THE ASSOCIATION, AGREEMENT, AND PROTESTATION, OF THE COUNTIES of SOMERSET, DORSET, CORNWALL, & DEVON. Printed by His Majesty's Command, at the Desire of the Lords and Commons of Parliament Assembled at OXFORD, By LEONARD LICHFIELD, Printer to the University. 1644. The Association, Agreement, and PROTESTATION, etc. 1 THat whereas by the Articles of Association of the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, it is provided, that a Protestation should be taken by all men of those Counties above the age of sixteen years, with a subscription thereunto according to the form agreed on and expressed in those Articles, before the Minister of the Parish, or some other Person or Persons to be appointed in each Parish by the justices of the Peace of each County, or any two of them; & all Persons refusing to be forthwith certified to the justices of Peace, and secured as Enemies to the peace of the Kingdom: In like manner there is a Protestation here set down agreeable with the former, extending aswell to the Counties of Somerset, and Dorset, as to those of Devon and Cornwall, and by the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Oxford, recommended to be also taken by the men of Somerset and Dorset, if they think fit. 2 That his Highness' Prince Maurice, or such other person as for the time being shall be Commander in chief of the Forces in these four Counties, be moved, that there be two Commissioners of each County to take the Musters of the said Army, and that the Treasurers give an account monthly to the Committees of each County, of their disbursments, and that concerning the Musters, such other things may be observed as are expressed in His Majesty's Proclamation, and Votes passed at Oxford 1643. concerning Musters. 3 That there be strict and continual search in every parish for all Soldiers within these Counties, that have at any time been in pay since these Wars, and that they be forthwith sent to recruit the Army, and such as shall refuse be sent to the Provost-Marshall-Generall. And no Soldier departed from his Colours without Licence, according to His Majesty's Proclamation and Articles, and offenders to be proceeded against according to their merits, and as many more be raised in each County as may recruite the Companies, and that every Foot-Company consist of one hundred, & every Troop of Horse and Dragooners of sixty, and if any Foot-company have less than fifty, and of Horse and Dragooners less than thirty, then if such Company be not recruited to these last numbers, or more, within a month after the Muster, the Officers pay to be detained, and after that, the Company paid and reduced, and the same rule to be held for pioneers, as for Foot-companies. 4 That there be account taken of the Captains, & other Officers, that have had any charge of Arms, how the same have been disposed, & that by warrant from the Commissioners, there be a general search for Arms through all the four Counties; that his Majesty's Proclamation to this purpose be also pursued; and that the Constables of each parish repair to every house within the same, & take view of them, and give in their account to the High-Constables, who are to bring it to the Commissioners. 5 That the Army be governed according to His Majesty's Articles, and that all persons of what condition soever, be held infamous and enemies to the public peace, that shall raise, or cause any mutinies, or disobedience thereunto, and suffer all severity according to His Majesty's Articles. 6 That for the better encouragement of Soldiers to undertake this service, where any person of those four Counties shall happen to be slain in the present war, fight on His Majesty's behalf, or die in that service, upon whose death any estate, or estates in Lands, or Tenements, or Hereditaments are determinable in cases where the person or persons are living who held those estates, other estates of the same Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, shall be granted again to him or them, to be determinable upon some other life or lives, as near the age as may be of the person or persons deceased, under the like Rents, Conditions, and Covenants, as were to be performed for the former estates. And where the person slain, or so dying, held the estate, or estates determinable upon his own death, in such case an estate of equal value shall be granted to his Widow, Child, or Children in the same Lands etc. upon such conditions as aforesaid, and the refusers to perform such grant to lose the double value thereof, the one half to His Majesty, and the other to the party or parties, who by this Article is, or are to have that estate, and to be imprisoned until payment. And for those persons of each of the said four Associated Counties, that shall happen to be maimed fight for His Majesty in this present war, and shall not have wherewith all to relieve themselves, special care shall be taken by the justices of Peace of those Counties, that they have some competent allowance out of the common Treasury of the County where they last dwelled, according to the provisions heretofore made for may med Soldiers. 7 That the Counties of Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall being Assotiated together, shall raise an Army for the defence and safety of those Counties, and the rest of the Kingdom, by these proportions following, viz. Devon to raise 13500. men Cornwall 4500. men, Somerset 9000. men, and Dorset 3000. men, and after that proportion for a greater and a lesser number, and all charges concerning the same Army, shall be borne and discharged by those four Counties according to the same proportion. 8 That the number of ten thousand men, viz. 8000. Foot, 1500. Horse, and 500 Dragooners, will be fit to be forthwith raised, by the Counties of Somerset, Derset, Devon, and Cornwall, according to the proportions already Voted, over and besides the Soldiers of those several Counties, now in Garrison in the same Counties, and the Trained-bands which are to be raised for their defence. 9 That payment shall be made to this Army out of those associated Counties for three month's next after the same shall be raised, according to the same proportion. 10 That His Majesty be moved that towards payment of this Army, providing of Arms, the Train of Artillery, and other necessaries for the same, there may be allowed the weekly Contributions of those several Counties, the Fines to be raised by compounding with Delinquents, Monies to be raised by sequestering of Delinquents Estates, with the Fines of those who have, or shall refuse to attend the Sheriffs of those respective Counties upon their Warrants, since the present Rebellion, to raise the Posse Comitatûs in those Counties. And that His Majesty's Commissioners may Authorise that disposition, and the Delinquents Estates in those Counties be seized and disposed of by the Commissioners of each County, to the same purpose respectively, and no Commanders of the Army intermeddle with it, without their Authority: nevertheless the Moneys assigned out of the County of Somerset, to the Lord Hoptons' Army, and the Garrison of Bristol shall continue without any alteration, until His Majesty shall settle some other course for payment of the same, and regard to be had of the County of Somerset by the other Associated Counties, during the continuance of such payment for a proportionable abatement. 11 That no Sequestration be made after composition made and paid, but by Order of the general Sessions of the Peace, or other General meeting of the Commissioners, by common consent there, unless for new offences. 12 That the weekly payments in all the four Counties be raised with all diligence, and Arrearages Collected and accounted for, until the Towns of Plymouth, Poole, Lyme, and Wareham be reduced. And that Committees be apppointed in each County respectively, to take the accounts of all Receivers of the weekly payments, which are to be the same that take the Treasurer's accounts. 13 That there be provided 1000 Barrels of Powder, and 10000 Fire-Armes, at the charge of those four Counties, according to the proportions before expressed. 14 That the said Army, to be raised by the said four associated Counties, shall not be removed out of those Counties, until the Towns of Plymouth, Poole, Lyme, and Wareham, and such other places of those four Counties, that shall hereafter rise in Rebellion, (if any do) be reduced to their due Obedience to His Majesty, unless in case of necessity, as His Majesty by the advice of the Council of War of that Army shall think fit. 15 That in regard by this Association, the Counties of Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall, make themselves but as one entire body, therefore aswell the charges of the Garrisons within those Counties, as of the Forces thus to be raised shall be cast together, and from the time of this Association, which shall be accounted from the first of May 1644, until God shall bless this Kingdom with a happy Peace, each County shall bear its proportionable part of the charge, according to the proportions aforesaid. 16 That His Majesty be moved, that several Commissions be granted to certain Persons of each of those Counties, to authorise an Impress of Soldiers for this present Service. 17 That if any Minister shall refuse, or Wilfully neglect the solemn Celebration of the Fast appointed by His Majesty on the second Friday of every Month, or shall not read the Service & prayers apppointed for that Fast, & being called before a Justice of Peace shall not promise & protest his future conformity, he be forthwith secured, and his Estate sequestered; and the like course to be taken with such Ministers as absent themselves that day from their Cures, unless upon sickness or other cause allowed by two Commissioners or justices of Peace; and the like order to be taken with such as shall not read such books, or writings as shall be appointed by His Majesty to be read in Churches and Chappells; and the Constables and Churchwardens are to certify their defaults to the next Justices. 18 That there be copies of this Protestation delivered out by the Sheriff at the Sessions of the Peace of each County, to the Constables of each Hundred respectively, and the Hundred Constables do immediately deliver out several copies to all the Petty-Constables, which are by the Minister of every Parish Church and Chapel, to be published the next Sunday following after the receipt; and such persons as shall take the same, are to subscribe their names thereunto, before the said Minister, Constable, or Churchwardens, or two of them; and the Ministers & Constables are to give the list, or certificate of their names that take it, and of them that refuse, to the Constables of the Hundred, who are to deliver the same to the Commissioners at the next general meeting, after the taking, or refusal thereof. THE PROTESTATION. I A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God, promise, vow, and protest, with my utmost power to maintain and defend the true reformed Protestant Religion, established by Law in this Kingdom, against all Popery, Popish, and other Innovations of Sectaries, and Schismatics; As also His Majesty's Person and Rights, against all Forces whatsoever; And in like manner the Laws, Liberties, and Privileges of Parliament, and of this Kingdom. And I shall to the utmost of my Power preserve and defend the Peace of the four Counties of Somerset, Dorset, Cornwall, and Devon, and all persons that shall unite themselves by this our Protestation, in the due performance thereof, and to my power assist His Majesty's Armies, for reducing the Towns of Plymouth, Poole, Lyme, and Wareham, and resistance of all Forces of Scots, Invaders, and others, levied under pretence of any authority of the Two Houses of Parliament, without His Majesty's consent. That if the County of Wilts, and City of Bristol will enter into this Association, they shall be received with all cheerfulness. That His Majesty be moved for a confirmation of the present Union, and Articles. FINIS.