ABSTRACT of those LAWS Commanded by the QUEEN's most Excellent MAJESTY, to be put in speedy Execution by Her MAJESTY's most Gracious and Pious Letter (lately set to the Justices of the Peace of the County of Middlesex) met at their General Quarter-Sessions by Adjournment, Friday the 10th of July, 1691. Published for the Ease and Direction of the several and respective Officers in the Performance of their Duty. OFFENCES. LAWS and STATUTES. PENALTIES. Profanation of the Lord's Day. ALL Laws in force concerning the Observation of the Lord's Day, shall be put in execution: This day is by every one, to be sanctified and kept holy; and all Per●●●●●●st be careful herein to exercise them●●●●●● in the Duties of Piety, and true Re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publicly; and every one on this day 〈◊〉 ●●ving a reasonable Excuse) must diligently resort to some public place where 〈◊〉 ●●●vice of God is exercised, or must be 〈◊〉 at some other place (allowed of by 〈…〉 the Practice of some Religious Du … … o of Prayer, Preaching, Reading, 〈◊〉 … ounding of the Scriptures, or Con … upon the same, and also privately, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. 1 Will. & M. 1 Eliz. Cap. 2. 3 Jac. Cap. 4. NOTE, that Their Majesty's Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England, and qualified according to the late Statute of Indulgence, are exempted from the Penalties of the Statutes 3 Jac. 1 Eliz. 23. Eliz. 29. Eliz. and some other Statutes. 〈…〉 as repair not to Church, etc. on Sun●●●● 〈◊〉 holidays. ●●e Witness. 1 Eliz. 23 Eliz. 3 Jac. Cap. 1. 19 Eliz. Cap. 1. Twelve Pence for every default, to be levied by distress, and for want of distress, to be committed to some Prison, until the same be paid. … ting for a Month, 〈◊〉 ●welve Month, or more, 3 Jac. Cap. 4. Twenty Pounds per Month, and forfeiture of Two parts in Three of their Estates. 〈…〉 come not to the Sacrament of the 〈◊〉 ●upper once a Year, Their Names and Surnames to be presented: Forty Shillings reward to such as present them. 〈…〉 shall speak or do any thing in Con … 〈◊〉 the most Holy Sacrament, 1 Ed. 6. Cap. 1. By Oath of Two lawful Witnesses, by Three Justices Quorum un. to be bound over and prosecuted in Sessions. … oever shall disturb any Preacher all … 〈◊〉 his open Sermon or Collation, or … ng or abetting thereunto, or shall 〈…〉▪ any Offender, etc. … ion must be by Two Witnesses, or 〈…〉, 1 M. Cap. 3. To be committed by any Justice of the County to safe Custody, and within six days the said committing Justice, with one other Justice (if the Offender upon examination shall be found Guilty) shall commit him to Goal without Bail, etc. for Three Months, and farther to the next Quarter Sessions. 〈…〉 meet or assemble out of their 〈…〉 ●●rish upon the Lord's Day, for any 〈…〉 ●●orts or Pastimes whatsoever, or such as 〈…〉 use any unlawful Exercise or Pastime in 〈…〉 own Parish upon the Lord's Day, 1 Car. Cap. 1. 3 Cr. Cap. 4. Three Shillings and four Pence to the Poor, where &c. to be levied by distress and sale, restoring the Overplus, etc. and for want of distress, to be sent to the Stocks for Three Hours, but they must be questioned within a Month. If any Carrier, Waggoner, etc. with 〈…〉 Horse, Wain or Cart, or Drover with Cattle shall travel upon the Lord's Day by themselves, or any other for them, 3 Car. Cap. 1. Twenty Shillings for every offence, to be levied by distress and 〈…〉 of the Poor. If an● Butcher, or any other for him, shall kill or sell any Victuals upon the Sunday, One Witness, View or Confession. 3 Car. Cap. 1. He shall forfeit six Shillings and eight Pence, if questioned within six Months, to be levied, etc. or may be sued for in Sessions, etc. If any Shoemaker shall go with intent to ●ell any Boots, Shoes, etc. on the Sunday. 1 Jac. Cap. 22. He shall forfeit such Goods, and Three Shillings and four Pence for every Pair. If any Person of the Age of 14 shall on the Lord's Day, or any part thereof, do any worldly Labour, etc. except Works of Necessity and Charity, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. He shall forfeit Five Shillings for every offence. If any Person shall cry, show forth, or put to sale any Wares, Fruit, Goods, etc. except Milk only, before the Hours of Nine in the Morning, and after Four in the Afternoon, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. He shall forfeit the said Wares, Fruit, Goods, etc. to the Use of the Poor. No Drover, Horse-courser, Waggoner, Butcher, Higler, or any of their Servants, ●●all travel or come to their Inns on the ●ord's Day, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. The Forfeit is Twenty Shillings for every offence. No Person shall use or travel upon the ●ord's Day with any Horse, Boat, Wher●●, etc. except allowed by one Justice of ●eace so to do, By View, Confession, or one Witness. This Act ex●ends not to dressing of Meat in Cooks-Sho●s, Inns or Victualling-houses, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. The Forfeiture is Five Shillings for every offence: The Conviction upon this Statute, must be before any Justice of the County, etc. who shall give warrant to the Constables, etc. to seize the Goods showed, etc. and to levy the Forfeitures by distress, etc. and for want of distress. to put the Offender in the Stocks for Two Hours: The Justices etc. may reward the Informer out of the Forfeitures, not exceeding the third part. Drunkenness, If any ●e convicted for being Drunk, by One Witness or View. 4 Jac. Cap. 5. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Every Person must be impeached upon this Act, within Ten Days after the Offence. The Offender for the first, to pay Five Shillings to the Churchwardens, where, etc. within one Week after Conviction, or else to be levied by distress and sale, and for want of distress to sit in the Stocks six Hours. If any Ale-●ouse-keeper be convicted of drunkenness, ●e is disabled for Three Years 〈◊〉 keep any Al●house, This Conviction of Drunkenness, must be ●●thin six Mon●●s after the Offence com●●ted, For the second Offence, must be bound in Ten Pounds with Two Sureties to the good Behaviour, and for want of Sureties to be sent to the Goal. If the Constable levy not the Forfeitures, he forfeits Ten Shillings to the Poor, ut Supra. Innkeepers, Ale-house-keepers, or Victuallers, suffer any of the same Parish to continue tippling in their Houses, One Witness or View. 1 Jac. Cap. 9 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Ten Shillings to be levied by distress and sale after six days, and for want of distress, to be committed till payment, and disabled for Three Years from keeping any Alehouse, etc. If the Constable or Churchwarden do not levy the Penalty, or shall not certify the want of distress within Twenty Days, he forfeits Forty Shillings to be levied by distress and sale, ut supra. If any Innkeeper, Alehousekeeper, Victualler, or Taverner, suffer any Person (wheresoever his Habitation be) to continue tippling in his House, Two Witnesses or View. 1 Jac. Cap. 4. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. 1 Car. Cap. 4. Twenty Shillings to be levied by distress, and for want of satisfaction in six days to be sold, restoring the Overplus, and for want of distress, to be committed till payment. Townsmen, or others which shall remain tippling in any Inn, Alehouse or Victualling-House, One Witness or View. 4 Jac. Cap. 5. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Three Shillings and Four Pence to be levied by distress after one Weeks neglect of payment, or to sit in the Stocks four Hours. The Constable for his neglect, forfeits Ten Shillings, ut supra. These Statutes do prohibit all quaffing and drinking of Healths, such Houses being solely appointed for the Accommodation of Travellers, and for the Relief of the Poor, 1 Car. Cap. 4. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Every such Taverner, and which shall suffer any Person whatsoever to tipple in his House contrary to the said Statutes, shall be adjudged within the Statute 1 Jac. cap. 9 Swearing and Cursing. If any Person shall profane, swear or curse in the Hearing of a Justice of Peace, Mayor, etc. or be convicted of such swearing by Two Witnesses, or confession of the Party. 21 Jac. Cap. 20. 3 Car. Cap. 4. 17 Car. Cap. 4. He shall forfeit for every such offence to the Use of the Poor, one Shilling; every Justice, Head-Officer, etc. may command the Constables, etc. to levy the same by distress; and for want of distress, the Offender being above the Age of Twelve Years, shall be set in the Stocks Three Hours; if under Twelve Years old, and shall not pay the said Twelve Pence, he shall be whipped by the Constable, by warrant of the Justice, or by the Parent or M●ster, in the Presence of the Constable. Every Offence against this Act, must be proved within 20 days after the Offence committed. Lewd and disorderly Practices. Keeping of Baudy-houses, etc. is against the Law of God, on which our common Law in this Case is grounded: Therefore, the Keeper of Houses of Bawdry and Incontinence Cok. 3. Instit. 11 Hen. 6. Cap. 1. 1 Hen. 7. Cap. 6. Are to be punished, being a common Nuisance by Indictment at Common Law by Fine and Imprisonment. Resorters and frequenters of Baudy-houses 13 Hen. 7. Cap. 6. To be bound with Sureties to the Good Behaviour. Adultery, etc. and all Acts of Bawdry are B●●●●●es of the Peace, 27 Hen. 8. Cap. … For which an Indictment will lie. 〈◊〉 a Constable, etc. has notice that a Wo●●● is in Adultery, etc. with a Man, or that a Man and Woman of evil fame are gone to a ●●spected House, Cok. 3. Instit. Dalt. Cap. 35. He may take help with him, and if he find them so, he may carry them to Prison, or to a Justice to be bound over and prosecuted. Strangers or others that are suspicious th●t walk by night, especially if they haunt lewd Houses, or keep lewd Company, or commit Outrages, 13 Hen. 7. Cap. 10. To find sufficient Sureties for the Good Behaviour. Idlers that refuse to work, and disorderly Persons, 7 Jac. Cap. 4. 39 Eliz. Cap. 4. To be committed to the House of Correction. Wand'ring Rogues, etc. 43 Eliz. Cap. 2. To be whipped and sent to the Place of Birth. If the Constable punish them not, 4 Hen. 7. Cap. 12. He forfeits Ten Shillings to be levied by a Warrant from Two Justices. Such as shall not apprehend Rogues, etc. being at their doors, Two Witnesses or Confession. 39 Eliz. Cap. 4. 1 Jac. Cap. 7. Ten Shillings to be levied, ut supra. Every Constable who does not punish such as are brought to him, Twenty Shillings to be levied, ut supra. Such as disturb the Punishment of Rogues, etc. 39 Eliz. Cap. 4. Five Pounds to be levied by Distress, and bound to the Good Behaviour by Two Justices, Quorum un. Officers remiss in punishing of Rogues, etc. Ten Pounds to be levied by distress and sale, ut suprae. Such as run away, and leave their Charge upon the Parish, 7 Jac. Cap. 4. To be punished as Rogues, etc. Such as threaten to run away, Two Witnesses. To be sent to Bridewell, or give security to discharge the Parish. If any Woman shall have a Bastard Child, which may be chargeable to the Parish, 7 Jac. Cap. 4. Bridewell for one Year, to be sent by Two Justices, and bond not to offend so again. Keepers of Playhouses, and unlawful Games, Upon View. 33 Hen. 8. Cap. 9 Forty Shillings and Imprisonment, until he be come bound by Recognizance to keep no more. Such as play in such Houses, Upon View. Imprisonment until he be bound to play no more, and to pay six Shillings and eight Pence, to be recovered in Quarter-Sessions. Such as out of Christmas shall play at unlawful Games any where. 31 Eliz. Cap. 5. Imprisonment and bound to the King to play no more, Twenty Shillings by Indictment in Quarter-Sessions. All Licenses to keep Houses, or Places of unlawful Games, shall be void. 2.3 Ph. & M. Cap. 9 LONDON, Printed by Tho. Braddyll, MDCXCI.