ORDERS FORMERLY Conceived and Agreed to be published by the Lord Major and the Aldermen of the City OF LONDON: AND The Justices of Peace of the Counties OF MIDDLESEX and SƲRREY, CONCERNING The Infection of the Plague.

And now Re-printed and published by Order of the Honourable House OF COMMONS.

Printed by Richard Cotes, Printer to the Honourable City of LONDON, 1646.

Die Jovis, 20. Augusti, 1646.

ORdered by the Commons Assem­bled in Parliament, That the Lord Major of the City of London, and Court of Aldermen, of the Committee of the Militia, and the Justices of the Peace for the City of Westminster, and for the Coun­ties of Middlesex, Essex, and Surrey, doe take care, that all such Houses and Persons, in and about the said Cities of London and Westminster, Lines of Communication, and Weekely Bils of Mortality, that are or shall bee infected with the Pestilence, be shut up, and the usuall Markes set upon their Doores, to the end they may be knowne; And that such further care may be taken to prevent the spreading of the Infection, and for provision of sick Persons [Page] as formerly hath been accustomed. And that no Person or Persons, that shall die of the Infection, be buried in the day time, but after the houre of ten of the clock in the night. And for the better carrying on of this Service, It is further Ordered, that the late Orders and directions concerning the Plague, be forthwith printed and published, and put in due execution, and Mr. Alderman Pennington, and Mr. Alderman Atkin are to acquaint the Lord Major with this Order.

H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.

ORDERS FORMERLY Conceived and agreed to be published by the Lord Major, and the Aldermen of the City of London, and the Justices of Peace of the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey: And now Re-printed and published by Order of the Honourable House of COMMONS.

WHereas in the first Year of the Reigne of our late Soveraigne King James of happy memory, over this Realme of England, an Act was made for the cha­ritable reliefe and ordering of Persons infected with the Plague: whereby authority is given to Justices of Peace, Majors, Bayliffes, and other head-Officers to appoint within their severall Limits Examiners, Searchers, Watchmen, Keepers, and Buriers for the Persons and Places infected, and to minister unto them Oaths for the performance of [Page] their Offices. And the same Statute also authoriseth the giving of other Directions, as unto them for the present necessity shall seeme good in their discretions. It is therefore upon speciall consideration thought ve­ry expedient for the preventing and avoiding of the Infection of Sicknesse (if it shall please Almighty God) which is now dangerously dispersed into many places within the City and Suburbs of the same: that these Officers following bee appointed, and these Orders hereafter prescribed be duly observed.

Examiners to be appointed in every Parish.

FIrst, It is thought requisite and so ordered, that in every Parish there be one, two, or more persons of good sort and credit, chosen and appointed by the Alderman, his Deputy, and Common-Councell of every Ward, and by the Justices of Peace in the Counties, by the name of Examiners, to continue in that Office the space of two moneths at least: and if any fit person so appointed as aforesaid, shall refuse to undertake the same, the said parties so re­fusing, to bee committed to prison untill they shall conforme themselves accordingly.

The Examiners Office.

THat these Examiners bee sworne by the Alder­man, or by one of the Justices of the County, to enquire and learne from time to time what houses [Page] in every Parish be visited, and what persons be sick, and of what Diseases, as neere as they can informe themselves, and upon doubt in that case, to com­mand restraint of accesse, untill it appeare what the Disease shall prove: and if they finde any person sicke of the Infection, to give order to the Consta­ble that the house be shut up: and if the Constable shall be found remisse or negligent, to give present notice thereof to the Alderman, or the Iustice of Peace respectively.

Watchmen.

THat to every Infected house there be appointed two watchmen, one for the day and the other for the night: And that these Watchmen have a speciall care that no person goe in or out of such in­fected houses, whereof they have the charge, upon paine of severe punishment. And the said Watch­men to doe such further Offices as the sick house shall neede and require: and if the Watchman bee sent upon any businesse, to lock up the house and take the key with him: and the Watchman by day to attend untill ten of the clock at night: and the Watchman by night untill six in the morning.

Chirurgions.

THat there bee a speciall care, to appoint wo­men Searchers in every Parish, such as are of honest reputation, and of the best sort as can bee got in this kinde: And these to be sworne to make [Page] due search and true report, to the utmost of their knowledge, whether the Persons, whose bodies they are appointed to Search, doe die of the Infection, or of what other diseases, as neere as they can. And for their better assistance herein, forasmuch as there hath beene heretofore great abuse in misreporting the disease, to the further spreading of the Infection: It is therefore ordered, that there bee chosen and ap­pointed three able and discreet Chirurgions, besides those three, that doe already belong to the Pesthouse: amongst whom, the City and Liberties to be quar­tered as the places lie most apt and convenient: and every of these six to have one quarter for his Limit: and the said Chirurgions in every of their Limits to joyne with the Searchers for the view of the body, to the end there may bee a true report made of the disease.

And further, that the said Chirurgions shall vi­sit and search such like persons as shall either send for them, or be named and directed unto them, by the ex­aminers of every Parish, and informe themselves of the disease of the said parties.

And for as much as the said Chirurgions are to se­questred from all other Cures, and kept onely to this disease of the Infection: It is ordered, that every of the said Chirurgions shall have twelve pence a body searched by them, to bee paid out of the goods of the party searched, if he be able, or otherwise by the Parish.

Orders concerning infected Houses, and Persons sick of the Plague.

Notice to bee given of the Sicknesse.

THe Master of every House, assoone as any one in his house complaineth, either of Botch, or Purple, or Swelling in any part of his body, or falleth otherwise dange­rously sick, without apparent cause of some other dis­ease, shall give knowledge thereof to the Examiner of health within two houres after the said signe shall ap­peare.

Sequestration of the sick.

AS soon as any man shall bee found by this Exa­miner, Chirurgion or Searcher to be sick of the Plague, he shall the same night bee sequestred in the same house. And in case hee bee so sequestred, then though he afterwards die not, the house wherein hee sickned shall bee shut up for a moneth, after the use of due Preservatives taken by the rest.

Ayring the Stuffe.

FOr sequestration of the goods and stuffe of the in­fected, their Bedding, and Apparell, and hangings of Chambers, must be well ayred with fire, and such perfumes, as are requisite within the Infected house, before they bee taken again to use: this to be done by the appointment of the Examiner.

Shutting up of the House.

IF any person shall have visited any man, known to bee Infected of the Plague, or entred willingly into any knowne Infected house, being not allowed: the house wherein hee inhabiteth, shall be shut up for cer­tain dayes by the Examiners direction.

None to bee removed out of infected houses, but &c.

ITem, that none be removed out of the house where he falleth sick of the infection, into any other house in the City, Borough, or County (except it bee to the Pest-house or a Tent, or unto some such house, which the owners of the said Visited house holdeth in his owne hands, and occupieth by his owne ser­vants) and so as security bee given to the Parish whi­ther such remove is made, that the attendance and charge about the said visited persons shall be observed and charged in all the particularities before expressed, without any cost of that Parish, to which any such remove shall happen to be made, and this remove to be done by night: And it shall be lawfull to any per­son that hath two houses, to remove either his sound or his infected people to his spare house at his choice, so as if hee send away first his sound, hee may not af­ter send thither the sick, nor againe unto the sick the [...]und; And that the same which hee sendeth, be for one week at the least shut up and secluded from com­pany for fear of some infection, at the first not appea­ring.

Buriall of the dead.

THat the buriall of the dead by this Visitation be at most convenient hours, alwayes either before Sun rising, or after Sun setting, with the privity of the Churchwardens or Constables, and not otherwise; and that no neighbours nor friends be suffered to accom­pany the Coarse to Church, or to enter the house visi­ted, upon pain of having his house shut up, or bee im­prisoned.

No infected Stuffe to be uttered.

THat no Clothes, Stuffe, bedding or garments bee suffered to be carryed or conveyed out of any In­fected Houses, and that the Criers and Caries abroad of Beddding or old Apparell to bee sold or pawned, be utterly prohibited and restrained, and no Brokers of Bedding or old Apparell be permitted to make any outward Shew, or hang forth on their Stalls, Shop­boards or Windows toward any Street, Lane, com­mon Way or Passage, any old Bedding or Apparell to be sold, upon pain of Imprisonment: And if any Broker or other person shall buy any Bedding, Appa­rell, or other Stuffe out of any Infected house, within two months after the Infection hath been there, his house shall be shut up as Infected, and so shal continue shut up twenty dayes at the least.

No person to be conveyed out of any infected house.

IF any person visited doe fortune, by negligent loo­king unto, or by any other meanes, to come, or bee conveyed from a place infected, to any other place, [Page] the Parish from whence such Party hath come or been conveyed, upon notice thereof given, shall at their charge cause the said party so visited and escaped, to be carryed and brought back again by night, and the par­ties in this case offending, to be punished at the directi­on of the Alderman of the Ward, and the Justices of the Peace respectively: and the house of the receiver of such visited person to bee shut up for twenty dayes.

Every visited house to be marked.

THat every house visited, bee marked with a Red Crosse of a foot long, in the middle of the doore, evident to be seen, and with these usual Printed words, that is to say, Lord have mercy upon us, to bee set close over the same Crosse, there to continue untill lawfull opening of the same house.

Every Visited house to be watched.

THat the Constables see every house shut up, and to be attended with Watchmen, which may keep them in, and minister necessaries unto them at their owne charges (if they be able,) or at the common charge if they be unable: the shutting up to be for the space of foure weeks after all be whole.

That precise order bee taken that the Searchers, Chirurgions, Keepers and Buriers are not to passe the streets without holding a red Rod or Wand of three foot in length in their hands, open and evident to bee seen, and are not to goe into any other house then into their own, or into that whereunto they are directed or sent for, but to forbeare and abstaine from company, [Page] especially when they have bin lately used in any such businesse or attendance.

And to this end it is ordered, that a weekly Tax bee made in every Parish visited: If in the City or Bo­rough, then under the hand of the Alderman of the Ward where the place is visited: If in either of the Counties, then under the hands of some of the Justices next to the place visited, who, if there be cause, may extend the Tax into other Parishes also, and may give warrant of Distresse against them which shall refuse to pay; and for want of Distresse, or for assistance, to commit the offendors to Prison, according to the Sta­tute in that behalf.

Orders for cleansing and keeping of the Streets sweet.

The Streets to be kept cleane▪

FIrst, it is thought very necessary and so orde­red, that every Housholder do cause the street to be daily pared before his doore, and so to keep it cleane swept all the week long.

That Rakers take it from out the Houses.

THat the sweeping and filth of houses be daily car­ryed away by the Rakers, and that the Raker shall give notice of his comming by the blowing of a Horn as heretofore hath been done.

Laystalls to be made far off from the City.

THat the Laystals be removed as farre as may bee out of the City, and common passages, and that no Nightman or other bee suffered to empty a Vault into any Garden near about the City.

Care to be had of unwholsome Fish or Flesh, and of musty Corne.

THat speciall care be taken, that no stinking Fish, or unwholsome Flesh, or mustie Corne, or other corrupt fruits of what sort soever, be suffered to bee sold about the City or any part of the same.

That the Brewers and Tipling houses be looked un­to, for mustie and unwholsome Cask.

That order be taken, that no Hogs, Dogs, or Cats, or tame Pigeons, or Conies bee suffered to bee kept within any part of the City, or any Swine to bee, or stray in the Streets or Lanes, but that such Swine bee impounded by the Beadle or any other Officer, and the Owner punished according to the Act of Com­mon-councell, and that the Dogs bee killed by the Dog-killers appointed for that purpose.

Orders concerning loose Persons and idle Assemblies.

Beggers.

FOrasmuch as nothing is more complained on, then the multitude of Rogues and wandering Beggers that swarm in every place about the City, being a great cause of the spreading of the In­fection, and will not be avoided, notwithstanding any Order that hath been given to the contrary: It is there­fore now ordered, that such Constables, and others whom this matter may any way concerne, doe take speciall care, that no wandering Begger be suffered in the Streets of this City, in any fashion or manner [Page] whatsoever upon pain of the penalty provided by the Law to be duely and severely executed upon them.

Playes.

THat all Playes, Beare-batings, Games, Singing of Ballads, Buckler-play, or such like causes of Assemblies of people, bee utterly prohibited, and the parties offending, severely punished, by any Al­derman, or Justice of the peace.

Tipling houses.

THat disorderly Tipling in Tavernes Ale-houses and Cellers, be severely looked unto, as the com­mon sinne of this time, and greatest occasion of dis­persing the Plague: and where any shall be found to offend, the penalty of the Statute to be laid upon them with all severity.

And for the better execution of these Orders, as also for such other directions as shall be needfull, It is agreed that the Justices of the City and Counties ad­joyning doe meete together once in ten dayes either at the Sessions house without Newgate, or some other convenient, place to conferre of things as shall be need­full in this behal [...].

And every person neglecting the duty required, or willingly offending against any Article or clause con­tained in these Orders, he to be severely punished by imprisonment, or otherwise, as by the law he ought.

God save the King.

Orders formerly thought meet and necessary by His Majestie to bee put in exe­cution throughout the Counties of this Realme, in such Towns, Villages and other Places as are or may bee hereafter Infected with the Plague, for the stay or further increase of the same, now commanded to be Reprinted by the Ho­norable the House OF COMMONS.

INprimis, All the Justices in every County, as wel within the Liberties as without, immedi­ately upon knowledge to them given, shall as­semble themselves together at some one generall place accustomed, being cleare from Infection of the Plague to consult how these Orders following may be duly put in execution: not meaning that any Justices dwell­ing in or neere places infected, shall come thither, whiles their comming may be doubtfull. And after their first generall assembly, they shall make a distribu­tion of themselves to sundry Limits and divisions, as in other common services of the County they are ac­customed to doe, for the prosecution thereof.

2 First, they shall enquire, and presently informe themselves by all good meanes, what Townes and [Page] villages are at the time of such assembly infected with­in every their Counties, & in what Hundred or other Division the said Townes & Villages are, and how many of the same places so infected are Corporate Townes, market townes and Villages, and shall consi­der of what wealth the inhabitants of the same towns & Parishes are, to be able to relieve the poore that are or shal be infected, & to be restrained in their houses.

3 Item, thereupon after conference used according to the necessity of the cause, they shall devise and make a generall taxation, either by charging the Towne infected with one summe in grosse, or by charging the speciall persons of wealth within the same, to be forthwith collected for the rate of one moneth at the first; and so if the sicknesse shall con­tinue, the collection of the like summe, or of more or of lesse, as time and cause shall require, and the same to be every first, second, third or fourth weeke employed to and for the execution of the said Or­ders. And in case some of the said Townes Infected, shall manifestly appeare not to be of sufficient ability to contribute sufficient for the charges requisite, then the Taxation or Collection shall be made or further extended to other parts, or in any other further li­mits, as by them shal be thought requisite, where there shall be any such Townes or Villages so infected, and unable to relieve themselves. And if the said Townes be situated in the borders and confines of any other Shire, then as the Justices shall see cause and need for the greatnesse of the charge requisite, that the parts of the Shire joyning to the Townes infected be not able, they shall write their letters to the next Iustices of the other Shire so confining, to procure by collecti­on [Page] some reliefe, as in like cases they are to relieve them, in respect of neere neighbourhood of the place, and for that the same Infection may be the better stayed from the said adjoyning places, though they be separated by name of the Countie.

4 Item, they shall cause to be appointed in every Parish as well infected as not infected, certaine per­sons to view the bodies of all such as shall die, be­fore they be suffered to be buried, and to certifie the Minister of the Church and Churchwarden, or other principall Officers, or their substitutes, of what pro­bable disease the said persons died: and the said viewers, to have weekely some allowance, and the more large allowance where the Townes and Pa­rishes bee infected, during the infection, towards their maintenance, to the end they which shall be in places infected, may forbeare to resort into the com­pany of others that are sound: and those persons to be sworne to make true report according to their knowledge, and the choise of them to be made by direction of the Curate of the Church, with three or foure substantiall men of the Parish. And in case the said viewers either through favour or corruption shall give wrong certificate, or shall refuse to serve being thereunto appointed, then to cause them to be punished by imprisonment, in such sort as may serve for a terrour to others.

5 Item, the houses of such persons out of the which there shall die any of the Plague, being so certified by the viewers, or otherwise known, or where it shall be understood, that any person re­maineth sick of the Plague, to be closed up in all [Page] parts during the time of restraint, viz. six weekes, after the sicknesse be ceased in the same house, in case the said houses so infected shall be within any Towne having houses neere adjoyning to the same. And if the infection happen in houses dispersed in Villages, and separated from other houses, and that of necessity, for the serving of their cattell, and manu­ring of their ground, the said persons cannot con­tinue in their houses, then they bee neverthelesse re­strained from resorting into company of others, ei­ther publiquely, or privately during the said time of restraint, and to weare some mark in their uppermost garments, or bear white rods in their hands at such time as they shall goe abroad: if there be any doubt that the masters and owners of the houses infected, will not duly observe the directions of shutting up the doores, specially in the night, then shall there be appointed two or three Watchmen by turnes, which shall be sworne to attend and watch the house, and to apprehend any person that shall come out of the house contrary to the order, and the same per­sons by order of the Iustices, shall be a competent time imprisoned in the stockes, in the high way next to the house infected: and furthermore, some speci­all marke shall be made and fixed to the doores of every of the infected houses, and where any such houses shall be Innes or Alehouses, the signes shall be taken downe for the time of the restraint, and some crosse or other mark set upon the place thereof to be a token of the sicknesse.

6 Item, they shall have good regard to chuse honest persons, that either shall collect the summes [Page] assessed, or shall have the custodie thereof, and out of the said collection to allot a weekly proportion for the finding of victuall, or fire, or medicines for the poorer sort, during the time of their restraint. And whereas some persons being well disposed to yeeld almes and reliefe, will bee more willing to give some portions of victuall, as corne, bread, or other meat, the same shall bee committed to the charge of some speciall persons that wil honest­ly and truly preserve the same, to be distributed as they shall be appointed for the poore that are in­fected.

7 Item, to appoint certaine persons dwelling within the Townes infected, to provide and deliver all necessaries of victuals, or any matter of watch­ing or other attendance, to keep such as are of good wealth being restrained, at their owne proper costs and charges, and the poore at the common charges: and the said persons so appointed to be ordered, not to resort to any publique assembly during the time of such their attendance, as also to weare some marke on their upper garment, or to beare a white rod in their hand, to the end others may avoid their com­pany.

8 Item, that in the shire Towne in every Coun­tie, and in other great Townes meete for that pur­pose, there may be provision bespoken and made, of such Preservatives and other remedies, which o­therwise in meaner townes cannot be readily had, as by the Physitians shall be prescribed, and is at this present reduced into an Advice made by the Physi­tians, and now printed and sent with the said Orders, [Page] which may be fixed in Market-places, upon places usuall for such publique matters, and in other Townes in the bodies of the parish Churches and chappels: in which Advice only such things are prescribed, as usu­ally are to be had and found in all Countries without great charge or cost.

9 Item, the Ministers and Curates, and the Church­wardens in every parish, shall in writing certifie weekely to some of the Justices residing within the Hundred or other limit where they serve, the num­ber of such persons as are infected and doe not die, and also of all such as shall die within their Parishes, and their diseases probable whereof they died, and the same to be certified to the rest of the Justices at their assemblies, which during some convenient time would be every one and twenty dayes, and thereof a particular book kept by the Clerk of the Peace, or some such like.

10 Item, to appoint some place a part in each Pa­rish for the buriall of such persons as shall die of the Plague, as also to give order that they be buried after as Sun-setting, and yet neverthelesse by day light, so as the Curate be present for the observation of the Rites and Ceremonies prescribed by the Law, fore­seeing as much as conveniently he may, to be distant from the danger of infection of the person dead, or of the company that shall bring the corpse to the grave.

11 Item, the Justices of the whole County to assemble once in one and twenty days, to examine whether those Orders be duly executed, and to cer­tifie to the Lords of the Privy Councell their procee­dings [Page] in that behalfe, what Townes and Villages be infected, as also the numbers of the dead, and the dis­eases whereof they dyed, and what summes of money are taxed and collected to this purpose, and how the same are distributed.

12 Item, the Justices of the Hundred, where any such infection is, or the Justices next adjoyning thereunto, to assemble once a weeke, to take accompt of the execution of the said Orders, and as they finde any lacke or disorder, either to reforme it themselves, or to report it at the generall assembly there, to bee by a more common consent reformed.

13 Item, for that the contagion of the Plague groweth and encreaseth no way more, then by the use and handling of such cloths, bedding and other stuffe as hath beene worne and occupied by the Infected of this disease, during the time of their disease: the said Justices shall in the places in­fected take such order, that all the said clothes and o­ther stuffe, so occupied by the diseased, so soone as the parties diseased of the plague are al of them either wel recovered or dead, be either burnt and clean con­sumed with fire, or else aired in such sort as is pre­scribed in an especiall Article contained in the advice set downe by the Physitians. And for that perad­venture the losse of such apparell, bedding, and o­ther stuffe to be burnt, may be greater then the poore estate of the owners of the same may well beare: it is thought good & very expedient, if it be thought meet it shall be burnt, that then the said Justices, out of such Collections as are to be made within their Counties for the relief of the poorer sort that be infected, allow [Page] also them such summe or summes as to them shall be thought reasonable, in recompence of the losse of their said stuffe.

14 Item, the said Iustices may put in execution any other Orders that by them at their general assem­bly shall be devised and thought meet, tending to the preservation of his Majesties Subjects from the infection. And to the end their care and diligence may the better appeare, they shal certifie in writing the said Orders newly devised: and if any shall wilfully breake and contemne the same, or any the Orders herein spe­cified, they shal either presently punish them by impri­sonment, or if the persons so contemning them, shall be of such countenance as the Iustices shall thinke meet to have their faults known to His Majesty or to the Councell, they shall charge and binde them to ap­peare before Vs, and the contempt duely certified, that there may be a more notorious sharpe example made by pnuishment of the same by order of His Ma­jesty.

15 Item, if there be lacke of Iustices in some parts of the Shire, or if they which are Iustices there, shall be for the time absent, in that case the more number of the Justices at their assembly shall make choise of some convenient persons to supply those places for the better execution hereof.

16 Item, if there be any person Ecclesiastical or Lay, that shall hold and publish any opinions (as in some places report is made) that it is a vain thing to forbeare to resort to the Infected, or that it is not charitable to forbid the same, pretending that no per­son shal die but at their time prefixed, such persons shall be not onely reprehended, but if they be Ecclesi­asticall, shall be forbidden to preach, and being Lay, be [Page] enjoyned to forbeare to utter such dangerous opinions upon pain of imprisonment, which shall be executed if they shall persevere in that errour. And yet it shall appeare manifestly by these Orders, that according to Christian charity, no persons of the meanest de­gree shall bee left without succour and reliefe.

17 And of these things above mentioned, the Iu­stices shall take great care, as of a matter specially and directed commanded by his Majesty upon the princely and naturall care he hath conceived towards the pre­servation of his Subjects, who by very disorder, and for lacke of direction do in many parts wilfully pro­cure the increase of this generall Contagion.

FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.