December, 1647
[17 December, 1647.]
Corporation created for relief and employment of the poor.; Members of said Corporation.; When an by whom eligible.
Whereas the Necessity, Number, and Increase of the Poore is
very great within the City of London and Liberties thereof, for
want of the due execution of such wholesome Lawes and
Statutes as have beene formerly made. For remedy thereof,
and for other the purposes herein after specified; Be it and it is
Ordained by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament
assembled. That from henceforth there be, and shall be a
Corporation within the said City of London and Liberties
thereof. Consisting of a President, Deputy to the President, a
Treasurer, and forty Assistants, whereof the Lord Maior of the
City for the time being to be President, eight of the said
Assistants to be of the Aldermen of the said City for the time
being; and the other thirty and two to be Freemen of, and
Inhabitants in the said City, chosen out of the severall Wards
of the said City equally, and that John Warner, Sir George
Clarke, John Foulke, William Gibbs, Samuel Avery, John Bide,
George Witham, Thomas Viner, Aldermen of the said City,
shall be the first eight Aldermen of the present Assistants; and
that Francis Waterhouse shall be the present Deputy to the
said President: And that Maurice Gething shall be the Present
Treasurer; And that John Offeild, Richard Morrall, James
Russell, Walter Pell, Ralph Hough, Robert Mainwaring, Anthony
Webster, William Adams, Richard Glide, William Jesson.
Tempest Milner, Thomas Arnold, William Kendall, Toby Lisle,
Nathaniel Hall, Humphry Hawley, William Antrobus, John
Green, Edmund Whitwell, John Cooke, Robert Meade, Robert
Dallison, William Bromwich, John Everet, Thomas Clowes,
John Jones, John Bellamy, Abraham Chamberlaine, John
Babbington, Richard Gasforth, John Perryn, and Stafford Clare,
shall bee the other thirty-two Assistants: And that the Deputy
and Treasurer from henceforth shall be eligible by the CommonCouncell of the said City yearely on the 25th of June or at the
next Common Councell following, or within twenty-eight dayes
next after the said 25th of June; And that such two of the
eight Aldermen, being Assistants, and eight of the other thirtytwo Assistants as the Common-Councell shall thinke fit, shall
fall off, or be amoved yearely at the said day and time of Election;
And that two other Aldermen and eight other Commoners,
Citizens of and Inhabitants in the said City shall be yearely
Elected by the said Common-Councell on the day and time
aforesaid to be Assistant in the place of such as shall fall off, or
be amoved.
To have corporate name.; Exemption from mortmain law.
And it is further Ordained, that the said President, Deputy,
Treasurer, and Assistants for the time being, shall for ever
hereafter in name and fact be one Body Politique and Corporate
in Law to all intents and purposes, and shall have a perpetual
Succession, and shall be called by the name of the President and
Governours for the Poore of the City of London and Liberties
thereof: And by that name shall and may without License in
Mertmeine purchase, or receive any Lands, Tenements, or
Hereditaments, not exceeding the yearely value of two thousand
pounds of the Gift, Alienation, or Devise of any person or
Persons, who are hereby without further License enabled to give
the same, and any Goods, Chattels, or Summes of Money whatsoever, to the use, intent, and purpose hereafter limited and
appointed: And sue, or plead, and be sued or impleaded by the
name aforesaid in all Courts and places of Judicature within
this Realme
Powers.; Allowances.
And the said Corporation, or any nine of them, whereof the
said President, or any of the said Aldermen, or the Deputy to
the President, or the said Treasurer to bee one, shall have
hereby power and authoritie from time to time to meet and keep
Court for the ends and purposes herein expressed, at such time
and place as the said President or his Deputy shall appoint:
And shall have hereby authoritie from time to time to make
and appoint a common Seale, for the use of the said Corporation,
and to chuse such officers, and them, or any of them from time
to time to remove, as they shall see cause; and upon the
removall or death of them, or any of them, to chuse others in
their places for the carrying on of this worke; and to make and
give such reasonable allowance to them, or any of them, out of
the Stock and Revenue belonging to the said Corporation, as
they shall thinke fit, and shall have hereby full power and
authority to doe and execute all such other Acts and things as
are hereby ordained and appointed for the effecting the worke
hereby intended to be done and executed.
Power to Corporation to erect workhouses and houses of correction.
And be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, for the further
reliefe and employing of the said poore within the said City and
Liberties thereof, that the said Corporation or any nine of them,
whereof the said President, or any of the said Aldermen or the
Deputy to the President, or the said Treasurer to be one, shall
have power to Erect one or more worke-houses for receiving,
relieving, and setting the poore on worke, and one or more
Houses of Correction for punishing of Rogues, Vagabonds, and
Beggers, as they shall think fit.
Relief of poorer parishes.
And be it further ordained by the Authority aforesaid, that in
regard of the great inequality in the ordering and relieving of
the poore through the different abilities of the severall and
respective Wards in the City of London and Liberties thereof,
the said Corporation or any nine of them, shall hereby be
authorized with the consent of the Common-Councell of the
said City, to divide the severall Wards with the poore and stock
to them belonging into foure equall parts or proportions for the
more effectuall and indifferent reliefe of the Poore, and the
avoiding future differences and dissentions between the rich and
the poore Parishes; Provided this division of the said City and
Liberties thereof shall not be any prejudice to the reliefe of
those parts of Parishes which lye without the Liberties of the
City, which Parishes lye part within the Liberties, and part without, but that those parts which lye without the Liberties of the
City shall and may have such reliefe from Parishes within the
City as formerly they have had.
Any deficiency to be levied equally on all the wards.; Power to make bye-laws.
And be it ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That for the
further reliefe, and imploying of the said Poore within the said
City and Liberties, if the said Corporation shall find that the
Annuall Rates and Leavies, or other Stock, come to their hands
shall not be sufficient for the effecting the purposes aforesaid,
that then from time to time, it shall, and may be, lawfull for the
said President and Governours to certifie such want of Stock,
and what Summe or Summes of Money they thinke will
supply the same under their Common Seale to the CommonCouncell of the said City, and the same to be leavied by them
equally and indifferently upon the severall Wards respectively;
And that the said President and Governours, or any Nine of
them, whereof the said President, or any of the said Aldermen,
or the Deputy to the President, or the said Treasurer to be one
shall have power from time to time to make and Constitute
Orders, and By-Lawes for the better relieving, regulating, and
setting the Poore on worke, and the apprehending and punishing of Rogues, Vagabonds, and Beggers within the said City
and Liberties, that have not wherewith honestly to maintaine
themselves; And for other matters aforesaid, which said Orders
and By-Laws shall be presented to the Lords and Commons for
confirmation before the end of this Session of Parliament, And
shall have hereby power to put forth, and bind such Children
Apprentices as shall be under their Charge.
Treasurer to account to auditors yearly, at least.; Accounts to be in custody of Chamberlain of London.
And it is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons,
That the said Treasurer to the said Corporation for the time
being, shall once in every year between the 24th of June, and
the 29 of September, or oftener is need require, give a true and
perfect account in writing of all the Receits, Charges, and
Disbursements in and about the Premises, unto the Auditors for
the time being, appointed for taking the Accompts of the
Chamberlaine and Bridgemaster of the said City, and the said
Accompts to remaine in the Custody of the Chamberlaine of
the said City.
Quorum.
And be it further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, for the
better effecting the Premises: That the President, the Eight
Alderman, the Deputy President, and Treasurer for the time
being, shall be Justices of the Peace, and the foure Eldest Aldermen shall be of the Quorum.
General issue.
And it is further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That if
any Action, Suite, or Plaint shall be commenced, or prosecuted
by any Person or Persons in any Court whatsoever against the
said President and Governours or any of them, or against any
person or persons for doing or executing anything by their or
any of their Order, Command, or Direction, or comming into
their or any of their aide and assistance in, or about concerning
the Premises. It shall and may be lawful to and for the said
President, and Governours, and Officers, or any of them, and
every Person against whom any such Action, Suit, or Plaint
shall be so commenced, or prosecuted, to pleade thereunto the
general issue that he or they be not guilty, and to give such
speciall matter in evidence to the Jury that shall try the same,
which matter being pleaded had been sufficient matter in Law
to have discharged every such Person so prosecuted as aforesaid.
Power to counties, boroughs, etc., to choose like Corporations for relief of poor.
And be it further Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That
it shall and may be lawfull to and for any County, Corporation,
or Boroughes in any County of this Kingdome or Dominion of
Wales, to make choise of a fit number of able and sufficient
Persons for the like effectuall relieving, and regulating of the
Poore in their respective places; And in like manner to draw
up and present Orders and By-Laws best suiting to those
Counties and places, for confirmation as aforesaid, and for the
ends and purposes herein above expressed.