ORDERS CONCEIVED and approved by the Committee for the Militia of the County of Middlesex, as expedient for the present to be published, and practised in the said County without the lines of Communication.
1. THat Lists of Resiants within all Parishes be duly conserved from Moneth to Moneth, of all persons between the ages of 16. and 60. carefully registred according to their Names, Qualities, and Professions, not only of men, but also of Widows and Maids, living at their owne hands; this to be performed by the Church-wardens, Overseers for the poore, Constables and Headboroughs, and to be attested by the next Justice of the Peace, High-Constable, or two of the Committee-men of the parish, or neerest adjoyning.
2. That from out of the said Lists, the Watches for the said parishes shall be raysed (as occasion requires for day or night) and so numbred and appointed all along the yeare, as every Resiant as aforesaid, may watch, or find a sufficient Watchman in his turne, and not further, but as the turne comes sooner or later round, by occasion of the more often or more numerous watches through the yeare.
3. That the names be so ordered upon the appointment of the Watches, as that a part of them may bee armed with Muskets and halfe Pikes, when any Justice of the Peace, or Constable shall Command the same.
4. That from out of the said Resiants, a particular selection be made of their names, who have shewed their affections to conserve their Countrey, their neighbours and themselves, by subscription to find Armes for horse or foot souldiers, with the numbers and kinds of the said Armes.
5. That every able bodyed man betweene the Ages aforesaid be listed again together, to serve as they shall be commanded with Armes of their owne, or appointed for them.
6. That no man be left out of this last directed list, or exempted in the case, but by suspension for, or in regard of some peculiar imployment of greater consequence to the publique, allowed by the Collonel of the Regiment in that part of the County, or otherwise by two Deputy-Lievtenants.
7. That all not able of body, with Widows and Maids at their owne hand, as aforesaid, be considered to furnish somewhat the more in any Assessement, or charge towards the souldiery, or Magazine of ammunition for the County.
8. That the Commanders in the Militia shall observe diligence and care in their severall charges, and in their severall degrees. As the Deputy-Lievtenants over the Collonels, they over their Field officers and Captaines, and those over inferiour officers and souldiers, so upwards in all obedience according to discipline of Warre.
9. That if any souldier shall not appeare upon summons, or shall absent themselves from this service without leave of his Officer, or shall wilfully spoyle or imbeazill his Armes, or be disorderly, or if any shall receive such his Armes, such offendors to be punished by fine or imprisonment, such imprisonment not exceeding ten dayes, or fine xx. shillings for any such offence to be levyed by distresse, and sale of such offendors goods according to the Ordinance.
10. That appeale to the Higher power shall alwayes be accepted, but the more distant appeale, as from the inferiour souldier to the Deputy-Lievtenants or Collonel, shall be the more blamed or punished, in case he or they prove, and be judged more troublesome then wronged.
11. That the Captaines, under Officers and souldiers of each Regiment, shall enter into halfe pay for their dayes of Exercise of every Company, assoone as each Regiment shall be compleated with their Lists of Officers and Souldiers; Provided that the said dayes of Exercise, exceed not the number of 26. dayes through the whole yeare.
Touching the Extention of halfe pay to the Listed Trayned-Band souldiers, aswell as to the Captaines and Officers; it is agreed fitting.
1. That the Companies shall be so farre reduced into a selection of the better or more orderly conditioned, as that 120. in number shall be the reserved Band under every Captaine. 140. for the Serjeant Major. 160. for the Lievtenant Collonel, and 200. for the Collonels Company, who shall have their halfe pay, together with their Officers for 26. dayes Exercise within the yeare. The Captaines and Committees within each Lymit with approbation of the Collonel to affix the severall pay from time to time; That the supernumeraries that shall arise within the limits of each Company, being received, or appointed to find, or weare Armes, shall be in protection, and under the same Command.
2. That where the said Captaines and Committees thinke fit to Lyst any number of youth that may be willing to exercise, they shall be received into Consideration, as they appeare to deserve for their numbers and industry.
Lastly, Touching the Certificats for Souldiers and Officers without Commissions to shew their Condition. It is agreed, That every souldier and officer-shall have Certificats from his Collonel (such as were shewed to the Committee) with impression of his Escutchion of Armes, and under the hand of his Captaine, and Secretary of the Regiment, for which the souldier shall pay vj-pence out of his next following pay allowed, and xij-pence for every Officer or Gentleman of each Company; Two parts of which fees shall be to the Secretary of the Regiment, and one third part to the Clerke of the Band, in which such souldier or Officer is.