August 1645: An Ordinance for ordaining a Committee in the county of Lancaster

August, 1645.

[29 August, 1645.]

Committee for Lancashire.;General Meetings at least once monthly.; Power to tax County.; And appoint Officers.

The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do Order and Ordain, That Sir Ralph Ashton, Sir Robert Binloss Baronets, Richard Hoghton, Ralph Ashton, Richard Shuttleworth, John Moor, Alexander Rigby, William Ashurst, Gilbert Ireland, Peter Egerton, Christopher Bannister, John Bradshaw, George Dodding, John Starkey, Edward Butterworth, Thomas Fell, Rowland Hunt, Richard Haworth, James Ashton of Chadderton, Edward Rigby, Thomas Birch, Alexander Rigby the yonger, Nicholas Rigby of Harrock and Richard Ashton, Esquires; Nicholas Cunliff, Henry Fleetwood, Robert Cunliff and William Knip, Gentlemen, be a Committee for the County of Lancaster; And that they once in every month at the least have a general meeting at Preston (or in case they cannot there reside with safety) then in such other fit and indifferent place of the said County, as they or the major part of them shall from time to time appoint for the transacting of the affairs of the County aforesaid; And that none of the said Committee do absent himself, or depart from any of the meetings without consent or allowance of the major part of the said Committee: And the said Committee at their said general meetings are authorized, and hereby shall have power (besides what can be raised out of the Sequestrations in the first place) to assess and tax all such sums of money upon the said County, as the major part of them shall think fit, by the accustomed rule for the Assessing of the said County, commonly called the Soldiers Lay, so as the same exceed not Three thousand pounds per moneth; In which all such sums of money as are to be assessed upon the said County by the late Ordinance for the Northern Association, shall be included: And the said Committee shall have power to nominate and appoint Assessors, Collectors and all other Officers necessary for the assessing, collecting and leavying of the said Assessments.

Standing Committee; Allowances.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That a standing Committee, consisting of seven at the least, do at times (other then during the continuance of the said general meetings) sit constantly at Preston aforesaid: Or in case they cannot there reside with safety, then in some other the most equal and indifferent place of the said County, to be appointed from time to time by the said Committee for the said County, or the major part of them at their general meetings. And that there be at least one of the said standing Committee out of every hundred within the said County (if conveniently it may be) and this standing Committee shall from time to time be appointed by the said Committee of the County at their general meeting, in such maner that none shall be compelled against his will to attend above fourteen days together at once; And the said Committee of the County at their general meeting, shall hereby have power to give allowances unto such persons as shall be imployed for the said County, and to the Treasurers, Collectors, and all other persons imployed by them, so as the same do not exceed the allowances set and appointed in the Ordinance of the fifteenth of Febr. 1644. for the maintenance of the Army under the command of Sir Tho. Fairfax.

Assessors to give Copies of Assessments to standing Committees.;Persons over rated may be relieved.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, that all Assessors do, and are hereby required within six days after every Assessment made, to deliver copies of their said Assessments fairly written and described by them, unto the said standing Committee, who shall sign and seal duplicates thereof, and shall deliver so many as shall be needful to the Collectors, with Warrants to collect the said Assessments, and the other duplicates to such persons as are authorized to take the Accompts of the said County; and the like means, powers and penalties are hereby allowed for the better gathering, collecting and leavying the same, that are constituted and appointed in the Ordinance of the 15. of Febr. 1644. for the maintenance of the Army under the command of Sir Tho: Fairfax; And if any person or persons shall finde him or themselves agrieved, that he or they is or are overrated, and shal within six days after demand made, complain to the standing Committee, the said standing Committee shall have power, upon examination, to relieve such person or persons as they shall see cause.

Treasurer for Lancashire.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That Alexander Norris of Boulton Gentleman, be Treasurer of all the moneys whatsoever raised, or to be raised within the said County of Lancaster, by any Ordinance or other power derived from both or either of the Houses of Parliament, for the use of the Forces of the said county: And that no collector or other officer whatsoever, collecting any of the said moneys, or taking any goods, or being imployed in the receipt of any money or profits, or advantages whatsoever, by vertue of any power or authority as aforesaid, shall be discharged for the same or any part thereof, unless every such person have an acquittance under the hand of the said Treasurer, and that acquittance likewise signed by three or more of the said standing Committee; Which Committee shall cause every such sum of money, with the name of the person who paid the same, and the day of the moneth when it was paid, to be fairly entred in a Book to be kept for that purpose. And the clerk of the said Committee shall attest the said entry upon every such acquittance, otherwise such acquittances as to the Commonwealth to be void. And every of the said collectors and officers shal within ten days at the utmost, after the same is gathered and collected, pay all such moneys they shall gather and collect unto the said Alexander Norris, who shall not pay or issue out any moneys, but by Warrant under the hands of six or more of the said standing Committee, or by Warrant under the hand of the said Committee for the county, at their general meeting, or the major part of them. Provided always, That the said Committee do from time to time issue out their warrants to the said Alexander Norris, to pay al such sums of money as shal be at any time charged upon the said county of Lancaster, by vertue of the said Ordinance for the Northern Association.

Soldiers in Lancashire to be reduced into 3 Regiments.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That all Commanders, Officers and Soldiers, now or hereafter to be in pay within the said county, be reduced into two Regiments of Foot, and one Regiment of Horse, neither of which Regiments of Foot shall have in them above ten Companies, nor the Regiment of Horse above six Troops at the most. And that all the common Soldiers now in pay within the said County, be taken into the said three Regiments; And the Commanders and Officers of the said Regiments, shall be appointed, placed and displaced by the consent and agreement of the said Committee for the said county, or the major part of them. Provided, That no Deputy Lieutenant that hath an Estate within the said county, nor any of the Committee be Colonel or other Officer of the said Forces.

Who may not be Officers.; No Officer above Lieu. to receive more than one-fourth of pay.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That no Colonel or other Officer of the said three Regiments above the degree of a Lieutenant of a Foot Company, receive more then a fourth part of their pay, during such time as he is in the said county and not in actual service. And the said Committee for the said county, or the major part of them, shall have power to regulate the pay of the Officers and soldiers of the said three Regiments, so as the same do not exceed the pay established for Sir Tho. Fairfax's Army; And no officer or soldier of the said three Regiments shall take horses or any other goods, or leavy any moneys or meddle with any thing belonging to the civil affairs & Government of the said county without a warrant under the hands of six or more of the said Committee at their said general meetings.

Muster-rolls.; Able-bodied persons to be enlisted as volunteers.; None unfit to bear Arms to reside in Manchester, etc.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That there be a Commissary of the Musters of the said Forces, who shall from time to time take the Musters, & keep fair muster-rolls of the said Regiments and Companies: and the said Treasurer shall pay the said Forces by the pole, according to the muster-roll thereof, signed by the hand of the Commissary of the musters. And the said Committees are hereby required to take special care that all Colonels & other Officers and soldiers belonging to the said Regements be equally paid. And if any of the said Committees do sign any warrant, to pay any Regiment or Company more then the rest (except it be otherwise ordered and agreed at a general meeting) then such person shall from thenceforth be disinabled from executing any power granted by this Ordinance: & the said Committee for the county, or the major part of them, shall from time to time nominate and appoint, place and displace the keeper or keepers of the Magazines of the said county, who shall issue forth the same by warrant under the hands of six or more of the said Committee. And it is further Ordered and Ordained, besides the said three Regiments, the said Committee for the county, shall take care to List into Regiments and companies all persons of able bodies, and fit to be trusted with Armes: and them to Arme and Array, and to cause them to be Trained once in every moneth, to be ready for the defence of the said county; which said regiments and companies, may be listed under any of the said Committee for the county or other Officers appointed by them, or the major part of them; And shall have when they shall be imployed in actual service, such pay as shall be allowed unto them, by the said Committee for the county, or the major part of them. And it is further Ordered and Ordained, That no person, that in the Judgement of any seven or more of the said Committee for the county is not fit to be intrusted with Arms, shall reside or dwell within any of the Towns of Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool, Lancaster, Clytherow, or Preston. And every inhabitant within any of the said Towns, shall for the defence of them bear Armes or finde a man to bear armes, unless they be judged unable to do it by seven or more or the said Committee for the county.

Moneys due for Arms etc. to be paid.

And it is further Ordered and Ordained, that for the time past, all the particular engagements of any person or persons, for Armes, Ammunition, clothes or pay for souldiers for the use of the said county, be paid and discharged out of and with the publique moneys of the said county, in such maner and at such times, as the said Committee for the county, or the major part of them at their said general meetings shall agree and appoint.

Officers Arrears of Pay.

And it is further Ordered, That for arrears of pay due to any Commander or Officer within the said county of Lancaster, that all commanders & officers within the said county shall before the last day of December, 1645, bring in writing unto the said Committee for the county at a general meeting, or unto the Committee for the accompts of the Kingdom at London, an accompt of what is due to him or them for their pay, deducting all Freequarter, and all moneys and goods taken from any person (except such as were taken in fight, or in some Town, Castle, or Hold, taken from the enemy by storm) and all horses, and all the benefit they have had by Sequestrations, and all other profits & commodities whatsoever they have so received: unto which Accompts they shall take their Oaths before the said Committee for the county, or the said Committee of accompts: and such accompts as shall be so given to the said Committee of Accompts, they shall certifie unto the said Committee of Lancaster. And the said Sums and Accompt shall be entred into a book, and attested by the said Committee of the county, and by the parties Accomptant.

Former instructions concerning Forces of County repealed; Proviso.

And be it lastly Ordered and Ordained, That all former instructions of both Houses of Parliament, concerning the forces of the said county, be henceforth repealed and voyd. And that from time to time to come, no money be Taxed or leavied, or goods taken from any person or persons, for the use of any of the said Forces, but in pursuance of this present Ordinance, and according to the powers granted therein. Provided, That no power, clauses, or provisoes in this Ordinance, shall extend to the taking away or diminution of any thing granted in the Ordinance for the Northern Association: And the aforesaid Committee shall see this Ordinance duly, speedily and strictly put in execution.