AN ACT For Preventing and Suppressing OF FIRES WITHIN THE City of London, AND LIBERTIES thereof.   blazon or coat of arms of the City of London 
Printed by Andrew Clark, Printer to the Honourable City of LONDON. M.DC.LXXVI.   

 blazon or coat of arms of the City of London Commune Concilium tent' in Camera Guilhald ' Civitatis London die Veneris, decimo quinto die Novembris, Anno Domini 1667. Annóque Regni Domini nostri CAROLI Secundi, Dei Gratia, Angliae, Scotiae, Franciae & Hiberniae Regis, Fidei Defensoris, etc. decimo nono, coram Willielmo Peak Milite, Majore Civitatis London, Thoma Aleyn Milite & Baronetto, Aldermanno, Johanne Laurence, Thoma Bloudworth, Willielmo Bolton, Willielmo Turner, Willielmo Hooker, Militibus Aldermannis, Francisco Asty Armigero, Aldermanno, ac Dionysio Gauden & Thoma Davis Militibus, Aldermannis. & Vicecomitibus ejusdem Civitat', nec non majore parte Communiariorum de Communi Concilio ejusdem Civitat' tunc & ibidem assemblat'.  
WHereas the late fierce and outrageous FIRE which happened in this City (continuing violently, to the great Astonishment of all Beholders, more than the space of four Days and four Nights) burned, destroyed and consumed the greatest part of the Churches and Dwelling-houses, rendering very many of the Inhabitants calamitous, and much impoverished by the great Losses they sustained, and is by all justly resented as a most sad and dismal Judgement of Heaven: For the Prevention, Avoiding and Suppressing (as much as Human Prudence is capable of) the like deplorable (and still too too visible) Events, and dreadful Danger of Fire for the future, within this City, and Liberties thereof, Be it ordained, Enacted and Established by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the aldermans his Brethren, and the Commons in this Common-Council assembled, and by the Authority of the same, in manner and form following; that is to say,  
I. That the City, and the Liberties thereof, shall be divided and appointed into four equal Parts or Quarters; and the East Part or Quarter to contain these Wards following, viz. Portsoken, Aldgate, Tower, Billingsgate, Bridg, Langborn, and Lime-street; the West Part or Quarter to contain Farringdon within, Farringdon without, Casile-Baynard, Cheapside, and Aldersgate; the North Part or Quarter to contain Cornhill, Broadstreet, Colemanstreet, Bassishaw, Bishopsgate, and Cripplegate; and the South Part or Quarter to contain Queenhith, Bread-street, Vintry, Cordwainer, Dowgate, Walbrook, and Candlewick-street.  
II. Item, That every of the said Quarters shall be furnished and provided, at or before the Feast of the Birth of our Lord God next ensuing, of Eight Hundred Leathern Buckets, Fifty Ladders, viz. Ten Forty two Foot long, Ten Thirty Foot long, Ten Twenty Foot long, Ten Sixteen Foot long, and Ten Twelve Foot long; as also of so many Hand-Squirts of Brass as will furnish two for every Parish, Four and twenty Pickax-Sledges, and Forty Shod Shovels.  
III. Item, That every one of the Twelve Companies provide and keep in readiness Thirty Buckets, One Engine, Six Pickax-Sledges, Three Ladders, and Two Hand-Squirts of Brass.  
iv Item, That all the other inferior Companies provide and keep in readiness Buckets and Engines proportionable to their Abilities, of which those least able, to provide portable Engines to carry up Stairs into any Rooms or Tops of Houses; the number of which Buckets and Engines to be from time to time prescribed and allotted by the Lord Mayor, and Court of Alderman's Direction.  
V Item, That every Alderman who hath passed the Office of Shrievalty, provide Four and Twenty Buckets, and One Hand-Squirt of Brass; and all those who have not been Sheriffs, Twelve Buckets and One Hand-Squirt of Brass, to be kept in their respective Dwellings: and all other principal Citizens and Inhabitants, and every other person being a Subsidy-man, or of the degree of a Subsidy-man, shall provide and keep in their Houses a certain number of Buckets, according to their quality.  
VI Item, That the several Inhabitants and Furniture of each respective Quarter shall remain and abide within their own Quarters, and not go out farther; excepting only such serviceable persons of other Quarters fit to take pains in that behalf, who may be called to yield their help as need shall require; and none other Persons or Furniture, without special Order of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs for the time being.  
VII. Item, It is farther Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That in every of the said Quarters or parts of this City, by the Advice of the Aldermen and Common-Council of each several Ward within that Quarter, there shall be chosen, retained and appointed for each Ward one honest and sufficient person, dwelling within the same, to be Bellman there, who shall from henceforth every Night, from the Feast of St. Michael, until the Annunciation of St. Mary, diligently walk up and down within the same Ward, from Ten of the Clock in the Night, till Five of the Clock next Morning. Their Wages or Salaries to be levied within their respective Wards, according as the same shall be assessed by the Common-Council of the same Ward, or the greatest part of them.  
VIII. Item, That every Housholder upon any Cry of Fire, shall place a sufficient man at his Door well armed, and hang out a Light at his Door, if in the Nighttime; upon default whereof, every party offending, shall forfeit Twenty shillings.  
IX. Item, That every Housholder shall, during the time of any Fire, have Water in a Vessel ready at his Door to quench and suppress all farther increase of the Fire.  
X. Item, That in every of the said four Quarters or Parts of this City a noted Bell be rung from Lady-day to Michaelmas at Ten of the Clock every Night, and at five of the Clock every Morning; and from Michaelmas to Lady-day at Eight of the Clock every Night, and Seven of the Clock every Morning; at which respective Hours the Watch shall punctually sit and rise, who as soon as they are met together, one out of every Watch shall be sent the Rounds into every part of the Ward, and at his return another shall be sent out, and so successively all Night long without intermission, for Prevention of Fire, Robbing, or other Inconvenience.  
XI. Item, That every Inhabitant prepare some secure place in their Dwellings (not under or near any Staircase) to lay in their Sea-coal Ashes, Embers, or any other sort of Fire-Ashes; and that the said Ashes be quenched with water every Night before they go to Bed: and that all Constables make inquiry of the Security of Hearths, Ovens, and Stoves, and places for laying Fire-Ashes in, twice every year.  
XII. Item, That Plugs be put into the Pipes in the most convenient places of every Street, whereof all Inhabitants may take notice, that breaking of the Pipes in disorderly manner may be avoided.  
XIII. Item, That as many Wells as can be found may be provided in every Street, with Pumps, placed conveniently for furnishing of Water, especially in Frosty weather, when other Water may be scarce.  
XIV. Item, That the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, as also the Deputies and Common-Council-men of such Ward where any Fire shall happen, have speedy notice thereof by several Messengers to be dispatched from the Constables upon the first Discovery.  
XV. Item, That at all such times the Lord Mayor be attended with all his Officers, with the Marshals and all their men, as also the City Workmen and their Labourers, the Bridgmaster with the Bridghouse Officers and Workmen, and their Labourers, who are all upon notice of any Fire forthwith to repair to the Lord Mayor, and to observe such directions as shall be given them; the Sheriffs also to be attended with all their Officers, upon pain to them of forfeiting Three pounds in default of such their Attendance.  
XVI. Item, That the several Companies of Carpenters, Bricklayers, Plasterers, Painters, Masons, smith's, Plumbers, and Paviers, do yearly for each Company elect two Master-Workmen, four Journeymen, eight Apprentices, and sixteen Labourers, to be ready upon all occasions of Fire to attend the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs for quenching the same.  
XVII. Item, That all Workmen and Labourers belonging to any public Water-works within the City, the Seacoal-meters, Porters, Blackwel-hall Porters, Leaden-hall Porters, Ticket-Porters, and Package-Porters, do constantly attend the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs in such Services; and that a List of all the Names of the  persons, with the places of their Abode, be brought yearly in a Table to the Lord Mayor elect upon the first day of October, to be placed in the Hall of the said Lord Mayor to public view; and that henceforth the admittances of all such persons may be upon the same Condition.  
XVIII. Item, That all persons, unless such as are employed or allowed by the Lord Mayor or Sheriffs, Aldermen, Deputies, or Common-Council-men, do keep (during the time of any Fire) within their own Dwellings, until they are summoned to give their Aid; that so Disorder and Confusion in the Streets may be prevented.  
XIX. Item, That all the Constables and Watchmen of the Ward where any Fire happens, assemble immediately at such place, and there attend on the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, and follow their Directions.  
XX. Item, That all Brokers on the Exchange (according to their Obligation at their Admittance) do attend, in order to take care for such Goods and Householdstuff as may be removed.  
XXI. Item, That yearly there be chosen some able Citizen and skilful Engineer, to attend the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs or any of them upon such Accident, who by their Advice is to give his Assistance, and to blow up by their Directions such Houses, whereby the increase of the Fire may be most probably prevented; and that Labourers be appointed to attend such Engineer.  
XXII. Item, That the Lord Mayor, aldermans and Sheriffs, Deputies, Common-Council-men, Engineer, and all persons appointed and required by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs to be aiding in suppressing and extinguishing the Fire, by blowing up, or pulling down Houses, shall be indemnified by this Court.  
XXIII. Item, That all persons whose Houses shall be blown up, or otherwise demolished, for the prevention of the increase of Fire, shall have such Damages as the Common-Council shall award; and that all persons labouring therein, shall be awarded, as by Order of the Court of Aldermen shall be appointed; and that a Rate be laid by the Common-Council on the remaining Houses of the City and Liberties for satisfying thereof.  
XXIV. Item, That once a Quarter the Deputy and Common-Council of every Ward return Certificates to the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, of the Numbers and Condition of their Buckets, Engines, Ladders, and all other Necessaries of that nature, and the Engineer to examine the same, that on all occasions they may be found in readiness; and that the Certificates of Michaelmas Quarter be returned as well to the Lord Mayor elect, as to the Lord Mayor.  
XXV. Item, That such quantities of Powder as shall be thought fit by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, shall be provided by the several Wards, and the several Companies of this City respectively, and laid up in such convenient places as the said Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen shall from time to time direct and appoint; and that the principal Engineer make trial of all such Powder, that being satisfied of the strength and goodness thereof, he may the better use it accordingly.  
XXVI. Item, That no person whatsoever he henceforth permitted at any time to make, or cause to be made any sort of Fireworks, or to fire, or cause to be fired any such Fireworks, within the City or Liberties thereof, except such persons only as shall be thereunto appointed by His MAJESTY, or any lawful Authority under him.  
XXVII. Item, That no Gunpowder be kept within the Walls of the City (except, as aforesaid) but in such secure places as shall be allowed and approved by the Court of Aldermen.  
XXVIII. Lastly, That no person lay Hemp, Flax, Wax, Gunpowder, Pitch, Tarr, Brimstone, Rosin, or the like combustible Commodities, in any Cellar, Warehouse, or other place on that side next the Street, which by the shaking of Links, Torches, or casting in of other Fire at the Windows next the Street, may be in danger of such Fire.  
And it is farther Enacted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That all and singular the Peins, Penalties and Forfeitures, which shall be forfeited or incurred by virtue of this Act, shall be obtained, levied and recovered, either by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information, in the name of the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, in the KING'S MAJESTY's Court holden in the Chamber of the Guild-hall of the said City, before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the said City for the time being; it which no Esloign, Protection, or Wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant: and the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, in all Suits to be prosecuted by virtue of this Act against any Offender or Offenders, shall recover the ordinary Costs of Suit, to be expended in or about the prosecution of them, or any of them: And that all such Peins, Penalties and Forfeitures (the Charges of Suit for Recovery thereof being first deducted) shall be divided into two equal Parts, one Moiety whereof to be paid unto the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital (for the time being) to be employed toward the Maintenance of the poor Children harboured and kept in the said Hospital; and the other Moiety to him or them that will sue for the same, any other Act or Ordinance to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.  
AVERY.   

Printed by Andrew Clark, Printer to the Honourable City of LONDON. M.DC.LXXVI.