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fame, and to make process against the offenders, as in any other case to be determined before them.

CAP. XIV.

It shall be lawful to the dean and chapter of Hereford, within eight years next, to re-edify four fufficient mills, viz. two corn-mills, and two fulling mills, upon the river Wye, in or near unto the place where four old mills did stand.

CAP. XV.

An act that purveyors shall not take villuals within five miles of Cambridge or Oxford.

1

and five miles

Umbly fue to your Majefties, the focieties, colleges and companies of your true and faithful fubjects and daily orators, the fcholars and ftudents of both your Majefties univerfities, Cambridge and Cambridge Oxford, That where it hath been accustomed time out of mind, that and Oxford, both the faid market-towns of Cambridge and Oxford, wherein the circuit, have faid two univerfities be fet, and the circuit of five miles next adjoining, been free of hath been free from any charge or molestation of any common takers or purveyors, purveyors for victual, whereby the faid markets were more plentifully ferved with victual, and the poor eftate of a great multitude of Scholars having very bare and small fuftentation, thereby relieved; (2) and now by the means that contrary to the fame laudable custom, divers purveyors and takers have of late excessively frequented the fame markets, and thereby given occafion to make victuals both more fcant and much dearer, to a notorious decay of Scholars, which also daily in this great dearth is like to increafe and be more lamentable, to the hinderance of God's fervice, to the dishonour of the realm, the difcomfort of all good and holy men loving learning and virtue:

Oxford, or

II. It may therefore please your Majefties of your great pity Purveyors and abundant favour and love towards your faid two univerfities, fhall not take being the very two only nurses of good learning in this realm, victual in with the affent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and the com- Cambridge or mons in this present parliament affembled, and by the authority within five of the fame, to enact, ordain and establish, That from hence- miles thereof. forth no manner of purveyor, taker, badger, loader, or other minifter, may or fhall take or bargain for any kind of victual or grain, in any of the faid markets or towns of Cambridge and city of Oxford, nor fhall take or bargain for any victual within the compass of five miles thereto adjoining, without the confent, agreement, or good will of the owner or owners; (2) neither fhall attempt to carry, take away or bargain for any manner of grain or other victual, bought or provided within the said space of five miles, by any common minifter of any college, hostel or hall, to be spent within any of the faid colleges, hoftels or halls, (3) upon pain of the forfeiture of the quadruple value of any fuch manner of grain or victual fo taken or bargained for, in any of the faid markets, or within the said space of five miles (against the will of the owners) as is abovefaid, or attempted to be taken, carried away or bargained for, being provided as is abovefaid, for to be spent in any the colleges,

hoftels

[blocks in formation]

hoftels or halls; and further fhall fuffer imprisonment for the space of three months, without bail or mainprife: (4) And that the chancellor or vicechancellor, or his commiffary for the time being, in either of the faid univerfities, with two juftices of peace of the county wherein the faid univerfities be fet, shall have full power by authority of this act, to enquire by the oaths of twelve men, of and upon the defaults, and offences committed contrary to the tenor thereof, and to fee due punishment and reformation thereof in form aforefaid from time to time; (5) the one half of which aforefaid forfeitures to be to the common treasurer of either of the faid univerfities, refpectively to the fault committed against this their privilege, the other half to the party that will fue for the fame by action of debt, bill, plaint or otherwise, in any court of record, or before the aforefaid chancellor, his vicechancellor or commiffary for the time being, and two juftices of peace, as is before expreffed.

This act fuf

pended during the Queen's prefence.

The liberties

faved.

III. Provided, That this act shall not be put in execution at any time or times whenfoever your Majefties, or the heirs and fucceffors of your Majefty our fovereign lady fhall please to come to any of both the faid universities, or within feven miles of either of them, but shall be in fufpence during that time only, and not longer.

any

IV. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforeof Oxford and faid, That this act, or any thing therein contained, shall not in Cambridge wife be prejudicial or hurtful to the mayor bailiffs and commonalty of the city of Oxford, nor to the mayor and commonalty of the town of Cambridge, or to their fucceffors, for and concerning any liberties or privileges; but that they and every of them, and their fucceffors respectively, may have and use the same in 13 Eliz. c. 21. fuch manner and form, as they or any of them might or ought 18 Eliz. c. 20. to have done before the making of this act; any thing in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

12 Car. 2.

C. 24.

The office and

duty of the

eight overseers of watermen rowing be

tween Gravefend and Windfor.

CAP. XVI.

An act touching watermen and bargemen upon the river of
Thames.

WHEREAS heretofore for lack of good government and due
order amongst wherrimen and watermen exercifing, ufing and
occupying rowing upon the river of Thames, there have divers and
many misfortunes and mifchances hapned and chanced of late years past,
to a great number of the King and Queen's fubjects, as well to the no-
bility as to other the common people that have passed and repaffed, and
been carried by water, by reafon of the rude, ignorant and unskilful
number of watermen, which for the most part been masterless men,
and fingle men of all kinds of occupations and faculties, which do work
at their own hands, and many boys being of fmall age and of little skill,
and being perfons out of the rule and obedience of any honest master
and governor, and do for the most part of their time ufe dyeing
and carding, and other unlawful games, to the great and evil ex-
ample of other fuch like, and against the commonwealth of this realm:

(2) and

(2) and all which faid evil and ignorant perfons in the time of prefs- Several abuses committed by ing by commiffion, for the fervice of the King and Queen's most royal young, unfkil majeflies upon the fea, for that they have no known place of abiding, ful and lewd do for the most part abjent and convey themselves into the country, and watermen, other fecret places, practising there robberies and felonies, and other evil and deteftable facts, to the great annoyance of the commonwealth: and fo after the faid commiffion of preffing ended, oft times the said evil perfons do repair again to their former trade of rowing, colouring their evil deeds; (3) and alfo divers of them being very ignorant, for lack of convenient time of learning and exercife, in the which they might obtain fufficient knowledge of their occupation, do oftentimes prefume and enterprise to receive divers of our faid fovereign lord and lady the King and Queen's majesties loving fubjects into their boats and wherries, and do carry and convey their faid fubjects from place to place by water, upon the faid river of Thames, whereby divers perfons have been robbed, and fpoiled of their goods, and alfo drowned.

II. And for and by the occafion aforesaid, be daily put in fear and peril of their lives, the which is very lamentable and not to be permitted or fuffered in any commonwealth; (2) and by reason also, that a great number, and the most part of the wherries and boats now occupied and ufed, and of late time made for rowing upon the faid river, been made fo little and small in proportion, and fo ftrait and narrow in the bottom, varying much from the old fubftantial fort and fure making of boats and wherries which was used before the space of twenty years laft paft, infomuch as the most part of boats and wherries used at this day, been fo fhallow and tickle, that thereby great peril and danger of drowning hath many times enfued, and daily is like to enfue, unless fome fpeedy remedy be herein had and provided:

III. For reformation whereof, be it enacted by the King and There fhall be Queen's majesties, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the com- of watermen eight overfeers mons in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the autho- upon the river rity of the fame, That there fhall be yearly appointed, chofen of Thames. and elected by the mayor and the court of aldermen of the city of London for the time being, the number of eight perfons of the moft wife, difcreet and beft fort of watermen, being houfholders, and occupying as watermen upon the faid river between Gravefend and Windfor: (2) which election shall be yearly at the first court of aldermen to be holden within the faid city next after the first day of March: (3) and the fame eight persons so elected fhall be named and called the overfeers and rulers of all the wherrimen and watermen that from and after the said first day of March fhall ufe, occupy or exercife any rowing upon the faid river of Thames betwixt Gravefend and Windfor aforefaid; (4) which faid overfeers and rulers fhall keep and maintain good order and obedience amongst the said watermen, according to the true meaning of this present act.

IV. And also be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Two waterThat after the feast of Pentecoft next coming, no person nor per- men shall not fons, where two watermen and not above the number of two carry any, but fhall row together in one boat or wherry, in any place or places where one of betwixt Gravefend and Windfor aforefaid, thall prefume to enter-ed by the VOL. VI.

G

them is allow

prife overfeers, and

two years hath prife to receive or take any person or perfons into his or their boat exercised, &c. or wherry, to the intent to carry or convey him or them therein,

No fingle man fhall be a wa

terman, &c.

Who fhall have authority to punish offend

ers..

The length, breadth and goodness of boats.

unless one of the fame two watermen have been for the most part exercised and used in rowing upon the said river of Thames, by the space of two whole years before that time; and that also one of the fame two watermen at least be duly admitted and allowed by the fame eight overfeers and rulers, or the most part of them, by writing under their known feal, to be a fufficient and able waterman; (2) upon pain that every person and perfons prefuming or offending contrary to the true meaning of this prefent act, fhall by the faid eight overfeers or rulers be committed to prison in one of the counters of the city of London, there to remain by the space of one month or lefs, as the of fence shall require.

V. And alfo be it further enacted, That no perfon or perfons being fingle men, not keeping houfhold and not retained, shall from and after the faid feast of Pentecoft next coming, use or exercise to row between Gravefend and Windfor aforefaid, unless he or they be prentice or prentices, or in fervice retained with a mafter by the whole year at the leaft, upon pain of like imprifonment.

VI. And also be it further enacted, That the lord mayor of London, and the aldermen of the fame city, and the juftices of peace within the fhires next adjoining to the faid river of Thames, every of them within their several jurifdictions and authorities, fhall have full power and authority by virtue of this present act, upon complaint made to them or any of them by the faid overfeers and rulers, or two of them, or the master or masters of any such servants, not only to examine, hear and determine all complaints or offences to be done or committed by any fuch perfon or persons that shall offend contrary to the true meaning of this prefent act, and to fet at large all and every fuch perfon and perfons as fhall fortune to be imprisoned by the faid overseers and rulers according to this act, if juft caufe fhall appear unto them fo to do; but also by their good difcretions and wisdom to punith, correct and reform the faid overfeers and rulers, and every of them, that shall unjustly, or without good caufe or ground, punish any person or perfons by colour of this present act, or any thing therein contained.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That if any person or perfons whatfoever, from henceforth do or shall make any wherry or boat, to the intent commonly to ufe rowing and carrying people upon the faid river of Thames, which shall not be xxij. foot and a half in length, and iv. foot and a half broad in the midship, or which shall not be fubftantially and well able and fufficient to carry two perfons on one fide tight, according to the old quantity, fcantling, thickness of board, goodness and good proportion heretofore had and ufed; that then the fame boat or boats fo being made contrary to the proportion and fort before expreffed, fhall be taken as forfeit, and fhall be forfeit, the one half thereof to the King and Queen's

majesties

majefties, our faid fovereign lord and lady's ufe, and to the use of the heirs and fucceffors of the Queen's majesty, and the other half to him or them that will fue for the fame in any of the King and Queen's majefties courts of record, by action of detinue, bill, plaint, information or otherwife; wherein no wager of law, effoin, protection or injunction fhall be allowed for the defendant.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That if any perfon or per- The punishfons which from and after the said feast shall use and exercife ment of waterthe occupation of rowing betwixt Gravefend and Windfor afore- men withfaid, which in the time of the execution of any commiffion of themselves in preffing that fhall be had for the service of the King and Queen's the time of majefties, and the heirs and fucceffors of the Queen's majefty, preffing. in their affairs, shall willingly, voluntarily and obftinately withdraw, hide or convey him or themselves in the fame time of preffing, into fecret places and out-corners, and after when fuch time of preffing is overpaffed, thall return and come again to the faid river of Thames, to row betwixt Gravefend and Windfor See 4 & 5 Anaforesaid, and that duly proved by two indifferent witneffes, be- næ, c. 19 f. 18. fore the faid lord mayor and court of aldermen or juftices offor farther. the peace, and two of the faid rulers; that then he or they folating hereto. provifions redoing or offending thall fuffer imprisonment by the space of two weeks, and be banished any more to row from thenceforth upon the faid river of Thames by the space of one whole year and day then next following.

the watermen,

IX. And be it further enacted, That it fhall be lawful to the The overfeers faid eight rulers for the time being, and their fucceffors from thall correct time to time, to convent and call before them at fome conve- and register nient place by them to be appointed, all and every fuch perfon their names. and perfons, which from and after the faid feast of Pentecoft fhall occupy and ufe the faid trade and occupation of rowing betwixt Gravefend and Windfor aforefaid, (2) and fhall enter and regifter the name and names of them and every of them, that shall be by them allowed or admitted for watermen to row betwixt Gravefend and Windfer aforefaid, in a book to be made for the fame intent and purpose; (3) and to take fuch further order and direction therein with every the faid parties, by the authority of this present act, as it shall feem meet and neceffary by the difcretion of the said overseers and rulers for the time being; (4) and alfo that the faid overfeers and rulers fhall and may Overfeers fhall by the authority of this act overfee, view and furvey at all and view the boats every time and times hereafter, all manner of boats and wher- before they be ries that shall from and after the faid feaft be made, before the launched, faid boat or boats, wherry or wherries, be launched out of the yard or ground wherein the fame boat or boats, wherry or wher ries fhall fortune to be made, in the faid river of Thames, to the intent that they and every of them may be made and prepared in fuch manner and form, and according to the goodness, proportion and quantity in this prefent act before limited and expreffed.

X. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That The penalty of

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