April, 1645
[24 April, 1645.]
Ord. 27 Feb. 1644.;Pain of death for all Soldiers pressed under Sir T. Fairfax and not repairing to their colours, or that desert.; Defaulters and Deserters to be searched for.; Penalty for concealing such soldiers.; Ord. 15 Feb., 1644.; This Ord. to be printed, and published in all Market.;Towns and Parish Churches.
Whereas by Ordinance of Parliament intituled, An Ordinance
of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, For the
speedy Raising and Impresting of Men for the recruiting of the
Forces under the Command of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the defence
of the Kingdom; It is Ordained (Inter alia) that the Committee
of the Militia for the City of London, the Deputy-Lieutenants and
Committees of Parliament in every County, City or place within
this Realm, or any two or more of them, within their several
Limits and Jurisdictions, shall be and are thereby Authorized,
Required and Inioyned from time to time to Raise, Leavy, and
Impress such number of Souldiers for the defence of the King,
Parliament and Kingdom, as shall be appointed by both Houses
of Parliament, by the Committee of both Kingdoms, or by Sir
Thomas Fairfax. The said Lords and Commons for preventing
abuses which may happen by the souldiers absenting themselves
from their Colors and the Army, and by the harboring and concealing of Souldiers so Raised, Leavied and Imprested as aforesaid,
Do. therefore Order and Ordain, That all Souldiers already
Raised, Listed or Imprested, or which hereafter shall be Raised,
Listed or Imprested under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax,
shall upon pain of death to be inflicted without mercy, repair to
their Colours within six days after publication hereof: And for
such as shall be hereafter Imprested and Listed within six days
after their Listing; and constantly abide there, and not depart
without Licence under the hand of Sir Thomas Fairfax, or of the
superior Officer then present of the Regiment wherein such
Souldier or Souldiers shall serve. And for the better discovery
of all such person who have been Imprested or Listed, as already
have, or hereafter shall absent themselves from their Colors,
The said Lords & Commons do hereby require and command
all High Constables, petty Constables, Tithingmen, and Headboroughs in their several Divisions, Hundreds, Towns and
Parishes, to make strict search and inquiry in the several Houses
within their respective Limits and Parishes, for finding out such
Souldiers as may be harbored there. And if any Souldier or
Souldiers shall be found remaining in any of the Towns and
Places aforesaid, the High Constables and petty Constables aforementioned, are hereby authorized and required to apprehend their
persons, and carry them before such of the Deputy-Lieutenants,
Committees of Parliament, or Justices of Peace as are neerest to
the places where they are so apprehended; who are hereby
authorized and required to commit such Souldiers to the County
Goal, or other Prison, and to secure their Horses, Arms, Souldiers
Clothes and Moneys, if they have any, for the service of the
State, And for the preventing the harboring and concealing
any Souldier or Souldiers, as aforesaid, who shall depart out, or
absent himself from the said service without Licence, It is further
Ordained and Declared, That every Town or Parish wherein
such Souldier or Souldiers shall be found to be harbored or
concealed, shall forfeit and pay the sum of Ten pounds; and
every person harboring or concealing any Souldier or Souldiers
as aforesaid, shall pay for every Souldier so concealed and
harbored forty shillings: All which said several sums of Money
to be forfeited as aforesaid, shall be collected, leavied and paid
in such sort, manner, way and form, and shall be imployed to the
same use as are prescribed and set down for leavying Money
in the former Ordinance of Parliament, For raising and maintaining Forces for defence of the Kingdom under the command
of Sir Thomas Fairfax. And to the intent that all Souldiers
under the command of the said Sir Thomas Fairfax, and all
and every other person and persons concerned in the premises
may take notice hereof, It is further Ordained, that this present
Ordinance be forthwith printed, and published in the several
Market Towns and Parish Churches of every County within
the power of the Parliament within six days next following
the receipt thereof, that none may pretend ignorance of any
of the particulars before mentioned.
And it is further Ordained, That the Deputy-Lieutenants,
Committee of Parliament, all Mayors, Bailiffs, Sheriffs, Governors
of Towns, and Justices of Peace of the several Counties, Cities
and places within this Kingdom, shall take special care to put
this Ordinance in due execution, according to the purport and
true meaning thereof.