coat of arms of the Commonwealth of England, circa 1653 LAND.  
¶ By the Lord Deputy and Council.  
WHereas, notwithstanding the many ways and means formerly Declared and Published for the prevention of the many Rapines, murders, Thefts, Burnings and Spoils, done and committed on the poor Inhabitants of this Nation, by Tories, Irish Rebels, and other desperate persons, their Confederates and complices; who, through the singular mercy of the Lord, having been driven from Garrisons, Castles, and places of strength, do now betake themselves to Bogs and Woods, and therely privately lurking, and secretly watching for all opportunities to commit their said Rapines, murders, Thefts, Spoils, and other insolences, which, through the blessing of the Lord, might be prevented, if the Irish Inhabitants of this Nation( contrary to the Declarations held forth and published) did not privately give or sand relief, maintenance and succour unto them; whereby sundry persons living under the Protection of the English Government, and do not give such relief and succour unto such Tories, Irish Rebels and other confederates, are daily taken out of their houses in the night time, and sometime set upon as they travail upon the Highway, and otherwise suddenly surprised by such desperate persons, and carried into Woods and Bogs, and there are murdered, or kept in a miserable manner, in could, nakedness and hunger; and their houses burned, and their goods stolen and carried away, until they do pay a ransom for their deliverance; whereby such desperate persons, as abovesaid, are emboldened further to commit the like insolences upon others, to the great terror of the poor people that live in obedience, and under the Protection of His Highness the Lord Protector, and of the English Government. The Lord Deputy and Council taking the premises into Consideration, have thought fit to Declare and Order, and do hereby Declare and Order.  
I. That Watch and Ward, Hue and Cry be duly kept and observed in all parts of this Nation, according to Law, and the many Declarations formerly held forth and published to that purpose; and that due and frequent searches be made in all Towns and Villages, for all Felons, Rogues, Vagabonds, and Idlers; and that they receive due punishment, according to Law; and that all sheriffs, Iustices of the Peace, Lords of Liberties, and all other Officers and Ministers of Iustice, within their respective jurisdictions and Liberties, do cause all such persons as neglect to do their duty in the premises, to be punished according to Law.  
II. That in all Counties, Baronies and Towns where any persons( living under the obedience and Protection of the English Government) shall be taken out of his house or elsewhere by any Tories, Rebels, or other their said Confederates and complices, and murdered in the place where he is or shall be apprehended and taken; or in any other place afterwards; and the Murtherers, and other persons that committed such murder, be not taken and apprehended, and brought before some Iustice of Peace, or other Officer or Minister of Iustice, to be punished according to Law: That then, the Officer commanding in chief in the County where such murder is or shall be done and committed, together with one or more of the Iustices of the Peace of that County, do make diligent enquiry and search for such offenders, and use all good ways and means for the apprehending of such person or persons as committed the said murders, and we reacting, aiding, and assisting thereunto; and commit them to Prison, there to be safely kept, till they be delivered by due course of Law. And in case such persons cannot be apprehended and taken, that then the said Officer commanding in chief, as aforesaid, and the Iustice and Iustices of the Peace, as aforesaid, shall and may, and they are hereby authorised and required to apprehended or cause to be apprehended, four persons that are of the Irish Nation and of the Popish Religion, residing or inhabiting in or near the place where such persons were so taken or murdered, and that did not aid and assist the persons so taken and murdered, nor cause the Murtherers and their complices to be taken and apprehended; and such Officer, Iustice and Iustices of the Peace, or any two or more of them, shall and may commit such four persons to some Gaol or other safe custody, for the space of Twenty eight days; and if in that time and space the said Murtherers be not taken and brought to justice, that then it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Officer, Iustice and Iustices of the Peace to sand the said four persons to some convenient Port in this Nation, and there to be committed and kept in Prison, until he or they shall be shipped away and sent to some of the English Plantations in America; and the Officer commanding in chief in such Port Town or County, or two or more of the Iustices of Peace in the said Port Town, or next adjoining to the same, shall & may cause such persons to be shipped and sent away into some of the English Plantations in America; and to cause them to be safely kept in Prison, until they shall be so shipped and sent away. And farther the said Officer commanding in chief in such Counties where such murder is or shall be done and committed, and any one or more of the Iustices of the Peace of the said Counties where such murder is or shall be done and committed, shall and may, and are hereby authorised and required to cause all the Irish Inhabitants of the Popish Religion, of that Barony, where such person was so taken and murdered, to be transplanted into the Province of Connaught or County of clear, and there to be ordered and settled as other persons, formerly Declared to be transplantable into Connaught or clear, ought to be ordered, settled, and provided for.  
1 Provided, That no person of the Irish Nation be shipped or sent into America, as abovesaid, or transplanted, as abovesaid, that did aid and assist the person or persons, taken and murdered as abovesaid; or did keep Watch, and timely set up the Hue and Cry, and thereof shall make due proof before the said Officer commanding in chief, and the said Iustice of Peace.  
2 Provided also, That no person be shipped away, or sent into any the English Plantations in America, as abovesaid; or transplanted as abovesaid, that have, or( before such murder done and committed, as abovesaid) shall make due proof, before the Commissioners appointed for the Adjudication of the Qualifications mentioned in the Act of Settlement, of their constant good affection to the Interest of the Common-wealth of England; nor to such persons who are not Declared by the Instructions of the Councl of State in England, bearing date the 2 of july 1653, and since confirmed by Parliament, to be persons liable to be transplanted into connaught or county of clear.  
3 Provided also, That no person be shipped or sent away into the English Plantations, as abovesaid, until the Names of such persons be signified to the Lord Deputy and Council; with the grounds and reasons of the suspicion of such persons who lave relieved such Tories, Rebels, and their Confederates; or of their neglect of giving timely notice thereof; or of their neglect in dusing the Watch and Ward to be duly kept; but such persons shall be disposed of according to the Order of the Lord Deputy and Council.  
III. That where any person or persons, that now or hereafter shall live peaceably under the protection of the English Government, and so living and being, shall be taken and kept by Tories and Irish Rebels, in Bogs, Woods or other places, and by them put to ransom, or otherwise imprisoned; or whose houses are or shall be burned, or their goods taken and driven away; or they, their Wives, Children, or servants maimed & abused by such Tories, Irish Rebels, and their Confederates: In all such cases, upon complaint thereof made to the Officer commanding in chief in such county where such Robberies, Thefts, Imprisonments, Maiming, or other Abuses, contrary to the Peace, shall be done and committed, or to the sheriff of the said County, or to any Iustice or Iustice of the Peace within the said county; the said Officer, sheriff, Iustice and Iustices of the Peace, or any two or more of them, shall and are hereby authorised to make due enquiry by whom such Robberies, Thefts, Imprisonments, Maimings, and other Abuses, contrary to the Peace, are and were done; and of their abetters, aiders, or assistants; and to cause all such offenders to be committed to Prison, and proceeded against according to Law; and in case the said offences done, were done by any Tories and Irish Rebels, or their Confederates, that are fled and cannot be found, that then enquiry is to be made by the said Iustices of the Peace and persons abovesaid, of any two or more of them, of all such person and persons, who did harbour, receive, lodge, or give any relief to such Tories, Rebels, or their Confederates; and all such persons, being Irish Inhabitants, residing in the Town and Parish where such offences were done and committed, and are Popish Recusan●s, that did not aid and assist such person or persons that were so robbed, spoiled, imprisoned and abused, as abovesaid; or that did not timely make Hue and Cry after such offenders, to be committed to safe custody for the space of six days; and if during that time the said offenders be not apprehended and taken, that then all such persons inhabiting and residing in the said Town and Parish, not aiding the persons to whom such trespasses were done, nor making such Hue and Cry, as abovesaid, they, their Wives, Children and servants shall and are hereby Declared to be persons transplantable into the said Province of Connaught and County of clear. And the said Officer commanding in chief, the said sheriff, Iustice or Iustices of the Peace, or any two or more of them, whereof the said Officer commanding in chief to be one, than may, and are hereby authorised and required to cause such persons, their Wives, Children and servants to go into Connaught and county of clear; there to be ordered, settled and provided for, as other persons transplantable are to be dealtwithall, or provided for, in the said Province of Connaught and County of clear.  
Dated at DUELIN the nineteenth day of April. 1655. Thomas Herbert Clerk of the Council.   

ORdered by the Lord Deputy and Council, that this Declaration be forthwith Printed and published.  
Thomas Herbert Clerk of the Council.   

¶ DUBLIN, Printed by WILLIAM BLADEN, 1655.