July 1649: An Act of the Commons Assembled in Parliament, For setling the Militia of the Borough of Southwark, And Parishes adjacent, mentioned in the Weekly Bills of Mortality, on the South-side the River Thames in the County of Surrey with the names of the persons entrusted therewith,

July, 1649

[July, 1649.]

Be it Enacted by the Commons assembled in Parliament, Isaac Pennington Alderman, Major General Philip Skipton, George Thompson, George Snelling, John Corbet. Thomas Scot, Francis Allen, John Trenchard, Esqs; William Wyberd, White, William Butler, James How, Gent. Richard Wright, Cornelious Cook, Robert Houghton, John Mason, Samuel Hyland, John Hardwick Esqs; Richard Harford, William Hiccox, Francis Prichard, Thomas Cooper, Daniel Mercer, Samuel Populer, John Humphries, Joseph Colyer, Robert Moulton, George Pashfield, Nathaniel Goodlad, James Gunter, John Sandon, James Burton, Peter Delanoy, Richard Lewen, Samuel Lin, Gawen Gouldegay, William Hester, William Smiter, John Tarlton, Ambrose Andrews, Maurice Cradock, Clement Cooley, John Packer, Thomas Burton, George Pots, John Williams, Henry Jackson, Hugh Lawton, Samuel Dabs, Edward Stretch, Ralph Green, Edward Hall, Peter Tibbals, Francis Chard, John Addenbrook, Abraham Broadaway, John Coltman, William Jackson and John Sims; are hereby made and constituted a Committee, and that they or any seven or more of them, shall have power, and are hereby authorized to act, settle and order the Militia for the Borough of Southwark, and Parishes adjacent; viz. Olaves Savior, Thomas Georges, Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, Rederiff, alias, Rotherhith, Mary Newington and Lambeth in the County of Surrey, mentioned in the weekly Bills of Mortality, on the Southside the River Thames; and by their Warrants or otherwise to require the assistance of all Constables and Headboroughs, and other Inhabitants whatsoever; and for the refusing of their or any of their assistance therein, to imprison their persons, as they shall see cause: And be it further Enacted and Ordained, That the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, shall have power to assemble and call together, all the Inhabitants within the Parishes aforesaid, and them to charge with Horse and Foot Arms, according to their respective abilities and capacities, as occasion shall serve. And it is further Ordained, That the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, shall hereby have full power and authority to assemble, muster, array, and weapon, or cause to be assembled, mustered, arrayed, and weaponed, all such Horse and Foot Forces within the said Parishes, and to form them into Companies, Troops, and Regiments, and to make, nominate and appoint Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Captains, and all other Officers of War, and to grant Commissions unto them; authorizing them respectively to Train, Muster and Discipline, according to order of War, the said Horse and Foot Forces, and to lead, conduct and imploy them, for the suppression of all Rebellions. Insurrections, Tumults or Invasions, that may happen within the said Borough and Parishes aforesaid from time to time: And further, to authorize them with the said Forces to oppose, seize, disarm, kill and slay all such persons as shall cause or make any Tumults, Insurrections or Invasions, or levy any Force against the authority of Parliament; and to lead and conduct them out of the said Parishes for the purposes aforesaid, if by the Parliament they shall be thereunto Ordered or Required: And it is further Enacted and Ordained, That the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, shall have hereby full power and authority to impose a Fine, not exceeding Forty shillings, on every person that shall be charged to finde or serve on Horse, and twenty shillings for every Foot Soldier, for every day that they shall make default of their aforesaid Service; and to levy the said respective fines by distress, and for non-payment thereof, or want of sufficient distress, to imprison their persons for the space of ten days and not longer, for every such default; and also that the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, shall hereby have full power and authority to disarm all Papists, Delinquents, and disaffected persons; and all such as shall raise, or endeavor to raise any Tumults, Insurrections or Invasions, and to secure and Imprison their persons if they see cause; and to put the Arms of Papists, Delinquents, and dis-affected persons, into the hands of such well-affected persons as they shall think fit to serve with the said Arms; and to cause them to pay to such as shall so serve with their Arms, such reasonable sallary as they shall think fit, not exceeding two shillings the day and nights duty; and for default of payment thereof, to levy the same by distress, or to imprison their persons as aforesaid. And for the raising of money necessary for the managing of the said service, and for the payment of sundry debts contracted by the former Committees for the Militia in the Borough of Southwark, and Parishes aforesaid, The said Committee, or any seven or more of them, are hereby authorized to gather in, or cause by what persons or Instruments they think fit to be gathered in, the Arrears of all former Assessments made by all or any of the former Committees of the Militia there, by vertue of any former Ordinance of Parliament whatsoever; and also to cause a new Rate and Assessment to be made upon all Persons, Lands and Goods within the said Borough and Parishes aforementioned, not exceeding the sum of Six hundred pounds; and to have and use all such power, and give such allowances, for the collecting and receiving of all the said Arrears, and of the said new Assessment to be made as aforesaid, as is given to the respective Commissioners named in the Ordinance of the Three and twentieth of June, 1647, for the raising of moneys to be imployed towards the maintenance of the forces within this Commonwealth, under the Command of His Excellency the Lord Fairfax. And it is further Enacted and Ordained That if any person or persons shall finde him or themselves agrieved that he or they are overrated, and shall within six days after demand made, complain to the said Committee, That then the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, shall have power to relieve such persons as they shall see just cause. And it is further Enacted, That if any Constable or Headborough, or ether Peace-Officers within the said Parishes, shall slight, neglect or refuse the Service and authority of Parliament, or to ayd or assist such as are lawfully deputed and authorized by the Parliament or their Committees for the Service of the State, That then the said Committee, or any seven or more of them, upon complaint and just proof made thereof unto them by two witnesses, shall be hereby impowered and authorized to remove and displace any such Constable, Headborough, or other Officer so offending as aforesaid, and to nominate and place such other faithful and well-affected persons in their stead as they shall think meet; and to present and cause such persons as shall be by them nominated and chosen as aforesaid, to be sworn by the two next Justices of the Peace within the said Borough and Parishes aforesaid, unto the aforesaid Offices according to Law.