January 1643: Ordinance for Somersetshire Men to have their own Contribution-money already raised, for Maintenance of the Forces raised there.

January 1642/3

[27 January 1642/3.]

Whereas His Majesty, by the Advice and Instigation of a wicked Council about His Person, hath raised Forces against the Parliament, and hath actually made War against His Great Council and His good Subjects of the Kingdom, which Forces, so raised by His Majesty, for the most Part are consisting of Papists, notorious Delinquents, and other malignant Persons, by whom the well-affected of this Kingdom are ruinated in their Estates, and divers Outrages committed upon their Persons; and forasmuch as Sir Ralph Hopton, and his Adherents, Rebels and Traitors, combining together in Pursuance of this most horrid, wicked, and unnatural Design, hath levied divers Forces in the County of Cornwall, and in a Warlike Manner already entered into the County of Devon, and besieged, robbed, spoiled, plundered, and pillaged, divers Towns and Places in the said County, and divers Rapes, Murders, and other Misdemeanors, have acted and committed upon divers of His Majesty's good Subjects there, and many of them hath utterly destroyed; and forasmuch as that now Ruin and Distraction is threatened, not only by that hellish and accursed Crew, but also by the Welch and other Forces raised by His Majesty, and in His Name, to the County of Som'sett, and other the adjacent Counties; the said Counties also being in Danger by the Invasion of a Foreign Enemy: For prevention whereof, amongst other the said Counties, the well-affected and good Subjects in the said County of Som'sett, for Defence of themselves and the Western Parts, against all such their Enemies, Rebels, and Traitors, having associated themselves, and raised divers Forces, both of Horse and Foot, which must be maintained upon the Public Charge; the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do Order, Declare, and Ordain, That the Receivers for the Subscriptions appointed for the County of Som'sett, upon the Propositions for raising of Horse, Money, and Plate, for the Defence of the King, Kingdom, and Parliament, and all Collectors, Sub-collectors, and others intrusted for the Levying and Receiving of the said Collections and the said Propositions in and for the said County of Sumersett, shall forthwith pay in all such Sum and Sums of Money as by them, or any of them, hath been collected and received, and not paid in to the Treasurers in London, according to the said Ordinance, for the Propositions as aforesaid, unto John Ash Esquire, and Roger Hill of Taunton Gentleman, Treasurers, hereby appointed to receive the said Sums so raised and levied as aforesaid, to be employed to the Uses and Purposes limited and appointed by the said Ordinance for Subscriptions upon the said Propositions, and to no other Use, Intent, or Purpose; and that the said Monies, so subscribed, raised, and gathered as aforesaid, shall not be issued out by the said Treasurers hereby appointed, but by Warrant to them made by the Right Honourable the now Earl of Stamford, Sir John Horner, Sir Thomas Roth, Sir Francis Popham, Alexander Popham, Hugh Rogers, Christopher Walker Wm. Strode, Richard Cole, John Francis, John Harington, John Hippesley, James Ash, John Ash, John Pym, Henry Samford, William Seaborne, Thomas Hippesley, Henry Henley, John Preston William Long or any Three or more of them, under their Hands and Seals, limit, appoint, and declare; (fn. 1) and that the Warrant or Warrants of the Persons aforesaid, or any Three or more of them, in Manner as aforesaid, for the issuing out of the said Monies, together with the Acquittance or Acquittances from the Person or Persons which shall be appointed by the Persons aforesaid, or any Three or more of them, for the Receipt of the said Sum or Sums of Money, according to this Ordinance, shall be a sufficient Discharge to the Treasurers hereby named for so much as shall be in such Acquittance or Acquittances, for the Issuing out and Payment of the said Sum or Sums of Money respectively; and that the Treasurers shall not at all pay any Sum or Sums of Money to be by them received, upon any other Direction, Warrant, or Command whatsoever; And further it is Ordered and Declared, That the said Receivers appointed by virtue of the said Ordinance for the Propositions, who were thereby required to pay, or cause to be paid, the said Monies by them received, to the Treasurers in London named in the said Propositions, for so much of the said Monies as they shall pay to the Treasurers hereby nominated and appointed for the County of Somersett as aforesaid, having their or either of their respective Acquittance or Acquittances, shall be discharged, any Act or Thing heretofore made to the contrary notwithstanding.

Provided, that this Ordinance shall not extend to impeach or diminish any Order or Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament formerly made, for disposing of any of the said Monies, or other Orders made to the Town of Taunton, or other Place in the said County of Somersett, having thereby obtained an Allowance for Fortifications out of their own respective Subscriptions and Contributions upon the said Propositions.