49.: The Impressment Act. - Samuel Rawson Gardiner, The Constitutional Documents of the Puritan Revolution, 1625-1660 [1906]
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The Constitutional Documents of the Puritan Revolution, 1625-1660, selected and edited by Samuel Rawson Gardiner (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906).
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- Preface to the Second Edition
- Introduction
- I.: To the Meeting of the Third Parliament of Charles I. [—— 1628.]
- II.: From the Meeting of the Third Parliament of Charles I to the Meeting of the Long Parliament. [1628-1640.]
- III.: From the Meeting of the Long Parliament to the Outbreak of the Civil War. [1640-1642.]
- IV.: From the Outbreak of the Civil War to the Execution of the King. [1642-1649.]
- V.: The Commonwealth and Protectorate. [1649—1660.]
- Part I: From the Accession of Charles I to the Meeting of the Third Parliament of His Reign.
- 1.: Speech of Sir Nathaniel Rich, Proposing Terms On Which the House of Commons May Be Prepared to Grant Supply.
- 2.: Protestation of the Commons.
- 3.: Documents Relating to the Impeachment of the Duke of Buckingham.
- 4.: The Restraint of the Earls of Arundel and Bristol.
- 5.: The King’s Letter and Instructions For the Collection of a Free Gift.
- 6.: Commission For Raising Tonnage and Poundage With Impositions.
- 7.: The Commission and Instructions For Raising the Forced Loan In Middlesex.
- 8.: The Case of the Five Knights, Before the Court of King’s Bench.
- Part II: From the Meeting of the Third Parliament of Charles I. To the Meeting of the Long Parliament.
- 9.: Notes of a Bill Brought In By Sir Edward Coke to Secure the Liberties of the Subject.
- 10.: The Petition of Right.
- 11.: The Remonstrance Against Tonnage and Poundage.
- 12.: The King’s Speech At the Prorogation of Parliament At the End of the Session of 1628.
- 13.: The King’s Declaration Prefixed to the Articles of Religion.
- 14.: Resolutions On Religion Drawn By a Sub-committee of the House of Commons.
- 15.: Protestation of the House of Commons.
- 16.: The King’s Declaration Showing the Causes of the Late Dissolution.
- 17.: The Declaration of Sports 1 .
- 18.: Act of the Privy Council On the Position of the Communion Table At St. Gregory’s.
- 19.: Specimen of the First Writ of Ship-money.
- 20.: The King’s Case Laid Before the Judges, With Their Answer 2 .
- 21.: Extracts From the Speech of Oliver St. John In the Ship-money Case.
- 22.: Extracts From the Argument of Sir Robert Berkeley, Justice of the King’s Bench.
- 23.: The Scottish National Covenant.
- 24.: Petition of Twelve Peers For the Summoning of a New Parliament.
- 25.: The King’s Writ Summoning the Great Council.
- Part III: From the Meeting of the Long Parliament to the Outbreak of the Civil War.
- 26.: The Root and Branch Petition.
- 27.: The Triennial Act.
- 28.: The Protestation.
- 29.: The Act For the Attainder of the Earl of Strafford.
- 30.: The Act Against Dissolving the Long Parliament Without Its Own Consent.
- 31.: The Tonnage and Poundage Act.
- 32.: The Ten Propositions.
- 33.: Bill On Church Reform Bead Twice In the House of Lords 1 .
- 34.: The Act For the Abolition of the Court of Star Chamber.
- 35.: The Act For the Abolition of the Court of High Commission.
- 36.: Act Declaring the Illegality of Ship-money.
- 37.: Act For the Limitation of Forests.
- 38.: Act Prohibiting the Exaction of Knighthood Fines.
- 39.: Resolutions of the House of Commons On Ecclesiastical Innovations.
- 40.: Order of the House of Lords On the Services of the Church.
- 41.: Extract From the Instructions to the Committee In Scotland, Proposed By the House of Commons.
- 42.: The King’s Speech to the Recorder of the City of London.
- 43.: The Grand Remonstrance, With the Petition Accompanying It.
- 44.: The King’s Proclamation On Religion.
- 45.: The King’s Answer to the Petition Accompanying the Grand Remonstrance.
- 46.: The Impeachment of One Member of the House of Lords, and of Five Members of the House of Commons.
- 47.: A Declaration of the House of Commons Touching a Late Breach of Their Privileges.
- 48.: The Clerical Disabilities Act.
- 49.: The Impressment Act.
- 50.: The Militia Ordinance.
- 51.: The Declaration of the Houses On Church Reform.
- 52.: The King’s Proclamation Condemning the Militia Ordinance.
- 53.: The Nineteen Propositions Sent By the Two Houses of Parliament to the King At York.
- 54.: Declaration of the Houses In Defence of the Militia Ordinance.
- 55.: The King’s Letter Sent With the Commissions of Array to Leicestershire.
- 56.: The Votes of the Houses For Raising an Army.
- Part IV: From the Outbreak of the Civil War to the Execution of the King.
- 57.: The Propositions Presented to the King At the Treaty of Oxford.
- 58.: The Solemn League and Covenant.
- 60.: The Ordinance Appointing the Second Committee of Both Kingdoms.
- 61.: The Propositions of the Houses Presented to the King At Oxford, and Subsequently Discussed At the Treaty of Uxbridge.
- 62.: The King’s Propositions to Be Discussed At Uxbridge.
- 63.: The Self-denying Ordinance.
- 64.: The Negative Oath.
- 65.: Order of the Two Houses For Taking Away the Court of Wards.
- 66.: The Propositions of the Houses Sent to the King At Newcastle.
- 67.: The King’s First Answer to the Propositions Presented At Newcastle.
- 68.: The King’s Second Answer to the Propositions Presented At Newcastle.
- 69.: Suggested Answer to the Propositions Drawn Up For the King By the Leading Presbyterians and a Small Number of the Independents, and Forwarded By the French Ambassador to Cardinal Mazarin to Be Laid Before Queen Henrietta Maria.
- 70.: The King’s Third Answer to the Propositions Presented At Newcastle.
- 71.: The Heads of the Proposals Offered By the Army.
- 72.: The King’s Answer to the Propositions of Parliament.
- 73.: Letter of Charles I to the Speaker of the House of Lords.
- 74.: The Agreement of the People, As Presented to the Council of the Army.
- 75.: The Four Bills, With the Propositions Accompanying Them.
- 76.: The Engagement Between the King and the Scots.
- 77.: Additional Articles of the Engagement.
- 78.: The King’s Reply to the Four Bills and the Accompanying Propositions.
- 79.: The Vote of No Addresses.
- 80.: The Act 1 Erecting a High Court of Justice For the King’s Trial.
- 81.: The Agreement of the People.
- 82.: The Charge Against the King.
- 83.: The King’s Reasons For Declining the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice.
- 84.: The Sentence of the High Court of Justice Upon the King.
- 85.: The Death Warrant of Charles I.
- Part V: The Commonwealth and Protectorate
- 86.: Act Appointing a Council of State.
- 87.: Engagement Taken By the Members of the Council of State.
- 88.: The Act Abolishing the Office of King.
- 89.: An Act Abolishing the House of Lords.
- 90.: An Act Declaring England to Be a Commonwealth.
- 91.: An Act Declaring What Offences Shall Be Adjudged Treason.
- 92.: Engagement to Be Taken By All Men of the Age of Eighteen.
- 93.: Act Repealing Several Clauses In Statutes Imposing Penalties For Not Coming to Church.
- 94.: Act For the Settlement of Ireland.
- 95.: Declaration By the Lord General and the Council On the Dissolution of the Long Parliament.
- 96.: Summons to a Member of the So-called Barebones Parliament.
- 97.: The Instrument of Government.
- 98.: An Ordinance By the Protector For the Union of England and Scotland.
- 99.: An Ordinance By the Protector For Elections In Scotland.
- 100.: An Ordinance By the Protector For Elections In Ireland.
- 101.: The Constitutional Bill of the First Parliament of the Protectorate.
- 102.: The Humble Petition and Advice.
- 103.: The Additional Petition and Advice.
- 104.: The Writ Summoning Richard Cromwell to the House of Lords of the Protectorate.
- 105.: The Declaration of Breda.
- Appendix: the Navigation Act.
49.
The Impressment Act.
[February 13, 164½. 17 Car. I, cap. 28. Statutes of the Realm, v. 138. See Hist. of Engl. x. 166.]
An Act for the better raising and levying of soldiers for the present defence of the kingdoms of England and Ireland.
I. Forasmuch as great commotions and rebellions have been lately raised and stirred up in His Majesty’s kingdom of Ireland by the wicked plots and conspiracies of divers of His Majesty’s subjects there (being traitorously affected), to the great endangering not only of the said kingdom, but also of this kingdom of England, unless a speedy course be taken for the preventing thereof, and for the raising and pressing of men for those services: and whereas by the laws of this realm none of His Majesty’s subjects ought to be impressed or compelled to go out of his county to serve as a soldier in the wars, except in case of necessity of the sudden coming in of strange enemies into the kingdom, or except they be otherwise bound by tenure of their lands or possessions; therefore in respect of the great and urgent necessity of providing a present supply of men for the preventing of these great and imminent dangers, and for the speedy suppressing of the said heinous and dangerous rebellions, be it enacted by authority of this present Parliament, that the Justices of the Peace of every county and riding within this realm, or any three or more of them, as also the Mayor or other head officer or officers of every city or town corporate within this realm having Justices of the Peace, together with any two or more Justices of the Peace of the same city or town corporate respectively, or in default of such Justices, then with two or more Justices of the Peace of the county wherein the said city or town is, shall and may at any time or times between the 1st of December one thousand six hundred forty and one and the 1st of November, which shall be in the year of Our Lord God one thousand six hundred forty-two, within their several limits and jurisdictions raise, levy and impress so many men for soldiers, gunners and chirurgeons, as shall be appointed by order of the King’s Majesty, his heirs or successors, and both Houses of Parliament, for the said services, and to command all and every the high constables, other constables, and inferior officers of and within every such county, riding, city or town corporate, or the liberties thereof respectively, by warrant under the hands and seals of such Justices of the Peace, Mayor, or other head officer or officers, as are authorised by this Act as aforesaid, to bring before them any such person or persons as shall be fit and necessary for the said services, which said persons so to be impressed as aforesaid, and every of them shall have such imprest money, and such allowance for coat and conduct unto the place of their rendezvous, as likewise such wages and entertainment from the time of their first entering into pay during their continuance in the said services, and such other necessary charges and allowances shall be made touching the said press: the said money and other charges and allowances to be paid by such persons and in such manner as by order of His Majesty, his heirs and successors, and of both Houses of Parliament, shall be appointed; and if any person or persons shall wilfully refuse to be impressed for the said services, that then it shall and may be lawful to and for the said persons so authorised as aforesaid to the said press, to commit such offender to prison, there to remain without bail or mainprize by the space of six months, and until he shall pay the sum of £10 to the Treasurers for the maimed soldiers of the same county, city or town corporate, where any such Treasurers are to be employed for and towards the relief and maintenance of such soldiers, gunners and chirurgeons, as shall happen to be maimed in the said services, or if none such shall happen to be, then for the relief of other the maimed soldiers of the said county, city or town corporate respectively; and in default of payment of the said sum, then the said person offending to remain in prison by the space of one whole year over and above the said six months, without bail or mainprize.
II. Provided always that this Act shall not extend to the pressing of any clergyman, or any scholars or students or privileged persons of either of the Universities, Inns of Court or Chancery, or any of the trained bands of this realm, or to the pressing of any other person who was rated towards the payment of the last subsidies, or that shall be rated or taxed towards the payment of any subsidies hereafter to be granted before the time of such impressing, or to the eldest son of any person who is or shall be before the time of such impressing rated in the subsidy-book at £3 lands or £5 goods, or to any person of the rank or degree of an esquire or upwards, or to the son of any such person of the said rank or degree, or of the widow of any such person, or to any person under the age of eighteen or above the age of threescore years, or to any mariners, seamen or fishermen.
III. Provided also, and be it enacted, that no money or other reward shall be taken, or other corrupt practice used in or for the pressing, changing or releasing of any person impressed, or to be impressed by force of this Act, by any person hereby authorised in that behalf or their agents, under pain of forfeiture of £20 by every person so offending for every such offence, to be paid and employed to the Treasurers of the maimed soldiers in manner and to the uses aforesaid.
IV. Provided also, and be it enacted, that this present Act shall not extend to the impressing of any of the menial servants of the members or assistants or officers of the Lords’ House of Parliament, or to the menial servants of the members or officers of the House of Commons, or of any of the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight, or of the Isle of Anglesey, or of any of the Cinque Ports, or members thereof.
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