios in pred' Cur' Canc' nostræ pendend' agend' tractand' audiend' expediend' executiend' & terminand' sunt & fieri debent; Nos premissa considerantes volontesq; omnibus & singulis legeis nostris ac aliis quascunq materias in eadem Cur' Cancellar' nostræ prosequend' sive prosequuntur plenam & Celerem justiciam exhiberitam in absentia quam in præsentia prædic' Commissionar' pro Magno Sigillo prædicto, ac de fidelitate & providis circumspectionibus vestris in hac parte plurimum confidentes de advisament' Parliament' nostri præd' assignavimus vos ac tenore præsentium damus vobis tribus vel pluribus vestrum (quorum præfat' Willielmum Lenthal, Thomam Trevor, Edmundum Reeve, Franciscum Bacon, Petrum Phesant, Edwardum Atkins, aut Henricum Roll, unum esse volumus, quando prædicti Commissionar' pro Magno Sigillo prædicto non fuer' in præsentia plenam potestatem & authoritatem audiend' & examinand' quascunq; materias causas & petitiones coram vobis in dicta Cancellar' nostra inter quoscunq; ligeos & subditos nostros aut alias quascunq; nunc pendentes, aut imposterum exhibend' & pendend'; Et easdem materias causas & petitiones juxta sanas discretiones vestras trium vel plur' vestrum ut prædictum est finaliter terminand' & debit' execution' mandand' partesq; in materiis causis seu petitionibus illis nominat' & specificat', ac testes & alios quoscunq; quos vobis tribus vel pluribus vestrum ut prædictum est fore videbitur evocand' quoties expediri videritis coram vobis tribus vel pluribus vestrum evocand'; Ac ipsos & eorum quemlibet debit' examinari compellend' diesque productorios imponend' & assignand' processusq; quoscunq; in ea parte necessar' concedend' & fieri faciend', Contemptus etiam quoscunq; Commiss' sive perpetrat' debit, castigand' & puniend' ceteraq; omnia & singula faciend' & exequend', quæ circa premiffa neceffar' fuerint seu quomodolibet opportuna, Et ideo vobis mandamus quod circa premissa diligenter intendatis ac ea fac' & exequamini cum effectu, Mandamus etiam tenore presentium omnibus & singulis officiar' & Ministr' Cur' nostr' Cancellar' prædictæ quod vobis tribus vel pluribus vestrum ut prædictum est in executione premissorum diligenter intendant pro ut decet; Volumus etiam & per præsentes concedimus quod omnia & singula judicia sive snalia decreta ac ordines per vos tres aut plur' vestrum ut prædictum est super hujusmodi causis sive materiis ac petitionibus ut præfertur reddend' sive faciend', sint & effe debeant tanti & consimilis valoris effectus efficacie roboris virtutis, ac si prædict' Commissionar' pro Magno Sigillo predicto ut præfertur constitut' pro ut ordinationem Parliament nostri prædict' in ea parte habit & proviss' designantur & in Cur' Cancellar' pred' reddit sive reddend' forent, Proviso tamen quod omnia & singula hujusmodi judicia sive finalia decreta per vos tres vel plur' vestrum ut prædictum est virtute præsentium modo & forma prædict' reddend' sive faciend' manibus vestris trium vel plur' vestrum, quorum præfat' Willielmum Lenthal, Thomam Trevor, Edmundum Reeve, Franciscum Bacon, Petrum Phesant, Edwardum Atkins aut Henricum Roll, unum esse volumus subscribantur & consignentur & superinde eadem judicia sive finalia decreta præfat' Commissionar' pro Magno Sigillo prædicto ut prædictum est præsententur & liberentur, Quodque nulla eorundem Judiciorum sive finalium Decretorum irrotulentur aut quovismodo execut' sint, antequam iidem Commissionar' pro Magno Sigillo prædicto ut prædictum est ea manibus suis propriis similitur consignent, Et quod he Literæ nostræ Patentes durabunt & permanebunt in plenis robore & effectu usque ad finem viginti dierum post finem hujus præsentis Termini Sancti Michaelis & non diutius: In cujus rei testimonium has Literas nostras fieri fecimus Patentes, Teste me ipso apud Westm'.

BOLLES.