June, 1654
[23 June, 1654.]
Number of hackney-coachmen in London, etc., from June 24, 1654, limited to 200.; Hackney-coaches to 300.; Hockney-horses to 600.; To be under control of Court of Aldermen.; Names of 13 of the first 200 hackney-coachmen.; Directions for making up number to 200.
Forasmuch as many Inconveniences do daily arise by reason
of the late increase and great irregularity of Hackney Coaches
and Hackney Coachmen in London, Westminster and the places
thereabouts: For remedy thereof, Be it Ordained by his Highness the Lord Protector, with the consent of His Council, that
from the four and twentieth day of June, One thousand six
hundred fifty and four ensuing, the number of persons keeping
Hackney-coaches and Hackney horses for Coaches, within the
City of London, Westminster and six miles about the late lines
of communication, do not exceed at one time two hundred; nor
the Hackney-coaches to be used by them, three hundred; nor
their Hackney Horses for Coaches do not exceed the number of
six hundred. And for the better Ordering and Governing the
said Hackney-coach-men, Be it Ordained that the Government
and Ordering of them shall from time to time be in the Court
of Aldermen, of the City of London, in such manner as is hereby
Ordained. And that Benjamin Francis, Andrew Clark, John
Saltmarsh, Arthur Willis, Thomas Stephens, Anthony Hart,
William Hockley, Thomas Graham, William Deacon,
William Norwell, John Bray, Richard Heyborn, and
William Clark, be thirteen of the first two hundred persons who
shall keep Hackney-coaches, and Hackney-Coach-horses as
aforesaid; which said thirteen persons, or the greater number of
them, meeting in some convenient place for that purpose, shall
nominate and present to the said Court of Aldermen two
hundred persons, out of which two hundred persons, nominated
and presented as aforesaid, or such other persons as the said
Court of Aldermen shall think fit, the said Court shall elect and
chuse one hundred eighty and seven persons, to make up the
Thirteen Master Hackney-Coachmen aforesaid, to the number of
two hundred, who shall thereupon be admitted and entred to be
Master Hackney-Coachmen within the Limits aforesaid; And
that no other persons dwelling within the Limits aforesaid, not
of the number, nor entred and admitted as aforesaid, shall keep
to hire out any Coaches.
Directions for appointing new hackney-coachmen in case of death or other vacancy.
And it is further Ordained, That if any of the said two hundred
Master Hackney-Coach-men shall dy, depart from the limits
aforesaid, or be removed, that then the said Remaining MasterCoachmen shall nominate and present to the said Court of
Aldermen, double the number of such persons as shall dy, depart
the Limits, or be removed as aforesaid, out of whom, or such
others as the said Court of Aldermen shall think fit, the same
Court shall from time to time elect and choose so many as shall
make up the number of two hundred persons as aforesaid.
Stage-coaches not affected.
Provided, That nothing herein contained, do extend to the
prejudice or restraint of the Coaches commonly called Stage
Coaches, coming to, or going from London into remote places.
Hackney-coachmen to pay admission fee of 40s.
And be it further Ordained, That all and every of the said
two hundred persons to be first admitted, and all that shall hereafter be admitted to keep Hackney-Coaches, as aforesaid, shall
at their first admittance pay for his and their admission the sum
of fourty shillings a-piece, towards raising a Stock, and for
defraying the common Charges of the said Company.
Court of Aldermen may make rules and bye-laws for hackney-coachmen, subject to approval of Lord Protector.
And lastly, For the better Ordering and Governing of the said
Hackney-Coachmen, and those imployed under them, It is
Ordained, That the said Court of Aldermen shall from time to
time have power to make and ordain Rules, Directions, and
Bye-laws, for and concerning the distribution of Coaches amongst
the said Coach-men, their places of Standing, their Rates for
Carriages, Penalties for disobedience by them, or others, to the
provisions of this Ordinance, or to the said By-laws; Also for
due Recovering of the same Penalties, and for removing of
such as shall be offenders, and for any other thing tending to
the well-ordering of the said Coachmen, and to the due
execution of this Ordinance; Which Rules, Directions, and
by-Lawes, being from time to time presented to and Allowed
by His Highness the Lord Protector and his Council for
the time being with such Alterations and Additions as
shall by the said Lord Protector and his Council, be made
thereunto, shall be binding to all parties, and accordingly be
duly executed.