FOR the better ordering and establish­ment of the Watches, to be hereafter duely observed and kept, within this City, and Liberties thereof, and also for payment [Page 2] unto the Beadles of the severall Wards within the same, a competent Salary or Wages, for and in respect of their service to be performed, it is en­acted and agreed by this Common Councell in manner as followeth, viz.

First, That the number of men to watch eve­ry night in every Ward, throughout this City and Liberties, shall be thus appointed, viz.

Secondly, That the Alderman, Deputy, and Common-Councell-men of every Ward, or the major part of them shall appoint a certaine place within the Ward where the Inhabitants that are so appointed to watch, shall first meete, and shall also appoint to what places they shall afterwards go unto to watch in the said Ward; & that the Bea­dles the day preceding every watch shall give to all the Constables of each Precinct in the Ward a list of the names of every Inhabitant that is to watch each night in the severall divisions of the said Ward, that every Constable may know what persons he is to warne to watch every severall night, and that the Constable doe the day before his watch night warne them accordingly.

[Page 4] Thirdly, That the Beadle shall in the presence of the Constable & one of the Supervisors here­after mentioned call over the names of those whose course shall be to watch each night respe­ctively, as well at the houres appointed for their meeting in the evening, as also at the time ap­pointed for the breaking up of the watch in the morning. And that they the Beadle and Con­stable, or one of them, in case the Supervisor be absent at any of the said times, shall take a note in writing, of the names of such of the said Inhabitants then appointed to watch as shall be absent from their watch at the houres appointed, evening or morning, or any part of the night. And shall deliver the said note the next day to the Supervisor or Supervisors, that they may prose­cute against them according to the direction of the seventh Article hereafter expressed.

Fourthly, That every one of the Trained Bands within this City, when his course shall be to watch, shall appeare, (except he be actually in service in the Trained Bands) and watch in his Armes, viz. the Musquetteers with Powder, Bul­let, and Match lighted, but not discharge or shoote off any peece during the time of his watch on paine of imprisonment, unlesse there be just [Page 5] cause to doe it; and the Corselets, in stead of a Pike, with a compleat Halbert, and a Sword: And the other watchmen, not being of the Trai­ned Bands, to watch with a good Halbert or a browne Bill.

Fifthly, That the Deputy or one of the Com­mon-Councell men of every Ward, or such tru­sty person as they or one of them by writing un­der his or their hand shall appoint, shall have de­livered unto him out of the Cities store a small barrell of Gunpowder, containing ten, twenty, or thirty pounds, occording to the largenesse of the Ward, with a fitting proportion of Match and Bullets, and such person to cause the said Powder to be Papered up halfe an ounce in a Pa­per, and to deliver, or cause to be delivered, the same to every Musquettier that doth appeare to watch, allowing two halfe ounces for two char­ges, and two yeards of Match; and that a fit pro­portion of Gunpowder, to the quantity of halfe a pound or a pound, and a quantity of Bullets be kept in a readinesse in the Court of Guard, or some other convenient place every night for sup­ply, if in case there be need to use the same. And the said Deputy, Common-Councell-men, or such other person as they shall appoint, shall give [Page 6] an accompt to the Alderman of the Ward for the time being of the well husbanding of the same ammunition when it is spent, and that then to receive a like quantity againe for a new sup­ply.

Sixthly, That two or more honest and able men shall be nominated and appointed in every Ward by the Alderman, Deputie, and Common-Councell-men, or the major part of them for the time being, to take care and oversee that the wat­ches appointed as aforesaid in every VVard bee from henceforth duly kept; and that the Consta­bles, Beadle, & VVatchmen, perform their duties, and therefore for that purpose a List shall be deli­vered unto the said Supervisors in writing under the hands of the Alderman, Deputy, and Com­mon-Councell men of the names and sirnames of the men so appointed to watch, and of the se­verall places where they are assigned unto to watch every night. VVhich said Supervisors shall take notice of the said Inhabitants that absent themselves at any time from watching, and like­wise of such Constables and Beadle as shall at any time be remisse or negligent in performance of their duties, and from time to time shall present the names of such defaulters to the Lord Mayor [Page 7] for the time being, or to some other of his Maje­sties Iustices of the Peace, that punishment may be inflicted upon the said defaulters, according to Law, and that the said Supervisors respectively, if occasion shall bee, shall prosecute and give in evidence against every such delinquent where occasion shall require: and they for their paines and care in the premises, so long as they shall carefully and justly performe their trust commit­ted to them, and execute the same to the good liking of the Alderman, Deputie, and Common-Councell-men of the VVard, or the major part of them, shall be exempted themselves from wratch­ing, and shall have such an allowance as was heretofore agreed on by Act of Common-Coun­cell, namely the one halfe of the fines to bee set and recoved on the defaulters, or any such reason­able allowance as shall bee thought fit to bee al­lowed them or any one of them by the Alderman, Deputie, and Common Councell men, or the major part of them in writing under their hands of every VVard respectively; which said allow­ance is to be raised of the Inhabitant of the said VVard, and not elsewhere.

Seventhly, That the watches from Michael­mas to our Lady day, shall beginne at the latest [Page 8] before nine of the clocke in the night, and con­tinue untill at least sixe of the clocke in the mor­ning. And from our Lady day till Michaelmas, shall begin at the latest before ten of the clocke at night, and continue untill at least foure of the clocke in t [...]e morning. The time of this manner of watching to begin from henceforth.

Eigthly, That such rates by way of Fifteene, as are herein afterwards set downe and expressed to be raised on the severall Wards of this City, shall be yearely granted, and to begin at our La­dy day last past.

Ninthly, For the Beadles Salary and such o­ther necessary occasions of the said Ward, which said severall rates shall be collected and gathered by such person and persons, and at such time and times as from time to time shall be appointed and directed by the Alderman, Deputy, and Common-Councell-men of every Ward, or the major part of them in writing under their hands, and the said Collector or Collectors to pay all that shall or may be collected to the Deputy, or one of the Common-Councell men of every Ward who shall be by the major part of them in writing under their hands appointed to be a Treasurer for the receiving thereof, and for the [Page 9] disbursing and paying the same as he shall be by the major part of them by such writing directed to the uses aforesaid. And if any person or per­sons shall refuse to pay the said rates, or any part therof assessed on him or them for the uses afore­said, that then the Collector or Collectors, with the assistance of any Constable that he or they shal call, shall by vertue of this Act distreine for the same, and the said distresses carry away and de­taine untill satisfaction shall be made of the sums for which they are distreined.

And in case any of the aforesaid wards shall desire to pay their Beadle or Beadles Salaries any other way then by way of rates as afore­said, and shall certifie that their desire unto the Common-Councell at or before the next Com­mon-Councell to be holden after Saint Thomas day next, this Court approving and settling of the same on such wards in such a way and man­ner as they shall so desire, doth think fit that such ward shall be exempted from raising or paying the said rates in their severall wards as aforesaid.