blazon of the City of London   

AN ACT OF COMMON-COUNCEL FOR THE WELL-ORDERING and establishing of the WATCHES within This CITY, and payment of the Beadle's Salary.   Tudor rose  Scottish thistle  French fleur-de-lis  depiction of Irish harp 
Printed by Richard Cotes, Printer to the Honourable City of London. 1643.   

AN Act of Common Council, for the well-ordering and establishing of the Watches within this City, and payment of the Beadle's Salary.  
Commune Concilium tentum in Camera, Guildhall Civitatis London, nono die Octobris, 1643. Annoque Regni Domini nostri Caroli, nunc Regis Angliae, etc. decimo nono, coram Isaac Pennington Majore (secundo tempore) Civitatis London, Johan. Wollaston Milite, & Aldermanno, Majore Civitatis Londini electo, Johan. Glyn, Armiger. ejusdem Civitatis Recordatore, Thoma Atkin, Johan. Warner, Johan. Langham, Willi. Gibbs, Willi. Barkley, ejusdem Civitatis Aldermannis, & Johan. Fowke & Jacobo Bance, Aldermannis & Vicecomit' ejusdem Civitatis, necnon majore parte Communariorum de Communi Concilio ejusdem Civitatis tunc & ibidem Assemblat'.  
FOR the better ordering and establishment of the Watches, to be hereafter duly observed and kept, within this City, and Liberties thereof, and also for payment unto the Beadles of the several Wards within the same, a competent Salary or Wages, for and in respect of their service to be performed, it is enacted and agreed by this Common Council in manner as followeth, viz.  
First, That the number of men to watch every night in every Ward, throughout this City and Liberties, shall be thus appointed, viz. Algate 34 Dukes place 10 Aldersgate 44 Martin le Grand 12 Bishopsgate 80 Broadstreete 30 Billingsgate 30 Bridge within 25 Bassingshaw 12 Breadstreete 26 Cornhill 16 Candlewicke 24 cordwainer 24 Cheap 25 Colemanstreete 32 Cripplegate within 40 Cripplegate without 90 Castle Baynard 40 Dowgate 36 Farringdon within 50 Muckwellstreete 4 Blackefryers 14 Farrindon without 130 White friars 8 Bridewell Precinct 8 Bartholomew the Great 10 Bartholomew the Less 4 Limestreete 11 Langborne 34 Portsoken 60 Queenehithe 40 Towerstreete 40 Vintrey 34 Walbrooke 20  
Secondly, That the Alderman, Deputy, and common-councel-men of every Ward, or the major part of them shall appoint a certain place within the Ward where the Inhabitants that are so appointed to watch, shall first meet, and shall also appoint to what places they shall afterwards go unto to watch in the said Ward; & that the Beadles the day preceding every watch shall give to all the Constables of each Precinct in the Ward a list of the names of every Inhabitant that is to watch each night in the several divisions of the said Ward, that every Constable may know what persons he is to warn to watch every several night, and that the Constable do the day before his watch night warn them accordingly.  
Thirdly, That the Beadle shall in the presence of the Constable & one of the Supervisors hereafter mentioned call over the names of those whose course shall be to watch each night respectively, as well at the hours appointed for their meeting in the evening, as also at the time appointed for the breaking up of the watch in the morning. And that they the Beadle and Constable, or one of them, in case the Supervisor be absent at any of the said times, shall take a note in writing, of the names of such of the said Inhabitants then appointed to watch as shall be absent from their watch at the hours appointed, evening or morning, or any part of the night. And shall deliver the said note the next day to the Supervisor or Supervisors, that they may prosecute against them according to the direction of the seventh Article hereafter expressed.  
Fourthly, That every one of the Trained Bands within this City, when his course shall be to watch, shall appear, (except he be actually in service in the Trained Bands) and watch in his Arms, viz. the Musquetteers with Powder, Bullet, and Match lighted, but not discharge or shoot off any piece during the time of his watch on pain of imprisonment, unless there be just cause to do it; and the Corselets, in stead of a Pike, with a complete Halberd, and a Sword: And the other watchmen, not being of the Trained Bands, to watch with a good Halberd or a brown Bill.  
Fifthly, That the Deputy or one of the Common-council men of every Ward, or such trusty person as they or one of them by writing under his or their hand shall appoint, shall have delivered unto him out of the City's store a small barrel of Gunpowder, containing ten, twenty, or thirty pounds, occording to the largeness of the Ward, with a fitting proportion of Match and Bullets, and such person to cause the said Powder to be Papered up half an ounce in a Paper, and to deliver, or cause to be delivered, the same to every Musquettier that doth appear to watch, allowing two half ounces for two charges, and two yards of Match; and that a fit proportion of Gunpowder, to the quantity of half a pound or a pound, and a quantity of Bullets be kept in a readiness in the Court of Guard, or some other convenient place every night for supply, if in case there be need to use the same. And the said Deputy, common-councel-men, or such other person as they shall appoint, shall give an account to the Alderman of the Ward for the time being of the well husbanding of the same ammunition when it is spent, and that then to receive a like quantity again for a new supply.  
Sixthly, That two or more honest and able men shall be nominated and appointed in every Ward by the Alderman, deputy, and common-councel-men, or the major part of them for the time being, to take care and oversee that the watches appointed as aforesaid in every Ward be from henceforth duly kept; and that the Constables, Beadle, & Watchmen, perform their duties, and therefore for that purpose a List shall be delivered unto the said Supervisors in writing under the hands of the Alderman, Deputy, and Common-council men of the names and surnames of the men so appointed to watch, and of the several places where they are assigned unto to watch every night. Which said Supervisors shall take notice of the said Inhabitants that absent themselves at any time from watching, and likewise of such Constables and Beadle as shall at any time be remiss or negligent in performance of their duties, and from time to time shall present the names of such defaulters to the Lord Mayor for the time being, or to some other of his Majesty's justices of the Peace, that punishment may be inflicted upon the said defaulters, according to Law, and that the said Supervisors respectively, if occasion shall be, shall prosecute and give in evidence against every such delinquent where occasion shall require: and they for their pains and care in the premises, so long as they shall carefully and justly perform their trust committed to them, and execute the same to the good liking of the Alderman, deputy, and common-councel-men of the Ward, or the major part of them, shall be exempted themselves from wratching, and shall have such an allowance as was heretofore agreed on by Act of Common-council, namely the one half of the fines to be set and recoved on the defaulters, or any such reasonable allowance as shall be thought fit to be allowed them or any one of them by the Alderman, deputy, and Common Council men, or the major part of them in writing under their hands of every Ward respectively; which said allowance is to be raised of the Inhabitant of the said Ward, and not elsewhere.  
Seventhly, That the watches from Michaelmas to our Lady day, shall begin at the latest before nine of the clock in the night, and continue until at least six of the clock in the morning. And from our Lady day till Michaelmas, shall begin at the latest before ten of the clock at night, and continue until at least four of the clock in t●e morning. The time of this manner of watching to begin from henceforth.  
Eigthly, That such rates by way of Fifteen, as are herein afterwards set down and expressed to be raised on the several Wards of this City, shall be yearly granted, and to begin at our Lady day last passed.  
Ninthly, For the Beadle's Salary and such other necessary occasions of the said Ward, which said several rates shall be collected and gathered by such person and persons, and at such time and times as from time to time shall be appointed and directed by the Alderman, Deputy, and common-councel-men of every Ward, or the major part of them in writing under their hands, and the said Collector or Collectors to pay all that shall or may be collected to the Deputy, or one of the Common-council men of every Ward who shall be by the major part of them in writing under their hands appointed to be a Treasurer for the receiving thereof, and for the disbursing and paying the same as he shall be by the major part of them by such writing directed to the uses aforesaid. And if any person or persons shall refuse to pay the said rates, or any part thereof assessed on him or them for the uses aforesaid, that then the Collector or Collectors, with the assistance of any Constable that he or they shall call, shall by virtue of this Act distrain for the same, and the said distresses carry away and detain until satisfaction shall be made of the sums for which they are distreined.  

The yearly Rates by way of Fifteen for the several Wards for the uses aforesaid, are as followeth, viz.  Algate 4 Aldersgate 3 Bishopsgate 3 Broadstreet 3 Billingsgate 3 Bridge within 3 Bassingshaw 3½ Breadstreet 3 Cornhill 3 Candlewick 4 Cordwayner  Cheap 2 Colemanstreet 4 Creeplegate within 4 Creeplegate without 4 Castlebaynard 3 Dowgate 3 Farringdon within 2 Farringdon without, viz.  Saint Sepulchers 6 Fleetstreet 3 Saint Andrew's 6 Limestreet 4 Langborne 2½ Portsoaken 3 Queenehithe 4 Tower 2½ Vintrey 3 Walbrooke 2  
And in case any of the aforesaid wards shall desire to pay their Beadle or Beadle's Salaries any other way then by way of rates as aforesaid, and shall certify that their desire unto the Common-council at or before the next Common-council to be holden after Saint Thomas day next, this Court approving and settling of the same on such wards in such a way and manner as they shall so desire, doth think fit that such ward shall be exempted from raising or paying the said rates in their several wards as aforesaid.  
FINIS.