ARTICLES of direction touching Alehouses.  
Monday the xxj. of March 1607.  
¶ IMPRINTED AT London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty.   

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Articles of direction touching Alehouses.  
FIrst, that in every Parish, Hamlet, township or Precinct, there be perfect and true Certificate made, how many Alehouses, or Victualling houses were the last day of February last passed, And how many of them by Licence, and how many not, And what persons in the places aforesaid keep any Inns, and how long time the said House or Houses have been kept and used for Inns.  
ALso the justices of the Peace in their several Limits and Divisions, taking Information from the high Constables of the Hundred, Churchwardens and petty Constables, with other the substantial Inhabitants of every Parish, Hamlet, township or Precinct, how many Alehouses, and Victualling houses are fit there to be kept, and who are the fittest persons in respect of their ability and condition to keep the same, shall agree, set down, and make presentment of those that shallbe allowed at the first Sessions to be holden after Easter (where it may be so soon performed) or else at some general assembly of the justices for that purpose, to be by them appointed before Whitsuntide next, at such several places within the County, as to them shall seem meet, where five justices of the Peace at the least, whereof two of the Quorum, shallbe present with the Clerk of the Peace or his Deputy.  
ALso, that the justices of the Peace of the several Limits or divisions, or three of them, (whereof one to be of the Quorum) with the Clerk of the Peace or his Deputy, within twenty days next after such presentment, and Allowances as aforesaid, shall assemble themselves and take recognisances, and grant Licences to the several persons that shallbe so allowed, as aforesaid, at the general Quarter Sessions, or assembly of the justices of Peace, as aforesaid.  
ALso, that none be licensed or allowed to keep an Alehouse, that is in Livery or Retainer to any man.  
ALso, that certain Articles of good order be conceived by the justices of the Peace fit for every Alehouse-keeper, Tipler or Victualler to observe, And that the justices see the same straightly observed, And that they do certify the same before the end of Trinity Term next, to the Lords of his majesties privy Council, to the end, if cause so require, further directions may be added hereunto.  
ALso, that the Alehouse keepers be bound by recognisance against unlawful ga … es and for keeping of good Order and rule in their Houses according to the Statute in that behalf made, As also to bring in their Licences at that Sessions Twelve month, or General meeting of the justices of Peace, as aforesaid, if he so long continue an Alehouse-keeper, And so yearly so long as such their Licences shall stand in force, to be allowed or disallowed, according to the meaning of these Articles.  
ALl Licences of Alehouse-keepers shallbe sealed with a common Seal in graven in Brass or Silver, with a Rose, and the Inscription of the County, City, or Town corporate, having authority to hold sessions of the Peace, where such Alehouse shall be, And the same Seal shall be appointed and provided by the Clerk of the Peace, or Towne-Clearke respectively; For the charge of making whereof, they shall have allowance made out of their next receipt.  
ALso that the Clerk of the Peace in every County, and Town-clarke in every City, or other Officer of that nature in Towns Corporate, where they have authority to hold Sessions of the Peace, shall have the keeping of she said Seal, and shall sign the said Licences that shall be so allowed as aforesaid with his hand, and set the said Seal to the same, And shall have for the making of every such Licence, & taking recognisance aforesaid Two shillings, And for the Sealing of the said Licence with the said common Seal, there shall be paid in hand to the said Clerk to his majesties use, for all Licences in Cities, Towns corporate or Market towns Eight shillings a piece, and in other Villages Four shillings. And that no other charge by any means be imposed upon the said Alehouse-keepers, nor reward taken of them for their allowance, And the said Clerks of the Peace & Town Clarks, and every of them be bound to his Majesty in recognisance, with sufficient Sureties to be taken by the Custos Rotulorum, or any two justices of the Peace, in a competent sum for the true answering of their Receipts from time to time, into his majesties Receipt of the Exchequer, within forty days after every Sessions of the Peace, and shall pay no Fees in the said Court of Exchequer upon the paying in of his said moneys, nor for passing of his account. The persons licensed, shall at the Sessions Twelve month, or general Assembly of the justices as aforesaid, after their Licences granted, bring their Licences to the said Sessions, or general Assembly of justices as aforesaid, there to be seen, and consideration to be had, whether they shall be found fit to stand or not: And if they shall be allowed by the said justices, or the more part of them to stand for one year longer, Then the said Clerk shall enter upon the said Licence, Allocatur pro uno alio anno duratura, entering withal the date of such allowance, And shall receive of the same person for such allowance to his majesties use, the like sum as before upon the first granting. And for his such entry of allowance only Eight pence for himself. And so shall all Licences be presented, and such sums paid upon allowance, yearly, as long as the said Licences shall remain in force. And if any person so licensed shall fail to present his Licence to be allowed or disallowed, or to pay upon his allowance such sums yearly as aforesaid, Then his Licence shall presently cease and be void.  
ALso to the end that it may certainly appear what Alehouses shall from time to time stand and be allowed in form aforesaid in every County, City and Town Corporate where justices of peace are, The Clerk of the peace or Town Clarke shall within twenty days after the end of every Sessions, or general Assembly of justices as aforesaid, make up a book containing the names of all the persons licenced of new, or continued at such Sessions, and the places where they keep such Alehouses, and shall present the same to the justices of the peace at the said Sessions, which said justices of the peace, or any four of them (whereof two to be of the Quorum or in Cities and Towns Corporate, two justices of the peace, whereof one to be of the Quorum,) shall subscribe their names to every page of the said book, that no alteration may be made. And that the said justices, or one of them keep a true note of the number of such Alehouses entered into such book, that it may be known for what number and for what time the Clerk of the peace & Town Clarke ought to answer.  
BEfore the end of Easter Term next, a true and perfect book shallbe made by the Clerk of the Peace of every Shire, and the Town Clerk of every City or Town Corporate (having authority to keep Sessions of peace) containing all the Alehouses and Victualling houses in every several County, City and Town Corporate, within this Realm, and how many, and who they be that keep them. And that before the end of Trinity Term next, a true and perfect Transcript be made of the same by the Clerk of the Peace or Town Clarke respectively to whom it may appertain, And before the end of the said Trinity Term the same be certified under the hands of the justices of Peace of the Shire, City or Town Corporate, or of four of them (whereof two to be of the Quorum, or in Cities and Towns Corporate under the hand of two, whereof one to be of the Quorum) to the Lords of his majesties most honourable privy Council, and the like book and in like manner and form to be yearly made, and certified at and within the times aforesaid.  
ALso that it be carefully looked into that the number of Alehouses be not increased but diminished, and specially that none be suffered to keep Alehouses unlicensed, or otherwise licenced then according to the prescript aforesaid.  
Saving, that in case where any Ale-house-keeper, Licenced as aforesaid, shall die or remove, or for his ill rule or misbehaviour, thought fit by two justices of the Peace, whereof one to be of the Quorum, to be put down, That then such other to be appointed in the same Parish or Hamlet, as shallbe Licenced and allowed as aforesaid, at the next Sessions of the Peace, or general Assembly of the justices, whereat five justices of the Peace, with the Clerk of the Peace, or his Deputy shall be present.  
LAstly, That the justices of Assize in their Circuits, and justices of Peace at their general Sessions of the Peace, do from time to time inquire of the due execution of these presents, and of all Alehouses kept without such Licence, as aforesaid, and of all other abuses, disorders, briberies, extortions, deceits, and other misdemeanours whatsoever, committed or suffered against the provisions aforesaid, and the true meaning of them.