THE Estates of Parliament taking unto their consideration the many complaints & grie­vances within the Kingdom, against the un­equality that hath been in bearing publick burthens, & being desirous that all the shires of the Kingdome, and every person within the same, may bear an equall proportion, according to the true worth of their Estates. Therefore they do nominate and appoint for the Sheriffdom of or either of them conveeners for the first meeting, and which Commissioners for the said Shire shall meet on Thurs­day the thirtieth of August next, or sooner, as the Conveen­ers shall appoint, and choose a Clerk and other members of Court necessary, and the Estates of Parliament doe Ordaine the said conveeners, or either of them to take the solemne oaths of the saids Commissioners, that they shall use their best endeavours for a right and true information of the whole rents of the said Shire, and that they shall proceed faithfully and impartially in prosecuting their Commission, and the Instructions relating thereunto: With power to the said Commissioners, or the major part of them as a Quorum, and if the major part exceed five, five to be a Quorum, to rectifie & improve to the best avail the former valuations; And for that effect, to direct our summonds against such person or persons within the Shire, as they shall think fit to compeir before them, and to declare upon Oath the true Rents of any Pa­roch or place of the Shire, according to their knowledge, and in case any shall contemn or refuse to compeir and depone, to [Page 3] imprison or fyne them into a pecuniall summe, not exceeding one hundred pounds, and to take all such further Information, as they shall find necessary for getting knowledge of the true worth of the whole rents within the said Shire, aswell casuall rent of all sort, as constant rent in stock and teinds, and the true value and worth of every land and rent set in tak or Ren­tall, and what the true yeerly worth thereof is, by and attour the rentalled, or tak-duty thereof payable to the Master, (re­spect being had to the gressum or entresse, if any was payed by the Taksmen or Rentaller at his entrie; And of all Few, or Tak-duties payable to any person, his Majesties duties excep­ted) & of al other casualities paiable for stock, or teynd accord­ing to the table annexed. All which they are to value exactly, by converting the victuall into mony, according to the respe­ctive prices set down in the said table, & by converting casuali­ties into mony, at the just rates which they give for the time in that Shire where the said casualities & commodities are valued. Withpower likewise to the said Commissioners, or the major part of them as the Quorum, and if the major part exceed five, five to be the Quorum, to take all former valuations into consi­deration, and rectifie the same where they have been unjustly valued, and where they find that any person hath been under­valued, to augment the valuation of their rent to the true worth, and adde the same to the totall of the rent of the Shire, and thereby bring the whole rent of the Shire to the ful value, and also reduce the whole Shire to an equality and proportion among themselves. And in the forming their report, the said Commissioners shal set down a Roll for every Paroch, which in the first place shall contain the mony rent of the Paroch. Secondly, the quantity of the victuall payed in the Paroch, and the severall species thereof; and what measure, and how much the same doth amount unto, being converted into mo­ny. Thirdly, the kind of casualities or customs payed for stock, or teynd, the number thereof, and the price of each casuality [Page 4] distinctly, and how much the same doth extend to in whole, being converted into mony. Fourthly, the casuall rent accord­ing to the table, & what it doth extend to. Fiftly, the Few and Tak-duties, (his Majesties excepted) and what the same doth extend to. Sixthly, the mortified rent, & how paied in mony, victuall, or casuality, and what the same doth amount to. Se­vently, the duties paied to his Majesties Exchequer, & the sum thereof; And after the Roll of all the Paroches are set down, then they are to cast up the total of the valuation of the whole Shire, by & attour the mortified rent & duties paied to the Ex­chequer, which are to be summed in an Article a part, and in a third Article they are to set down the totall of their former valuation, which is herewith delivered to the Commissioners for ilk Shire, under the Clerk Registers hand, and lastly they are to set down what this present valuation to be made, doth exceed the former valuation; In all which, the form and pat­tern subjoyned, is to be observed. And the said Commissio­ners are to subscrive the Report formed as aforesaid, and to deliver the same to the Clerk Register or his Deputes, betwixt and the first of November next to come, and in case any Shire shall fail therein, or shall bring in a Report not agreeable to the Rules and Directions now prescrived, they shall pay the halfe more of maintenance then they are appointed to pay by the present Act of Mainteance, ay & while they produce & report their valuations in manner before prescrived, and if the failȝie shall be on the part of the valuers, or any of them; the rest of the Shire shall have their releif off them. And further, the Co­missioners are to send one from each Shire with the said valu­ations against the first of Novemb. which Commissioners shall meet with the Committee of Estates for comparing the said valuations, and perfecting the same, that they may be a Rule for the future in imposing all publick burthens according to an equal proportion, and if there be any difference which can­not be setled by the Committee of Estates, and the saids Com­missioners, that it be referred to the Parliament: And it is [Page 5] hereby declared, that no respect shall be had to any valuation to be reported, that shall be under the totall of the former va­luation, which is herewith delivered to the Commissioners of ilk Shire by the Clerk Register, Extractum.

The totall of the former valuation of this Shire is,—