December 1644: Ordinance for Provision of Salt-petre and Ammunition.

December 1644

[7 December, 1644.]

Whereas, for the better furnishing of the Public Stores with Gunpowder and mmunition, several Contracts have been lately made, as well with such of the Salt-petre Men as are by Ordinance of Parliament authorized to make Salt-petre within this Kingdom, as with Samuell Cordwell and James Berisford, Gunpowder-makers, for the converting of the same, and of such Foreign Petre as hath been lately bought of William Curteene and William Toomes Esquires, into Powder; and whereas it is also thought fit, that some convenient Provision of Match and Bullet should be made, for the furnishing of the said Stores, to be made Use of upon Occasion: It is therefore Ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That the Sum of Six Thousand Pounds shall be raised, and paid out of the grand Excise or new Impost, for doing and carrying on the said Work, in Manner and Form following; (videlicet,) Two Thousand Pounds thereof upon passing of this Ordinance, and the other Four Thousand at Three Months and Three Months after, by equal Portions, unto Sir Walter Erle Knight, Lieutenant of the Ordnance, for the Uses and Purposes aforesaid: and the Receipt of the said Sir Walter Erle from Time to Time for the same shall be their sufficient Discharge in that Behalf.