Orders, Rules, AND INSTRUCTIONS To be observed by the Muster-master General, and clerk of the Checques, the controller of the Musters and Checques, and Commissaries of the Musters of His Majesties Army and Forces in Ireland, and all others whom the same doth or shall in any way concern, for the better preventing of any deceits that may be practised in the Army, and to render the same full and effectual for His Majesties Service. BY THE Lord Lieutenant General, and General governor of Ireland.  
Dublin, Printed by Benjamin took, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent MAJESTY; And are to be Sold by Joseph wild Book-seller in Castle-street, 1672.   

Orders, Rules, AND INSTRUCTIONS BY THE Lord Lieutenant General, and General governor of Ireland.  
ESSEX.  

I.  
THe Muster-master General by himself and his Deputies, are to muster all the Guards of Horse and Foot, and all the Troops and Companies of His Majesties Army, Officers, Ministers, and Artificers of the Train of Artillery within this Kingdom of Ireland, every three moneths at least, or as often as We, or in our absence the Deputy of this Kingdom shall think fit.   

II.  
The Deputy Muster-masters, who are appointed to muster the Guards, Troops and Companies, and Train of Artillery as aforesaid, in their several garrisons or Quarters, are not to give notice of their purpose so to do, until late in the Evening, and then they are to give notice unto the governor or Officer, commanding in chief the said garrison or Quarter, who is thereupon to have in a readiness the Troops or Companies early next morning, every Officer and soldier in his proper Arms and Furniture, at the usual and accustomend place, or such other place as the Deputy Muster-master shall appoint. Where the Captain or chief Officer commanding of each Troop and Company, is to have in readiness three muster-Rolls, containing the names of the Officers, and Souldiers fairly written alphabetically, according to the surnames as it is now usual, and partend by lines into distinct columns, each of which shall mention the age, place of Birth, complexion, or time of entrance into that Troop or Company of each soldier, and then the Deputy Muster-master, before he proceed to muster the Troop or Company, shall take an account of the Ranks and Files of each Troop and Company, and after he has so numbered them, shall call the Officers and Souldiers particularly, placing a cipher before their names, signifying their being present, and if any be absent, sick, dead, discharged, or run away, they are to be written so upon their names; And after the Roll is so called, the Deputy Muster-master is to count the Ranks and Files again, that so he may be assured there is not any wrong done by the Officers in causing Souldiers to be mustered twice, or mistake on his own part, by making more or less than he ought, and that such men as are to be entertained, that muster in the rooms of any dead, discharged, or run away, may be entred for that muster at the latter end of the Roll, and not brought into the alphabet until the next muster. After the muster, the Deputy Muster-master is to close the Rolls, with the Officers after the usual manner, two Rolls to be signed by the Captain and all Commissioned Officers present, which are to be delivered to the Deputy Muster-master, to be by him delivered to the Muster-master General, and the controller of the musters, according to which muster Rolls, Warrants are to be drawn for their pay, of which the controller, or his Deputy is to take notice; And before any Warrant be offered, the controller is to examine and Comptrol the same, and to attest them for Testimony, that neither His Majesty, nor the Souldiers be wronged in the payments, and the other Roll is to be signed by the Deputy Muster-master, which is to be delivered to the Captain, or chief Officer present with the Troop or Company, to be by him produced at the next muster for an Examining Roll, to the end if any Souldiers be wanting, it may be known what is become of them, whether dead, discharged, or run away; And that thereby the Muster-master General, or the controller, may be able to render an account to Us from time to time, of such Souldiers as are received into any Troop or Company in the Army, and those likewise that go forth.   

III.  
The Muster-master General and his Deputies, are not to permit any Officer or soldier in the Army, to pass muster, unless they shall produce a Certificate under the hand of the Bishop of the diocese, upon a Certificate made to him under the hand and seal of the lawful Minister of the Parish wherein they are Quartered or Garrisoned; That they had received the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy Communion, according to the Discipline of the Church of Ireland, the Easter or Christmas next preceding the said muster, and this to be done once every year.   

IV.  
No Captain shall present at the muster, any Officer or soldier to be absent by Licence, except the same be under our Hand, or the Hand of the Deputy of this Kingdom in Our absence; which Licence is to be entred at the Muster-master Generals, and also at the controllers Office, for which entering of every such Licence in the said Offices the Muster-master General, and the controller, or the Deputies are to take and receive of every Commissioned Officer two shillings and six pence each, and the time limited set down on the muster Roll, and if any that are licensed to go out of this Kingdom, return not within the time limited, then they are to be checqued, except they produce a Certificate or Testimonial from the Mayor, or other chief Officer of the Port from whence they shall ship themselves, that they were ready to come, but were stayed by the casualty of contrary winds or weather, or for want of passage, or by sickness. And in case any Officer or soldier, who is licensed to be absent from his duty within this Kingdom, out-stay the time Limited, then his Pay to be checqued for such time, and the checque not to be taken off, but by especial Order in writing from Us, or in our absence the Deputy of this Kingdom of which the Muster-master General and controller are to take notice.   

V.  
If any Officer or soldier be absent from his muster, then he is to be returned absent, and loose the benefit of such muster, unless it be in case of sickness, which is to appear by view of the Deputy Muster-master, or by authentic certificate if the Person sick be far distant, or that they have especial Licence from Us, or the Deputy of this Kingdom in Our absence, and entred as aforesaid.   

VI.  
No Commissioned Officer shall pass muster, till he first produce his Commission to the Deputy Muster-master, and the same entred in the Muster-master Generals and the controllers Office, to the end he may receive his Pay accordingly; And that the Muster-master General and the controller, may the better render an account unto Us, or in Our absence to the Deputy of this Kingdom, of all the Commissioned Officers of the Army from time to time, as the same shall be required.   

VII.  
No Captain, or other Officer shall give Licence to any Private soldier under his Command, to be absent above fourteen dayes, and no such Licence to be of force, if any soldier be absent at muster.   

VIII.  
If any Officer or soldier, be at any time taken Prisoner, then upon attestation of the Captain, or other Officer Commanding the Troop or Company, the said Prisoner is to be allowed on the musters during his Imprisonment.   

IX.  
No Officer shall Entertain any person in the Room of any soldier dead, discharged, or run away out of any Troop or Company, till the next muster day, and his Pay to commence from that day forward, and not otherwise, and if any Officer or soldier be returned dead, then he is to be allowed pay to the day of his death, which is to appear by authentic Certificate.   

X.  
Taking into Our consideration the evil consequences of Officers discharging their Souldiers irregularly, no Officer shall from henceforth discharge any soldier mustered in his Troop or Company, until such soldier be discharged by a Court-marshal, or by order in Writing from Us, or the Deputy of this Kingdom in Our absence, or by the Souldiers consent at muster, upon pain of being Cashiered, nor shall the Officers of the musters allow any new man in the place, of any that are not regularly discharged.   

XI.  
No Captain or other Officer of the Army, shall in the tender or presentment of the musters, use any fraud, practise or deceit, whereby the Muster-master General or his Deputies, or the other Officers of the musters maybe misled, mistaken, or prevented of the due understanding of the true Estate of that Company or Troop, upon pain of loss of his place, and such other Ignominious punishment, as by a Marshal-court shall be thought fit.   

XII.  
Every Officer and soldier of the Army, and Officers, Ministers, and Artificers of the Train of Artillery, shall take the oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, or else not be allowed on the musters.   

XIII.  
No Officer shall make contract or agreement with any of the Souldiers of the Army, for less pay then is allowed them by His Majesties Establishment, nor take any money or Security of money for their admittance into the Army; To which end the Muster-master General and his Deputies, and the controller and his Deputy, are hereby strictly required to use all means possible to inquire what Officers do make any such contract, or take money as aforesaid, who being satisfied therein, are forthwith to inform Us, or in Our absence the Deputy of this Kingdom of the same; and such Officers and Souldiers so offending, shall forthwith be discharged the Army, and suffer such other punishment as shall be thought fit by a Court-marshal. And if any Captain shall detain from any Souldiers their Pay, or any part thereof, when he hath received the same, by the space of three dayes, or shall not bona fide, pay the same without any Reservation or Engagement for receiving the same back, or any thing in lieu thereof, such Captain or other Officer shall be absolutely Cashiered from his Command.   

XIV.  
No soldier shall be suffered to pass muster upon a borrowed Horse, or with borrowed Arms or Furniture, and his Horse shall be serviceable, and not under Fourteen handful high, and worth at least twelve pounds.   

XV.  
The Officers being supplied with necessary and convenient Arms, and Furniture belonging to their several Troops and Companies, the Muster-master General and his Deputies, and the controller and his Deputies, are Required to take especial care at the musters taken by them, that the Souldiers Arms be well fixed, and that all the Fire-arms of Foot be of one Bore, and if they shall find any Souldiers Arms unfixed on the muster day, they shall mark the same on such Souldiers name in the muster Roll, and the said Souldiers shall be chequed for every such defective Arms, the Cheques following, viz.  
For a Sword every month two dayes Pay.  
The like for Pikes, muskets, Bandaleers,  
Pistols, Carbines and Holster s   

XVI.  
No soldier that is an Inhabitant of any Town or Garrison, and a Tradesman( being well able to live of himself) shall be suffered to pass muster, unless he will reside constantly in his Garrison, and be fit and ready on all occasions for Service to be drawn into the field, and be well Trained in the Exercise of his Arms.   

XVII.  
No Officer shall muster a man false upon pain of Cashiering.   

XVIII.  
No soldier in Muster shall answer for another, or muster by a false name, upon pain of death, and the Officer that presents such soldier to be Cashiered.   

XIX.  
The Deputy Muster-masters shall have a sufficient Convoy from Garrison to Garrison, whilst they are mustering, and so shall the controller, or whom he shall appoint as his Deputies or Substitutes.   

XX.  
No Officer or Souldie shall presume to taunt, revile or pick a quarrel, with any of the Deputy Muster-masters, or the controllers Deputies, but shall quietly suffer him or them to examine, demand or require any Souldiers name, the Country from whence he came, and time of his being in the Kingdom, and to take any note or mark of the Souldiers at his or their pleasure; and if any Officer or soldier shall offend herein, severe punishment shall be inflicted on him or them as oppugnors of His Majesties Authority, and breakers of Our Orders and Instructions, as we shall think fit.   

XXI.  
The Muster-master General shall from time to time, alter and change his Deputies, to muster in each Circuits and Precincts, as he in his Discretion shall think fit, and not to permit them to muster in one and the same Precinct constantly.   

XXII.  
If any of the Deputy Muster-masters, or other Officers of the musters, shall at any time abuse the Trust committed to his care, by conniving with the Officers to make a false muster, or taking from any Officer or soldier any Bribe, Gift, Reward or Present whatsoever, upon account of mustering, he shall forfeit his employment, and suffer such further punishment as shall be thought fit.   

XXIII.  
None but effective duty men that receive His Majesties full pay, shall be allowed on any muster, nor any man absent without leave from Us, or the Deputy of this Kingdom in Our absence, and none under the age of Seventeen years, shall be allowed on any muster on any pretence whatsoever.   

XXIV.  
The name of the Clerk of every Troop and Company is to be mentioned in the margin of every muster Roll, as also the Servants, which We have thought fit to allow to the several Commissioned Officers.   

XXV.  
The controller, his Deputy or Substitute shall have free Egress and Regress into the Muster-master-Generals Office, to the end he may take Notes or Copies, and observe how they do their duty; and that no mistake may happen by having the management in one Office, We think fit that the controller his Deputy or Substitute, shall also sign the Warrants for Pay, before they be offered unto, or signed by Us, to which end they shall be sent to him.   

XXVI.  
The controller of the musters, or his Deputy or Substitutes by him appointed, shall use all diligence, industry and endeavours, to keep His Majesties Army in this Kingdom full and effectual for His Majesties Service, not onely at the dayes of mustering, but also at other times, when the Officers of the musters are not expected, by sending out his Deputies or Substitutes when he shall think it necessary, and most for His Majesties Service, to the end that the constant expectation of being mustered, may keep them to the duty expected from them.   

XXVII.  
All Commissions both of Horse and Foot, and all Patents, Orders, Rules and Directions for taking off Cheques, and all other things of like nature relating to the Army and Forces, are to be entred at the controllers Office, as well as at the Muster-masters, of which all persons concerned are to take notice.   

XXVIII.  
The Muster-master General, and his Deputy shall within 〈◇〉 dayes after the return of every muster, give unto Us a true account and State of His Majesties Army, and the Cheques imposed thereon, and that no mistake may happen, the controller of the musters or his Deputy shall attest the same.   

XXIX.  
For the better putting in Execution the aforesaid Orders and Instructions, the Muster-master General, and his several Deputies within this Kingdom, in discharge of the great Trust reposed in them, are required with all care and diligence, strictly to observe the same; and if any of the said Deputy muster-masters in any measure omit, or neglect to put in Execution the Rules and Directions before expressed, he shall be dismissed from the said employment, and suffer such other punishment as We shall think fit.  
And We require all the Officers of the Guards, and other the Officers of the Army, and Train of Artillery, in this His Majesties Kingdom, to take due notice hereof, and to yield due obedience thereunto, as they will answer the contrary at their perils.  
Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin, the 21th day of September 1672. Hen: Ford.   
FINIS.