July 1644: An Ordinance of setling the Militia in the County of Leicester.

July, 1644

[10 July, 1644.]

Names of Committee for Leicester Militia.; Power to raise Forces.; Appoint Officers.; Levy Tax for maintenance of Forces.; And nominate Collectors and Treasurers.; Persons to be rated in respect of estate in County.; In case of Lands let, who to pay Tax.; Injuries to be rectified by Committee.; Penalties for faulty Assessors, Collectors, etc.; Treasurer to keep Register.; Allowance to Collectors and Treasurers.; Sums imposed on Landlords to be paid by Tenants and defalked by them out of next Rents.; Indemnity to tenants.; Said Forces not to be withdrawn without consent of Committee.; Indemnity to Committee, etc.

Whereas the Countie of Leicester is in very great danger by the frequent Incursions of the Enemies Forces and Garrisons in and neere it; by reason whereof, neither the persons nor the goods of the Inhabitants and well-affected to the Parliament, are secure in any part of the Countie. For prevention of further danger and mischiefe, and for the better securing of that Countie, by reducing and putting the same into a better condition and posture of defence, The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, taking the premisses into their serious consideration, have thought fit to Order and Ordaine, and be it Ordered, Ordained, and established as followeth, That Thomas Lord Grey of Groby, Theophilus Grey, Esquire; Sir Arthur Haselrig, Sir Arthur Lister, Sir Edward Hartopp junior, Knights; Thomas Babington the elder, William Bembridge, Peter Temple, Arthur Standley, Henry Smith of Witchcock, Thomas Haselrig, Francis Hacker, John Goodman, and William Hewer, Esquires; William Stanley, Richard Ludlam, and Edward Cradock, All of them Inhabitants of the said Countie of Leicester, shall be and are hereby appointed to be a Committee for the Militia of the said County; And that the said Committee or any five or more of them shall have power from time to time (upon any emergent occasion as to them shall seeme fit) to raise and continue such forces of Horse and Foot out of the respective Townes, Townships Liberties, and places in the said Countie as shall appeare to be needfull for the necessary defence of the Towne and County, and also for the suppressing and destroying of the Enemy, And further the said Committee or any five of them shall have power to nominate and appoint Commanders, Collonels Captaines and Officers over the said Forces; And further to enable them to raise, maintaine and pay such Forces. The said Committee, or any five of them are hereby authorised to Assesse, Taxe, or nominate Assessors, to take Tax or Leavy upon the respective Townes, Townships, Liberties, persons and places within the said Countie in an equall way according to their Faculties and abilities, or according to the most usuall proportions of rates in the last weekly Assessements, there weekly to be Collected, or otherwise such summe or sums of mony as they shall judge fit and requisite for the said Forces not exceeding the sum of six hundred pounds by the week; And to nominate Collectors, and one or more Treasurer or Treasurers, which Collectors are by them to be appointed to leavy the said summes, together with the necessary charges which shall be expended in the Collecting thereof by way of Distresse and sale of the goods of the person or persons so assessed, in case he or they refuse to pay the same within three dayes after demand given or left in writing at the usuall dwelling of him or them, And the said Collectors may call to their assistants, the Constables and Headboroughs, or any of the companies of Voluntiers, or other Officers in the said County, and to pay them reasonable allowance, not exceeding twelve pence in the pound out of the Offenders estates who are hereby required to be ayding and assisting to the said Collectors in the premisses, as they will answer the contrary thereof. And be it Ordained, that every person shall be rated for the state he hath in the severall places in the said Countie; And if Land be lett or sett neere the value thereof, such person or persons to whom the rent thereof belongeth to be solely chargeable therewith; But if the same be lett under value then the summe taxed to be apportioned betwixt the partie and him who receives the rent as the taxers shall thinke fit, And if they or any of them shall doe injurie in making the said assessments, the same to be rectified by the said Committee, or any five of them according to their discretions, And if any Assessors, Collectors, or Constables, shall refuse the said service, or prove negligent or faulty therein, the said Committee, or any five of them shall have power to commit such assessors, Collectors, or Constables to prison, for one moneth. or to sett a fine upon him or them as they shall thinke fit, not exceeding the summe of ten pounds upon every offence, the said fine to be leavied by distresse and sale of the offendors goods. And it is Ordained that the Treasurers appointed by the said Committee shall keep a Register book of the summes received and paid out by them, so that they may give a just and perfect Accompt thereof unto the said Committee, when they shall be by them required, And for the better encouragement of the said Collectors and Treasurers; It is Ordained that two pence in the pound, shall be allowed unto the said Collectors for every summe of Money collected and paid by them to the said Treasurer or Treasurers, and one penny in the pound for the said Treasurer and Treasurers for every summe of money received and disbursed by them according to this Ordinance; And it is also Ordained, that whatsoever summes of money are or shall be set or imposed by vertue of this Ordinance upon any Landlords, for, or in respect of any Lands or Hereditaments held of them, the said summes of money shall be paid by their severall respective Tenants, and they shall deduct and defaulk the same out of the next Rents payable by them to their Landlords. And for their so doing, the said Tenants, their Heires, Executors, Administrators, or Assignes, from any Graunt, Covenant, Condition or Writing, Obligation, or other matter whatsoever made to the contrary, shall by vertue of this Ordinance be fully discharged. And it is Ordered and Ordained by the authority aforesaid, that the said Forces raised, and to be raised, shall not be drawne forth or kept, or continued forth upon any service without the knowledge and consent of the said Committee, or the Major part of them, or without particular directions of Parliament. And be it lastly Ordained, that the said Committee, Treasurers, Collectors, Assessors, and every of them, and every other person that shall be ayding and assisting to them, or any of them, in doing any thing by vertue of this Ordinance shall be defended, and saved harmlesse therein by authority of both Houses of Parliament.