Charles II, 1662: An Act for the releife of poore and maimed Officers and Souldiers who have faithfully served His Majesty and His Royal Father in the late Wars.

Recital that many in the late Wars had exposed themselves to great Loss of their Estates and Hazard of their Lives, and for whom no Provision is made

Reasons for passing this Act.; Parishes to be charged weekly, as by 43 Eliz. c. 3. and also such further Sum as Quarter Sessions shall judge meet; so as such additional Sum do not exceed 2s. 6d. nor be under 3d. each Week; and paid to Treasurers for maimed Soldiers, who are to issue out and account for the same, under Penalties.

Forasmuch as divers of His Majesties Loyal and Faithfull subjects who out of the sense of theire Duty and Allegiance to His Majesties Royal Father of ever blessed and glorious Memory and to His Majesty that now is have during the late Wars wherein they have been imployed both by Sea and Land as Officers Souldiers and Mariners in the said Service exposed themselves to the utmost hazard of their Lives losse of theire Limbs and utter ruine of theire Fortunes and for whose Subsistence and Releife there is not yet any competent Provision made nor for the releife of the Widowes [or (fn. 1) ] Orphans of such as have died or been slaine in the said Service And to the end that such as have beene eminent for theire Loyalty and Sufferings in so good and just a cause as the defence of His Majesties Royal Person and Government may not passe without some mark of Favour or Reward to be sett upon them And that others may thereby receive all due encouragement for the time to come to continue Loyal and Faithfull to His Majesties Service according to theire bounden duty Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by [the (fn. 2) ] Authority of the same That from the first day of this present Parliament every Parish within this Realm of England and Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed shall be charged weekely to the payment of such su[m]m of money as formerly they have been rated by vertue of a Statute made in the forty third Yeare of Queen Elizabeth Chapter the third concerning the Releife of Mariners and Souldiers for and to such end and purpose And likewise such further sum of money (over and besides the same) as by His Majesties Justices of the Peace in theire next Quarter Sessions to be held after the Feast of Easter next ensueing or the major part of them or att any other Quarter Sessions to be hereafter by them held shall be adjudged meet to be assessed upon every Parish or Chapelry that hath distinct Parochial Officers so as the said additional su[m]m exceed not the su[m]m of two shillings and six pence nor be under the su[m]m of three pence each weeke for each such Parish or Chapelry the same to be levied in manner and form by such Persons and under such Penalties as by the said Statute of Queen Elizabeth is enacted and declared And to be paid to the Treasurers for the maimed Souldiers appointed by the Justices of the County or Liberty by vertue of this Act and the Statute of Queen Elizabeth aforesaid Which said Treasurers shall be ordered to issue out and account for the same in such manner and under such Penalties as by the said Statute is further enacted and declared

II. Description of Persons entitled to the Benefit of this Act.

Certificate of such Description.; Two Justices of Peace, on Examination of Certificate, may assign Relief,; Proviso where Officer who is to make such Certificate is dead.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Officer Souldier or Mariner maimed indigent ( (fn. 3) ) aged or disabled in body for worke in the Service of his said late Majesty or his Majesty that now is during under the late Warrs or which are so impoverished by theire sufferings under any of the late usurped Powers as that they are destitute of any competent Subsistence or Livelihood and have continued faithful to his Trust and not deserted the same by taking up Armes against his said late Majesty or his Majesty that now is or otherwise shall forthwith repair to [the (fn. 4) ] place where he was last setled before hee tooke up Armes with a Certificate of his Service and hurts received under the hand of his Captaine or other commissionated Officer And shall alsoe repaire unto the two next Justices of the Peace in the County where such his setling was And the said two Justices upon the examination of the truth of such Certificate (which the said twoe Justices are hereby impowered to take upon Oath of the party and of such Witnesses as he shall produce) shall by warrant unto the Treasurer assign him releife untill the next Quarter Sessions to bee holden for that County or Liberty at which time a yearely Pension shall be by the said Justices or the major part of them granted in Manner and Forme and with Power of Revocation or Alteration as by the said Statute is further declared and directed And in case that the Captaine or Officer appointed to make such Certificate be dead the said two Justices shall have power upon request to them made in behalfe of the Party maimed or aged indigent or disabled as aforesaid by persons of credit to give such releife as in case of examination aforesaid

III. Widows and Orphans of such as have died in the Service.

Two Justices of Peace may allow them Relief over and above Parish Relief.

And as touching the Widowes and Orphans of such as have died or suffered death in the said Service it is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That (over and besides such releife as they shall [ (fn. 5) ] by theire Worke and Labour and shall be allowed by the Charity and Benevolence of the Parish Towne or Hamlett where they are setled who are hereby required to have them in special regard) the Treasurers for the maimed Souldiers for such County shall allow such further releife from time to time as shall be [adjudged (fn. 6) ] meet by the twoe next Justices of the Peace of such County And the said releife shall be paid out of the Surplusage of such Stock of Maintenance as shall remaine in the hands of the said Treasurers after such Pensions and payment of them made and of which Surplusage and Allowance made unto such Widowes and Orphans the said Treasurers shall give account from time to time and the same distribute in such manner as by the Justices shall be directed and according to the Statute aforesaid

IV. Justices of Peace to call Treasurers, High Constables, &c. to account;

and order money remaining in hand to be forthwith paid to the Treasurer.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the Justices of Peace in every County or Liberty or any two of them shall forth with call all such Treasurers High Constables Petty Constables or other Persons which have formerly beene intrusted with the receipt collecting or disposing of any such su[m]m of money charged upon any Parish by vertue of the Statute aforesaid and whereof no account hath beene given and likewise the Executors and Administrators of such Person and Persons unto a strict Account concerning such Leavies and Collections made And such money as they shall find remaining in the Custody of such Persons to order forth with to bee paid for the intents and purposes aforesaid and no other to the Treasurer appointed by vertue of the said Statute or to be appointed by vertue of this present act att the next Quarter Sessions to be holden for such County or Liberty under such Penalty as by the said Statute is sett forth which said Treasurer to bee appointed by this act shall continue by vertue hereof untill ( (fn. 7) ) Easter Sessions following

V. Amount of Pension Continuance of act.

Provided that no Pension to be given or assigned by Authority hereof shall exceed to any one Person the summ of twenty pounds by the yeare This act to continue to the end of the first Session of the next Parliament