Charles, [etc. Proclamation to raise money for the relief of the poor afflicted with the plague. 11 August 1625].

Date:
1625]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Charles, [etc. Proclamation to raise money for the relief of the poor afflicted with the plague. 11 August 1625]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5j]H AR LL S by rhe grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &(c. T O all to whom thefe v |u-J| Prefents (hall come,greeting. W H E R £ A S the Lords Spiritual! and Temporal!, now affembled in Parliament vpon the fixt day of psj thisinftantmoneth of ^*?*/?>cntring into a due and Chriftianconfideration ofthe Wants and Extremities, which many poore people A inhabiting in or neere the Cities and Suburbs of London and mftminfler doe vndergoe by reafon of the grieuous vifitation of the Plague, and the want of necedarie reliefe $ made an order, the tenor whereof folio weth in thefe words, viz,. In Parliament, Oxon. 6* of Augufl, lAnnoprime R-gis Caroli. The Lords hauing this day taken into their charitable confideration the lamentable diflrefle ofthe poore peo¬ ple, Inhabiting in the Cities and Suburbsof London and IVef/ninfer, and in the Out pari (lies adjoyning, and in theParifhoPs/*?//^/, who in this time of the great contagion of the Plague nowrageing in thofe parts, are lelTe fubje£t to good orders, being left deftituteof conuenient reliefe, in refpeft that the rich and able Citizens, and other Inhabitantsof all forts, being departed thence for auoiding the infection, hauenot taken fufficient order, for reliefe of the poore people remaining behinde,haue thought fit, and doe now order,ad- uife, and direct, that ouer and befides all prouifion already made, there be this further added for their better reliefe, viz,. 1 hat all per-; fons taxed or taxable in the limits and places aforefaid, either for houfes,lands,goods,or other wife towards the reliefe of the poore, being not fo impouerillied them (dues by this vifitation as they (hall be forborne to be taxed, (hall by the proper Officers be taxed to beare a double proportion oftaxc at the lead, during the time of this Vifitation, and more ifit (hall be found requifite by the Magidrates, Iudices of Peace, or other Officers there abiding for the time r And after notice giuen to any perfon fo taxed, or left at hishoufc, whcrefocuer he fhall be remaining, he is hereby ordered to make due paiment,weekely,or moncthly as fhall be required : And becaufe it is concerned, that very many are remoouedfo farre from London, as that nonce cannot be conuenicndy giuen with fuch fpeed as may prefently fupply the necefhtie of the poore Their Lord (hips doe defire the Chamber, or Bridge-houfe of London, to lend anddisburfe athoufand pounds at the lead for this purpofe. And it is ordered that they, or any charitable and able Inhabitants, laying out that fumrrje, or any farther fummes which fhall be wanting, fhall be furcly re payed whatfoeucr they fhall disburfc, out of the fumme fo taxed, fo foone as they may be leuied/and out of a generall Collection which His Majedie at their Lordfhips humble fuite, hath to recommend throughout the whole Kingdomefor the reliefe ofthe faid Poore: Wherein their Lordfhips now affembled, will themfelues fet an example for incouragemcntof others. And to the intent, that the Moneys to be raifed by way of taxation (as is fird aboue-mentioned) may be the more truely and fpcedily leuied, their Lordfhips during the time while they fhall fit, will be pleafed to take knowledge of all Complaints ngainft fuch as fhall refufe to pay the faid Taxation, and to punifh them fo exemplarily, as fhall be a terrour toothers. And they doe further order, that after rhe fitting (hall end, the Lords of His Majeflies Priuie Councell vpon complaint ro them, and the Lord Keeper of the Great Seale England vpon complaint to him,fhalldoethe like. And their Lordfhips < hauing been informed of the-good and charitable courfe helde by fome Companies and others within the City,in forbearing the Companies and Hall-dinners,and tur¬ ning them vnto the reliefeof che poore,doe highly commend thofe that haue fodone ;and doe wi(h their example may be followed by the Lord Major, Sheriffes, and all the red, as a thing much pleating to God, and agreeable to the time. Exam.H.Elfing :Cler. Parliament. AND W H E R E AS the faid Lords haue freely of them¬ felues payed downe prefentiy euery of them aboue the date of a Baron, forty (hillings apiece, and euery other of che date of a Baron , being Spiricuall or Temporali Lords, twentie (hillings into the hands ofthe right Reuerend Father in God, George Lord Bifhop of London, to be difpofed of as the red of che Moneys to be colle&ed for che vfe aboue mentioned : KNOW YE therefore that We alfo aboue aT other, mod grieued at the pitifull and wofull edate of our faid poore Subic&s, and much commifcrating the fame, and muchreioycing in the for ward nefle of our (aid Lords,towards the performance of foChridian and charitable an a&ion, whofe good example wee earnedly defire that all other our louing Subiedsof qualicic would follow in thisbehalfe, according to their degrees \ Of our Princely Grace, doe ratilie and much approouc their faid Order fo fet downe: And sn confirmation, and for the execution thereof, fo grant, that according to the faid Ordcr,Colledion may be made of the charitable de« uotion and liberal! tie of all our louing Subiefk, throughout our Realmeof England, 5c Dominion ofWales, in all places whatfoeucr, towards the reliefe ofour faid poore Subieds, to be executed in manerand forme following. That is to fay. We will, grant, appoint, and require, That sxfrthur Ducke Do&our of Law, Chancellour, and Robert cbriflian Efquire, Principall Regider to the faid Bifliop of London, or his, or their Deputy or Deputies, named and appointed by him or them, in writing vnder his, or theirhands and feales, fhall and may procure to be printed fo many Briefes of thefe our Letters Patents, as may fuffife for the accomplifhing and performance of this good Worker And fhall caryand fliew thefe our Letters Patents to the fiid Lord Bi(hop of London, and (hail alfoleaue with his Lordfhipfo many of thefe printed Briefes, as there are Churches or Chappels wherein diuine Seruice is vfually faid, within his DiocefTe of London. And fhall lend to euery other Archbifhop and Bifhop, fo many of the faid Briefes, as may ferue to be difperfed widiin their feuerall DiocefTes, AND We alfo require the Lords Archbifhops e £ fatter bury andTorke,and all and euery Lord Bifhop within this our Realme England, and Dominion ofwales, to receiue fo many of the faid Briefes, as may feme to be difperfed within their feuerall DiocefTes, the faid Briefes to be fentby the Archbifhops and Bifhops to theMi- nifterand Curare ofeuery Parifh Church or Chappell within their feuerall DiocefTes. And Wee alfo will and require euery Minider and Curate of any Church or -Chappell, to whom fuch printed Briefes (hall he deliucred, that without any long delay vpon fome Sunday or Holy-day, when the Parifliioners be fully affembled to heare diuine Seruice, they pubJikely declare in their feuerall Church or Chappell, vnto the Congregation there affembled, the tenure of thefe Briefes, with an efpeciall exhortation to them, to yeeld their liberall and extraordinarie contribution to fo charitable a worke. And wee alfo will and require, you the Churchwardens and Ouer- Peers of the poore, to make diligent colleftion of the charitable deuotion of the people in the faid Church or Chappell fo affembled : And that after collection fomadc, they doe publikcly declare in the Church, the whole fumme of money fo by them collected; and then procure the fame fumme to be fet downe vpon the backefide of the Briefe vnder their owne hand, and the hand ofthe Minifler ofthe faid Church or Chappell: And then the faid Churchwardens or Ouerfeers, or one of them, af¬ ter the receipt of the faid money coileCted, (hall deliuer the fumme collected, with the faid Briefe, vnto fuch Minifler of the Deanery where the faid collection fhall be made, as the Lord Bifiiop of the DiocefTe fhall affigne and appoint to receiue the fame: And the Bifhop ofeuery DiocefTe is hereby authorized, to name and appoint a Minifler in euery Deanery to receiue the faid collections accordingly. And Wee alfo require the faid Minifler which fhall be fo appointed, to rccciuc the laid money from the faid Ouerfeers, that he receiue the lame, with theaforefaid Briefe: And that within ten dayes after the receipt thereof, he pay and deliuer the fame, with the Briefe whereby the fame hath beene collected, vnto the Lord Bifhop of the DiocefTe, where fuch collection is made. And wee alfo require, the Archbifhops and Bi- Ihops ofeuery Dioccifc refpeCliuely, that they require ofthe faid Minifler the faid money, with the Briefe whereby the fame hath beenc collected, and deliuer oucr all the faid collections, made within their feuerall and refpeCtiue DiocefTes, with theaforefaid Briefes, to the faid Bifliop of London or his Deputies, all the Paid money to be diPpofed of, by the faid Lord Bifhop o {London, with the aduice of any two or more Lords of Parliament, to the fatisfaCtion of the money to be depofited, and laide out, according to the faid order, and to the reliefe of the poore and diftrefled people in the faid Cities of London and weftminfter, and in the Parifhes and places adjacent and neere thereunto, in the Counties of Middle/ex and Surrey, where it is and fhall be mod needfull: And therein Wee will the Out-parifhes, as being molt lubieCt to pouertie, infection, and neceflitie, be fpecially regarded: Any Statute, Law, Ordinance or Prouifion, heretofore made to the contrary, in any wife not- withftanding. IN tV ITN SS whereof, me haue caufed thefe Our Letters to be made Patents for the Jp ace of one whole yeere, next after the date hereof to endure, WITlfES Our Selfa at Our City of Oxford, the eleuemh day ofnAugufi, in thefirft yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland. Godfaue the Kjng. Printed at Oxford.