the prejudice of the county, which is the greater body: but it is likewife to be understood, that his Majefty expects that equality and indifference in you the High Sheriff, that you neither favour one corporate town above another, nor the county itself above the corporate towns; but that you use the power given you by the faid writ with fuch moderation, as may occafion the greater readiness in all to contribute, and may give no cause to any to grudge or repine for any partiality or inequality in the affeffments. SECONDLY, Becaufe divers of you may be unacquainted with the charges of fuch maritime preparations, and the miftaking thereof might hinder the fervice, we have thought good to let you know, that, upon a due and just calculation, we find that the charge of a ship of that burthen, fo manned and furnished, will be £.6000; and to prevent difficulty in dividing the affeffments upon the corpo-rate towns, we (having informed ourselves the best we may of the prefent condition of the corporate towns, and what proportion of that charge each of them is fit to bear) do conceive, that the town of North'ton may well bear £.200 thereof; the borough or parish of Higham Ferres 36; the city of Peterborough .120; the borough of Daventry £50; the borough of Brackly .50; and the refidue of the faid .6000 is to be affeffed upon the rest of the county and these rates we wish to be obferved, rather than any difference of opinion amongst you the Corporations, or between you of the Corporations and the Sheriff of the County, should retard the fervice. Howbeit we are fo far content to give way to your judgments who are upon the place, that in cafe the major part of you of the Corporations fhall agree upon any other rates, and that the Sheriff of the county fhall approve the fame, the rates fet by the major part of you, and approved by the Sheriff, fhall ftand, albeit they vary from thofe expreffed in our Letters, it being his Majefty's defire, and the intention of this Board, that all things fhould be done with as much equality and juftice as is poffible for us or you to difcern. THIRDLY, When you have agreed upon the general affeffment, what fhall be borne by every corporate town, and what by the reft of the county, we think fit that you fubdivide the fame, and make the particular affeffments in fuch fuch fort as other common payments upon the county or corporate towns are moft ufually fubdivided and affeffed: and namely, that you the Sheriff divide the whole charge laid upon the county into hundreds, lathes, or other divifions, and those into parishes and towns; and the towns and parishes must be rated by the houses and lands lying within each parifh and town, as is accuftomed in other common payments which fall out to be payable by the county, hundreds, lathes, divifions, parishes, and towns; faving that it is his Majefty's pleasure, that where there shall happen to be any men of ability by reason of gainful trade, great stocks of money, or other perfonal eftate, who perchance occupy little or no lands, and confequently in an ordinary landfcott would pay nothing or very little, fuch men be rated and affeffed according to their worth and ability; and that the money which fhall be levied upon fuch may be applied to the fparing or eafing of fuch as (being either weak of eftate, or charged with many children or great debts) are unable to bear fo great a charge as the land in their occupation might require in an ufual and ordinary proportion. And the like course to be held by you in the corporate towns, that a poor man be not fet (in refpect of the ufual tax of his house, and the like) at a greater fum than others of much more wealth and ability. And herein you are to have a more than ordinary care and regard whereby to prevent complaints of ine quality in the affeffments, wherewith we were much troubled the laft year. FOURTHLY, And to the end this may be effected with more equality and expedition, you the Sheriff are to govern yourself in the affeffinent for this fervice by fuch public payments as are most equal and agreeable to the inhabi tants of that county. And for your better and easy proceeding herein, after you have accordingly rated the feveral hundreds, lathes, and divifions of that county, you may fend forth your warrants to the conftables, requiring them to call unto them fome of the most discrete and sufficient men of every parish, town, or tithing, and to confider with them how the fum charged upon each hundred may be diftributed and divided as aforefaid, and with most equality and indifferency, and to return the fame to you in writing under their hands, with all poffible expedition; which being done, you are to fign the affeffment fet on the the feveral perfons of every particular parifh, town, or tithing, if you approve thereof: and if for inequality you find cause to alter the fum in any part, yet after it is fo altered you are to fign the fame, and keeping a true copy thereof, you may thereupon give order for the speedy col lecting and levying fuch fums accordingly by the conftables of hundreds, petty constables, and others ufually employed for collections of other common charges and payments; and when any fhall be by them returned to you either to have refufed or neglected to make payment, you are without delay to execute writs upon them. And you the Mayors and Head-officers of corporate towns (obferving your ufual diftributions by wards, parishes, and otherwise, as is accustomed among you by your common payments) are for your parts to do the like, by yourselves and your several minifters under you, refpectively, as is before appointed to be done by the Sheriff, as far forth as may be apt and agreeable to the courfe and eftate of your feveral towns and corporations. In the faid feveral affeffments of each parish, you are to cause to be particularly expreffed how much every clergyman is rated for his meere ecclefiaftical poffeffions, and what for his temporal and perfonal eftate; and to fend to this Board, under your hand, within one month after the affeffment made and returned to you and figned by you, an exact and true certificate, as well of what is fet upon each parish in general, as particularly upon every clergyman in each of them as aforefaid. FIFTHLY, And concerning the affeffment of the clergy (albeit his Majefty is refolved to maintain all their due privileges which they have enjoyed in the time of his noble progenitors, yet being it hath not hitherto been made fufficiently appear to his Majefty, or this Board, what privileges have been allowed them in former times touching payments and fervices of this nature), his Majefty is pleased, that, for the prefent, you proceed to tax and affefs them for the service, and receive a levy of their affeffments, as you are authorized to do of the reft of his Majefty's fubjects; but with this care and caution, that you and your minifters fail not to bear a due respect both to their perfons and callings, not fuffering any inequalities or preffures to be put upon them; and fuch your affeffment and proceeding his Majefty refolveth fhall not be prejudicial in the the future to them, or to any of their rights or privi leges which upon further fearch fhall be found due unto them. SIXTHLY, If any conftables, bailiffs, or other officers, refufe or neglect to do their duties in obeying your warrants, either for affeffing, collecting, or levying, or for doing any other thing incident or neceffary for this fervice, you are to bind them over to answer fuch their fault and neglect at the Board: and if any of them refuse to enter into fuch bond, then you are to commit them till they shall give bond accordingly, or perform their duties according to your warrants. But you are to take efpecial care in the mean time, that (notwithstanding their refufal or refractories) the affeffing, collecting, and levying of the money for the faid fervice do proceed by yourself, and fuch others as you fhall appoint and find more ready to do the fame, the doing of the fervice being by his Majefty's writ committed to yourfelf; and therefore, howfoever for your ease and better dispatch of your bufinefs we like well that you require the affiftance of the conftables and ordinary officers, yet in cafe any of them do not their duties, you are to do yours, and by yourfelf (and fuch inftruments as you like beft and fhall chufe) fee the fervice effected. pay SEVENTHLY, If you find or underftand of any perfons that are refractory, or that do unneceffarily delay the ment of what fhall be affeffed upon them for the faid fervice (whereof you must frequently and often call for an account from the conftables, officers, and others intrusted uncer you) you are prefently, without any delay, partiality, or refpect of perfons, to proceed roundly with them (of what quality or condition foever they are), according to his Majefty's writ, and not defer meddling with them to the laft, or until others have paid (as was done by fome Sheriffs the last year), whereby all the burthen and trouble was caft upon the end of the year, and those that were refractory gained time above thofe that were well affected to the faid fervice. And for all other matters not particularly mentioned in these Instructions, you muft, upon all occurrences, govern yourself according to the writ to you directed, and as may beft accomplish the service committed to your trust, wherein you are to ufe all poffible diligence to effect the fame with speed, and not to think that whatsoever you fhall leave unlevied during your fheriffalty fhall be eaft on your your fucceffor, as in former years fome Sheriffs expected, and therefore retarded the fervice; his Majefty being refolved not to put upon the fucceffor the burthen of his predeceffor's neglect; but that all fuch fums as fhall be left unlevied by you at the going out of your office, fhall be levied by yourself, after the end of your year, by warrant from your fucceffor, or fuch other warrant as fhall be found most behooveful. And as you fhall therein perform your duty with diligence, you may be affured to receive both favor and thanks from his Majefty. And if you will, you may [This is in And LASTLY, Whereas his Majesty hath received information of divers outrages and infolences committed by Turks and pirates upon his fubjects, we are, by his Majefty's exprefs command, to let you know, that he hath taken the fame into his princely and ferious confideration, and is refolved to provide fuch remedies as will tend to their future fafeties, and the fecuring of their trade. And fo we bid you heartily farewell. From the Court at Windfor, the 9th of October 1636. GUIL: LONDON: H. MANCHESTER LENOX HAMILTON: MOUNTGOMERY: WHEREAS there are fome arrears for the Shipping-money in the time of your predeceflors, Sheriffs of that county, you are to give warrants and authority to them, and either of them, for the collecting and levying of the faid arrears for the laft year, according to the tenor of the former writ; and they are hereby required to execute the fame. |