January 1642/3
[27 January, 1642/3.]
Whereas Sir Ralph Hopton, and his Adherents, Rebels and
Traitors, combining together, hath levied War against the Parliament, and hath, in a Warlike Manner. already entered into the
County of Devon, and besieged, robbed, spoiled, plundered, and
pillaged, divers Towns and Places in the said County, and divers
cruel and barbarous Murders, Rapes, and other notorious Outrages, hath committed and done, in the said County, upon divers
of His Majesty's good Subjects, and many of them hath utterly
ruined and destroyed; and forasmuch as the like Danger and
Destruction is threatened to the County of Somersett, by the said
Rebels and Traitors, who have a great Party in the said County
of Somersett, that are Persons ill-affected: It is therefore Ordered
and Ordained, by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, and by the Authority of the same, That Sir John Horner,
Sir Francis Popham, Sir Thomas Wroth, Sir George Farwell,
Knights, Alexander Popham, Hugh Rogers, Christo. Walker, John
Harrington, John Hippesley, John Francis, Richard Cole, William
Strode, John Pyne, Henry Henley, John Preston, James Ash,
John Ash, Henry Stamford, William Seaborne, Tho. Hippesley,
and William Long, Esquires, or any Three or more of them, or
any Three or more of such honest, able, and sufficient Men, as
any Three or more of the Persons aforementioned shall, by their
Warrants under their Hands, nominate and appoint Assessors,
shall assess, rate, and charge such Person and Persons, Inhabitants
or others, residing and abiding in the said County, as are of
Ability, and have not contributed to the Propositions for the
raising of Horse, Money, or Plate, for the Defence of the King
and Parliament, formerly agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament, and other such as have contributed, but not according to
their Abilities, to pay such Sum or Sums of Money, according to
their Estates, as the said Assessors, or any Three of them, shall
think fit and reasonable, so as the same exceed not the Twentieth
Part of their Estates; and if any Person so assessed shall refuse
to pay the Money so to be assessed upon him, in such Manner,
and at such Times and Places, as by the said Assessors, or any
Three of them, shall be required and appointed, it shall be lawful
to and for the said Assessors abovenamed, or any Three of them,
to grant Warrants to any Person or Persons, under their Hands
and Seals, to levy all and every such Sum or Sums so assessed, by
Way of Distress and Sale of the Goods of such Person or Persons
so assessed and refusing, and restoring the Overplus, if any shall
be over, to him or them that shall be so distrained, if
if any shall be; and if any Person so distrained shall make Resistance, it shall be lawful to and for the said Assessors abovenamed,
or any Three of them, by their Warrant, to require the Parliament's Forces in those Parts, and all other His Majesty's Officers
and good Subjects, to be aiding and assisting in the Premises
the said Sum so assessed and levied to be paid unto John Ash
Esquire, and Roger Hill of Taunton Gentleman, Treasurers,
hereby appointed to receive the said Sums so to be raised and
levied as aforesaid; and that the Money so raised shall not be
issued out but by Warrant to the said Treasurers, under the
Hands of Three or more of the said Assessors abovementioned;
and such Person or Persons as shall be notoriously refractory
and disobedient in the Premises, or have not sufficient
to be taken, it shall be lawful for the Assessors
abovenamed, or any Two of them, by their Warrant under their
Hands and Seals, to commit him or them to some common Gaol,
there to remain until Payment be made of such Sum or Sums
of Money upon him or them so assessed, or to send them up to
the Parliament by Ship or otherwise; and for any Act or Thing
done, or to be done, according to the Tenor of this Ordinance,
they, and every of them beforenamed, and all and every other
Person or Persons by them employed in the Execution of this
said Ordinance, shall be saved harmless, by Authority of both
Houses of Parliament.