August, 1659: An Act for Sequestrations.

August, 1659

[27 August, 1659.]

Names of Commissioners for Sequestration; Persons to be sequestered

Be it Enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority thereof, That Samuel Moyer, Richard Moore, William Mollins Arthur Squib, John Greensmith, John Brewster Gent. John Brown of the Charter House London shall be and hereby are constituted and appointed Commissioners for Sequestration, And that they or any four or more of them, are hereby authorized and required to Manage the same; And the said Commissioners or any four or more of them are hereby authorized and required to nominate and appoint in such Places and Counties in England and Wales as they shall think fit, such person and persons as they shall think fit, to seize and secure all the Estate and Estates real and personal of (or which any person or persons stands intrusted with for) Randolph Egerton, Robert Werden, Sir George Booth and Sir Thomas Middleton, or any or either of them, and of (and for) every other person or persons who since the Seventh day of May, in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty nine, for and on the behalf of Charls Stuart, or on any other pretence whatsoever, have raised War against this Parliament and Commonwealth, or have been in Arms or raised Forces against the same, or have plotted or contrived the same, or consented thereunto, or having knowledge thereof did willingly conceal the same, or have been aiding, abetting, assisting, advising, or any way adhering to the said Randolph Egerton, Robert Werden, Sir George Booth or Sir Thomas Middleton, or to any of them, or to any other person or persons, in levying of War or raising of Forces as aforesaid, or who shall raise War or levy Forces against this Parliament and Commonwealth, or plot or contrive the same, or be aiding, assisting or abetting thereunto, or having knowledge thereof shall willingly Conceal the same, or if any person or persons who have since the Thirtieth day of January, One thousand six hundred forty eight, promoted the pretended Title of Charls Stuart, Son of the late King, to be King or chief Magistrate of this Commonwealth, or have adhered to, assisted or abetted the said Charls Stuart in any design against the Commonwealth, or have held any Correspondence either directly or indirectly with him, or any other person on his behalf, or have contributed any Sum or Sums of Money, Arms, Horses, or any other Ammunition, or Provision whatsoever to him the said Charls Stuart, or to any for his use: And the said Commissioners or any four or more of them, may and are hereby authorized and required to Sequester all the Estates real and personal, which any of the said persons, or any other in trust for them, or any of them had possessed or enjoyed, or might have had, possessed or enjoyed at the time of such their respective promoting, assisting, adhering or corresponding as aforesaid, or at any time since, other then such Estates real and personal heretofore belonging to any the Persons above said, which have been pardoned or otherwise discharged or disposed of by Authority of this Parliament.

Persons concealing debts, etc., due to such persons to forfeit double to the Commonwealth.

And it is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any person whatsoever who now stands indebted, or hereafter shall stand indebted for Rent or Money to any the said Persons who have Levyed War, been in Arms, or raised Forces as above said, or shall hereafter do the same, or now having or that shall have in trust for the persons above said, or any of them, the possession or Custody of any Goods or Chattels belonging to them or any of them, and knowingly, shall detain or conceal the same, and not make discovery thereof to the said Commissioners, or some of them, within one Moneth after the seizing and securing of any part of the Estate, or knowledge of the Delinquency of him to whom such Debt, Rent, or Goods are or shall be respectively due, that then such person or persons so concealing the same, shall forfeit to the use of the Commonwealth, the double value of the Goods so detained, and of the Debt and Rent so concealed: for the recovery of which forfeiture, in case of non-payment thereof, it shall and may be lawful, and the said Commissioners are hereby required to cause the seizing and sequestring of the Estates real and pers nal, of such person and persons so refusing the same, to be detained and kept, and the Issues and Profits to be imployed to the use of the Commonwealth, until the said Forfeiture shall be satisfied and paid, and no longer.

Commissioners to have all powers given to Sequestration Commissioners before 20 April, 1653.

And for the ends and purposes aforesaid, the said Commissioners, or any four or more of them, shall and may, and hereby are authorized and required to observe and put in Execution, all and every the Powers, Authorities and Instructions, at any time given before the Twentieth of April, one thousand six hundred fifty three to any Committee or Commissioners for Sequestration, by vertue of any Act, Ordinance, or Order of Parliament, and in as large and ample maner, as any such Committee or Commissioners might or ought to have done by virtue of the same, and the said Commissioners, or any four or more of them shall also put in execution such further Instruction or Instructions as they shall receive from the Parliament: And are hereby required to pay or cause to be paid, all and every Sum and Sums of Money, arising out of all and every the Estate and Estates hereby directed to be seized and sequestred as aforesaid, into the Receipt of the publique Exchequer, for the use of the Commonwealth.

Continuance of Act.

Provided, That this Act continue to the First of May, one thousand six hundred and sixty, and no longer.