Southt. ss. Ad General. Quarterial. Session. Pacis Domini Regis tent. pro Com. praedict. apud Castrum Winton. in Com. praedict. Die Martis Octavo Die Octobris Anno Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi Tricesimo coram Carolo Domino De la Warr, Hugone Stewkeley, Baronett. Carolo Lee, Mil. Thoma Cole, Ar. Olivero St. John, Ar. Willielmo Wither, Ar. & aliis Justiciariis, etc.  
FOrasmuch, as the grand Inquest hath informed this Court that the daily concourse and great increase of Rogues, Vagabonds, and sturdy Beggars is a great grievance and annoyance to the Inhabitants of this County, and through the negligence, or ignorance of those Officers, who have been entrusted in this concern, they are now grown so insolent and presumptuous, that they have oft by threats and menaces extorted Money and Victuals, from those who live in Houses far remote from Neighbours, whilst their Husbands and Servants have been employed abroad in the management of their lawful Vocations: and have put the people in a general Consternation or Fear, that they will fire their Houses, or steal their Goods: the Consequences may prove very dangerous if not timely prevented. Wherefore this Court taking into their serious Consideration what remedies may be most properly applied to these growing mischiefs, do Order and Command all chief Constables, petty Constables, Headboroughs, Tythingmen, and all other Officers herein concerned, that they do forthwith cause all the Laws and Statutes heretofore made against Rogues, Vagabonds, and sturdy Beggars, wand'ring and idle Persons, to be put in Execution, and to that end it is here Ordered,  
1. 
7 Jam. 4.  That all High Constables, petty Constables, Tythingmen, and other Officers herein concerned shall within their several and respective Limits make privy search, One every Week (and oftener if need be) in all Houses, Victualling Houses, Barns, and other suspected places in the Night time, for the finding out and apprehending of Rogues, Vagabonds, sturdy Beggars, wand'ring and idle persons; and they shall also apprehend all such Rogues, etc. who travel with forged and counterfeit Passes in the Day time, and all such Persons which they shall apprehend in such search, 
39 Eliz. 4.  or shall take begging, wand'ring, 〈◊〉 disordering themselves, the Constable, Headborough, or Tythingman, being assisted with the Minister, and some other of the Parish, shall cause to be stripped naked from the middle upward, and to be openly whipped until their Bodies be bloody.  
2. 
9 E●●z. 4.  That the Constable, etc. shall strictly examine all and every Person and Persons, who shall produce any Testimonial or Pass, to travel to any particular place within this Realm; and if they shall find that any such Testimonial be not Signed under the Hand end Seal of some Justice of the Peace of some County, or the Mayor or head Officer of some Town Corporate, or the Constable of some Parish, or the Minister, Headborough, or Tythingman of some Parish from whence the Party came, or any two of them; or if the Party be not in the direct Road homewards, or within the time limited by the Testimonial or Pass, or that the Party begs by the way of any Person; such Persons so offending in any of these Cases shall be whipped, as aforesaid.  
3. When any Rogue, etc. hath been whipped, the Minister, Constable, etc. of the Parish where he was so whipped, or any two of them shall give him a Pass or Testimonial under their Hands and Seals, in this or the like form, etc. J. R. A sturdy Vagrant Beggar, of tall Stature, grey Haired, and blind of the left Eye, aged about forty Years, was such a Day and Year openly whipped at D. in the County of Hants, according to the Law for a wand'ring Rogue; and is assigned to pass from Parish to Parish by the Officers thereof, the next strait way to A. in the County of Wilts; where (as he confesseth) he was Born, and he is limited to be at A. aforesaid, within ten Days now next ensuing, at his Peril. Given under the Hands and Seals of J. S. Minister of D. aforesaid, and B. D. Constables there.  
4. And if such Rogue, etc. by his own default exceed the time limited by any such Testimonial or Pass, he shall from time to time receive the like punishment. And the Minister of such Parish shall Register such Testimonial upon the penalty of 5 s.  
5. 
39 E●●●. 4.  When such Testimonial is thus made, every Rogue, etc. shall be forthwith sent from Parish to Parish, by the Officers of every respective Parish through this County the next strait way to the place of his Birth; and if that cannot be known, then to the place where he last dwelled by the space of one whole year before the same punishment, there to be set to work; and if that cannot be known, then to the Parish through which he last passed without punishment; and the Officers of that Parish shall convey the Person to the House of Correction, or the Common Gaol of the County, there to be employed in work until he shall be placed in some Service for the space of one Year, or not being able of Body, until he shall be placed in some Alms-house in the County.  
6. 
14 Car. 2.12. 1 Jam. 7.  When any Rogue, etc. shall be brought by any Officer, to any Parish, with such Testimonial or Pass, the Constable there shall give him necessary relief for his passage, and then convey him by himself or some other person to the Officers of the next Parish, in the way to the Parish directed by the Testimonial or Pass. And if any Constable, etc. be negligent, and do not his best endeavour to apprehend such Rogues, etc. idle or disorderly persons, and cause them to be punished, and conveyed away as aforesaid, He shall forfeit 20 s. for every such Offence, and if any person whatsoever shall hinder the punishment or conveyance of any Rogue, or shall make Rescouse against any Officer, or hinder the Execution of these Laws, he shall forfeit for every such Offence 5 s. and be bound to his good behaviour.  
7. 
39 Eliz. 4.  That if any such Rogue shall be incorrigible, and shall seem dangerous, or will no● be reform of his Roguish Life, than the Constable, etc. shall convey him to some Justice of the Peace, to be committed to the House of Correction.  
8. 
39 Eliz. 4.  That the Constable, etc. shall give necessary relief, and provide lodging for impest Soldiers, or Seafaring-men suffering Shipwreck, not having wherewith to relieve themselves in their travels homewards, and having a Testimonial under the Hand of some Justice of the Peace, of, or near the place where they Landed, declaring the place and time of their Landing, the place of the Petitioners dwelling, or Birth, unto which they be to pass, and the time limited for their passage, so that such Seafaring-men be in the direct way homewards, and within the time limited for their passage. And that no Constable or other Officer give relief to any other persons than those that have been whipped, or otherwise qualified, as aforesaid.  
9 
39 Eliz. 17.  If any Soldiers or Mariners fall sick in their passage home, they shall be excused though they exceed the time limited in the Testimonial, so that they perform their journey in convenient time after their recovery.  
10. 
39 Eliz. 17.  That wand'ring Soldiers, or Mariners, and all others wand'ring as Soldiers, or Mariners, who will not settle themselves to work, or have not a Testimonial under the Hand of some Justice of the Peace, near the place of their landing, declaring the place where they landed, the place whither they are to pass, and the time of their passage; or exceeding the time limited above fourteen days, or having a counterfeit Testimonial, shall in all these cases suffer as Felons, without any benefit of the Clergy.  
11. 
1 Jam. 11.  The Constable, Deputy-Constable, Headborough, and Tythingman, shall go from house to house, and give notice to every Housholder in person within their respective limits, that they take care, that neither they, nor any of their Servants shall from thenceforth receive any Rogue, etc. wand'ring, or disorderly person, or any other person, unless poor Inhabitants of the same Parish licenced to beg by the Officers, who shall happen to beg at any of their houses. But if they see or know any such person to beg, they shall forthwith send or convey him to the Constable, etc. in order to be whipped according to Law upon the penalty of 10 s. for every such Offence, and to be prosecuted for the same at the next Sessions.  
12. 
1 Jam. 7.  That no Housekeeper, or other person whatsoever, shall permit or suffer any Rogue, etc. wand'ring, or disorderly person, to lodge, or abide within their Houses, Barns, or Outhouses, near home or remote in the Fields. But upon knowledge thereof they shall forthwith give notice to the Constable, etc. of the same Parish, to the intent that such Offenders may be punished according to Law, upon pain that every Housekeeper, or other person shall forfeit 10 s. for every such Offence.  
13. That if any Ale-house-keeper, or Victualler, shall from henceforth relieve, entertain, lodge or harbour in their Victualling-houses any Rogues, etc. wand'ring, or disorderly person, without special Order from the Constable, or Tythingman of the same Parish ●r their Victualling-houses shall be suppressed, and they shall be further dealt with according to Law.  
14. 
24 Car. 2.12.  That every person, who shall bring any Rogue, etc. before any Justice of the Peace, shall have 2 s. allowed him for his pains, to be paid by the Constable of the Parish through which such a Rogue last past unpunished, and such Justice of the Peace is desired 〈◊〉 grant a Warrant to Levy the same.  
15. That the Constable of every respective Parish shall not charge or compel the inhabitants of any Village, Town, Parish, or Hamlet, to pay any Money to their rates concerning impressed Soldiers, Mariners, Rogues, Vagrants, or other disorderly persons, than to the use expressed as aforesaid. And if they do, the same shall not be allowed upon their Accounts.  
16. That Chief Constables, Petty Constables, Headboroughs, Tythingmen, and all other Officers herein concerned, shall use their utmost endeavours to execute those Laws, and shall give an account upon Oath in Writing, under the Hand of the Minister of every respective Parish to the Justices of the Peace, at their Meetings for their respective Divisions. And in default of such Meetings, to the Justices at the next Quarter Sessions, what Rogues and Vagabonds, wand'ring, or disorderly persons they have apprehended, and how many they have punished, upon the penalty of 40 s. for every such Offence. And moreover they shall also present at the next Quarter Sessions, all Housekeepers, Ale-house-keepers, or Victuallers, who have relieved at their Doors, or have lodged or harboured in their Houses, Outhouses or Barns, any such Rogues, Vagabonds, or sturdy Beggars, to the intent they may be prosecuted according to Law. And that in the mean time, they cause all those Laws and Directions to be publicly read in their respective Parish Churches, or at the Church Door, and to be registered in their respective Parish Books, there to be kept and preserved for the better Information and Example of those that shall succeed them.  
Tho. Cobbe, Clericus Pacis come praedict'.