Proclamation, 11 August 1692 (pm), Edinburgh

Act, 29 December 1692, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Eleaventh of August Jaj vjc nyntie tuo years Post Meridiem

A1692/8/461

Proclamation

Proclamation anent Beggars

The Following Proclamation Being read votted and approven wes ordered to be recored whereof the tenor follows William and Mary Be the Grace of God King and Queen of great Brittaine France and Ireland defenders of the faith To […] macers of our privie Councill Messengers at armes our shirreffs in that pairt Conjunctlie and severallie speciallie constitute Greeting Whereas severall good Lawes have been made by our Royall predicessors for mantaining the poor And releiving the Leedges of the burden of vagabonds In prosecutione whereoff wee hereby requyre the heretors minister and Elders of everie paroch to meet on the second tuesday of September next at there paroch church and there to make Lists of all the poor within there Church And to Cast up the quota of what may mantaine them according to there respective needs And to cast the said quota The one half upon the heretors and the other half upon the Housholders of the paroch And to collect the same in the beginning of everie week, moneth or quarter as they shall Judge most fitt And to appoint tuo overseers yearly to Collect and destribute the said mantenance to the poor according to there severall needs And Lykewayes to appoint ane officer to serve under the saids overseers for Inbringing of the mantenance And for expelling Stranger vagabonds from the paroch whose fee is to be stinted on the paroch as the rest of the mantenance for the poor is stinted And such poor as are not provyded of houses for themselves or by there freinds The heretors are to provyde them with houses on the expenses of the paroch in maner forsaid And if any paroch shall faill in provyeing sufficiently for there oune poor The paroch So failzieng shall pay the soume of Tuo Hundreth pounds Scotts To be uplifted A Third pairt to the persewer and tuo pairts to be Applyed towards the mantenance of the poor of the said paroch And that monethly toties quoties as they shall faill in there duety And if there be any mortificationes alreadie or If any hereafter shall accrue to any paroch The same shall be applyed by the advyce of the heretors and elders to the use forsaid But without diminutione of the stock of the saids mortificationes And the heretors and elders are hereby appointed to have a second meeting at the saids paroch kirks this year on the second tuesday of october next for a more exact setleing of this matter And yearly therefter the heretors minister and elders of everie paroch are to meet on the first tuesday of Februarij And the first tuesday of August yearly to Consult and determine therein as shall be thought fitt for everie ensueing half year and to appoint overseers by the year or half year as they shall Conclude And all the ministers are hereby requyred to give tymous Informatione to the shirreff of the shyre If any paroch shall fail in performance of this Christian duety in wholl or in pairt And the shirreffs or shirreffdeputs are hereby requyred to call the delinquents befor them without any delay And if guilty to Fyne them in double of the quota which the minister shall attest to be wanting And to cause poynd for the same Imediatly And where churches are vacant That tuo of the greatest heretors resideing within the paroch shall be appoynted by the first meeting in September next To Enquyre in the duety of pariochiners and overseers And to Informe the shirreff of there delingquencie And if any of the poor in the paroch be able to work The heretors of the paroch are hereby authorized and requyred to putt them to work according to there Capacities aither within the paroch or in any adjacent manufactorie as they shall find expedient Furnishing them alwayes with meat and cloaths And if any young children be found begging under the age of Fyfteen years Any persone who shall take the saids Children and bring them befor heretors minister and elders and cause registrat the name and designatione of the chyld in the sessione books And shall there Enact himself to educat the said chyld aither for trade or work And take ane extract of the act from the Clerk of the sessione The said chyld shall be obleidged to serve the said persone so educateing him for meat and cloathes untill he pass the threttieth year of his age And all manufactories are declared to have the same priviledge as to the educatione of such young ones And this to extend not only to the Children of beggars Bot also to poor children whose parents are dead or with consent of the parents If they be alyve And if any young ones above Fyfteen years of age shall voluntarly engadge themselves upon the Like Conditione The same method is to be extended to them in everie point And if any of the young ones so educated shall disobey there maister when reasonably Imployed There Maisters are hereby warranded to Correct them2 as they Judge Convenient Lyfe and torture exceted And if any persone harbor or resett any such3 servant belonging to any other They shall returne them to there Maister on demand under the paine of Ane Hundreth merks toties quoties as oft as they shall be4 requyred5 so to doe And If any Maister shall exact any Inhumane or too rigid service from any such servant The shirreffs or Justices of peace upon applicatione by the servants are to Judge in the case And if the severitie so deserve The servant may be Loosed from such a maister The servant or some for him payeing the maiser alse much yearly as the fee of servants of that quality would extend to each year in the number of years wanting to the thirtieth year of the servants age And the heretors meeting on the dayes appointed or major pairt of them are hereby authorized and requyred to Conclude and determine matters for that half year And to the end that all the poor may be returned to there oune paroches and the natione freed of vagabonds wee strictly requyre and Comand all the beggars within this Kingdome furthwith to repair to there severall paroches with all diligence And to keep the ordinarie highwayes to the same And so soon as they come to there paroch To present themselves to the heretors and elders that there names may be Listed amongst the poor of the paroch and they Lodged and entertained accordingly with certificatione to all who shall be found begging without the bounds of there paroch after the said second tuesday of September next, They shall be seized as vagabonds Imprisoned and Fedd on bread and water for a moneth or till they be sent home to there paroch in maner aftermentioned And if they be found vageing a second tyme They are to be marked with ane Iron on the face And all the Leedges are hereby prohibited to give any almes to such vagabond beggars other then bread and water allenarlie after the said second tuesday of september next untill they arryve at there oune paroches And to the end that our will hereanent may be the more speediely made practicable wee strictly Comand and charge all our Leedges within this our ancient Kingdome to apprehend such beggars as they shall find vageing without there oune paroch after the second tuesday of september And furthwith to carry them to the principall heretor of the paroch where they are apprehended If it be in Landward and to one of the Bailzies in Tounes who shall examine6 the Beggar in the shyre and paroch where he wes borne And shall direct him furth with to the nearest paroch that Lyes in the road to the paroch of his birth And delyver him to the nearest heretor that Lyes in that high way in the next paroch and so furth from paroch to paroch in the same road untill they arryve at the paroch of there nativitie who shall then List Him and Entertaine him amongst there poor And the heretors to whom the vagabonds are delyvered are hereby authorized and requyred to send tuo fenciblemen of there paroch to Convoy everie beggar to the heretor of the next paroch And to send a note of the beggars name and the paroch where he wes borne which is to be delyvered to the next heretor who receaves him and everie heretor who receaves him is to returne signed of his recept and so furth from heretor to heretor in every severall paroch And if any of the saids beggars shall offer to make there escape in there transportatione The beggar so doeing shall be scourged and fedd on bread and water dureing the rest of his Journey And who ever gives almes to any beggar not in there paroch after the said second tuesday of September And shall not seize him In order to his transportatione as said is Shall be fyned in tuenty shillings scotts toties quoties to be uplifted by the overseers and applyed to the use of the poor of the paroch And if the heretor To whom the vagabond shall be brought faill in his duetie of sending him He shall be fyned in tuenty pounds scotts toties quoties to be applyed as said is And If any Fencibleman sent to Convoy refuse or faill in his duety he is to be fyned in tuo merks scotts toties quoties to be applyed as said is And the saids fenciblemen are to be chosen by turnes in the saids pariochines And whereas by the Eighteint act of the third sessione of the second parliament of King Charles the second Correction houses are appointed to be erected in severall burghes thereinmentioned for Imployeing of poor people in work as they are Capable which have been hitherto too much neglected (untill the Lesser burghes be able to performe what is there requyred Least so good a designe should totallie faill) wee hereby strictly requyre our burghes of Edinburgh Stirling Dundee Aberdeen Innerness Glasgow Jedburgh Dumfreiss and Couper of Fyff or such of them as have not alreadie established Correctione houses In maner and to the ends prescryved by the said act To erect and establish such houses and to receave such poor for work therein as shall be sent to them from any paroch In maner and on the conditiones prescryved by that act And this butt prejudice of erecting of Correctione houses in other burghes therein mentioned with all Conveniencie Our Will is Herefore And wee Charge yow strictly and Comand that incontinent these our Letters seen ye pass to the mercat croce of Edinburgh and to the mercat cross of the wholl heid burghes of the severall shyres of this kingdome And there in our name and authoritie be open proclamation make publicatione of the premises that [none] may pretend Ignorance And ordaines these presents to be printed Given under our signet at Edinburgh the Eleaventh day of August and of our reigne the fourth year Jaj vjc nyntie tuo years Sic subscribitur Tweeddale Cancel Melvill privy seal Queensberrie Drumlangrig Linlithgow Strathmore Forfar Kintore Breadalbain Tarbat Raith Cardross Carmichaell

At Edinburgh 11 August 1692 (pm)

A1692/8/461

Proclamation

Proclamation concerning beggars

The following proclamation being read, voted, and approved, was ordered to be recored, whereof the tenor follows:
William and Mary by the grace of God king and queen of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defenders of the faith, to […] macers of our privy council, messengers at arms, our sheriffs in that part conjunctly and severally, specially constituted greeting. Whereas several good laws have been made by our royal predecessors for maintaining the poor and relieving the lieges of the burden of vagabonds, in prosecution whereof we hereby require the heritors, minister, and elders of every parish to meet on the second Tuesday of September next at their parish church, and there to make lists of all the poor within their church, and to cast up the quota of what may maintain them according to their respective needs And to cast the said quota, the one half upon the heritors and the other half upon the householders of the parish. And to collect the same in the beginning of every week, month, or quarter as they shall judge most fit. And to appoint two overseers yearly to collect and distribute the said maintenance to the poor according to their several needs. And likewise to appoint an officer to serve under the said overseers for inbringing of the maintenance, and for expelling stranger vagabonds from the parish, whose fee is to be stented on the parish, as the rest of the maintenance for the poor is stented. And such poor as are not provided of houses for themselves or by their friends, the heritors are to provoide them with houses on the expenses of the parish in manner forrsaid. And if any parish shall fail in providing sufficiently for their own poor, the parish so failing shall pay the sum of two hundred pounds Scots, to be uplifted a third part to the pursuer and two parts to be applied towards the maintenance of the poor of the said parish, and that monthly as often as they shall fail in their duty. And if there be any mortifications already, or if any hereafter shall accrue to any parish, the same shall be applied by the advice of the heritors and elders to the use foresaid, but without diminution of the stock of the said mortifications. And the heritors and elders are hereby appointed to have a second meeting at the said parish kirks this year on the second Tuesday of October next for a more exact settling of this matter, and yearly thereafter the heritors, minister, and elders of every parish are to meet on the first Tuesday of February and the first Tuesday of August yearly to consult and determine therein as shall be thought fit for every ensuing half year, and to appoint overseers by the year or half year as they shall conclude. And all the ministers are hereby required to give timeous information to the sheriff of the shire if any parish shall fail in performance of this Christian duty in whole or in part. And the sheriffs or sheriffdoms are hereby required to call the delinquents before them without any delay, and if guilty to fine them in double of the quota which the minister shall attest to be wanting, and to cause poind for the same immediatly. And where churches are vacant, that two of the greatest heritors residing within the parish shall be appointed by the first meeting in September next to inquire in the duty of parishioners and overseers, and to inform the sheriff of their delinquancies. And if any of the poor in the parish be able to work, the heritors of the parish are hereby authorised and required to put them to work according to their capacities, either within the parish, or in any adjacent manufactory as they shall find expedient, furnishing them always with meat and clothes. And if any young children be found begging under the age of fifteen years, any person who shall take the said children and bring them before heritors, minister, and elders, and cause register the name and designation of the child in the session books, and shall there enact himself to educate the said child, either for trade or work. and take an extract of the act from the clerk of the session, the said child shall be obliged to serve the said person so educating him for meat and clothes until he pass the thirteenth year of his age. And all manufactories are declared to have the same privilege as to the education of such young ones. And this to extend not only to the children of beggars, but also to poor children whose parents are dead, or with consent of the parents if they be alive. And if any young ones above fifteen years of age shall voluntarily engage themselves upon the like condition, the same method is to be extended to them in every point. And if any of the young ones so educated shall disobey there master when reasonably employed, their masters are hereby warranted to correct them as they judge convenient, life and torture excepted. And if any person harbour or reset any such servant belonging to any other, they shall return them to their master on demand under the pain of one hundred merks each time as often as they shall be required so to do. And if any master shall exact any inhumane or too rigid service from any such servant, the sheriffs or justices of peace, upon application by the servants, are to judge in the case, and if the severity so deserve, the servant may be loosed from such a master, the servant or some[one] for him paying the master as much yearly as the fee of servants of that quality would extend to each year in the number of years wanting to the thirtieth year of the servant’s age. And the heritors meeting on the days appointed or major part of them are hereby authorised and required to conclude and determine matters for that half year. And to the end that all the poor may be returned to their own parishes and the nation freed of vagabonds, we strictly require and command all the beggars within this kingdom forthwith to repair to their several parishes with all diligence, and to keep the ordinary highways to the same. And so soon as they come to their parish. to present themselves to the heritors and elders that their names may be listed amongst the poor of the parish, and they lodged and entertained accordingly, with certification to all who shall be found begging without the bounds of their parish after the said second Tuesday of September next, they shall be seized as vagabonds, imprisoned, and fed on bread and water for a month or until they be sent home to their parish in manner after mentioned. And if they be found begging a second time, they are to be marked with an iron on the face. And all the lieges are hereby prohibited to give any alms to such vagabond beggars other then bread and water only after the said second Tuesday of September next until they arrive at their own parishes. And to the end that our will herein may be the more speedily made practicable, we strictly command and charge all our lieges within this our ancient kingdom to apprehend such beggars as they shall find begging without their own parish after the second Tuesday of September, and forthwith to carry them to the principal heritor of the parish where they are apprehended if it be in landward, and to one of the bailies in towns, who shall examine the beggar in the shire and parish where he was borne, and shall direct him forthwith to the nearest parish that lies in the road to the parish of his birth, and deliver him to the nearest heritor that lies in that highway in the next parish, and so forth from parish to parish in the same road until they arrive at the parish of their nativity, who shall then list him and entertain him amongst their poor. And the heritors to whom the vagabonds are delivered are hereby authorised and required to send two fencible men of their parish to convey every beggar to the heritor of the next parish, and to send a note of the beggar’s name and the parish where he was born, which is to be delivered to the next heritor who receives him, and every heritor who receives him is to return signed of his receipt, and so forth from heritor to heritor in every several parish. And if any of the said beggars shall offer to make their escape in their transportation, the beggar so doing shall be scourged and fed on bread and water during the rest of his journey. And whoever gives alms to any beggar not in their parish after the said second Tuesday of September, and shall not seize him in order to his transportation as said is, shall be fined in twenty shillings Scots on each occasion, to be uplifted by the overseers and applied to the use of the poor of the parish. And if the heritor to whom the vagabond shall be brought fails in his duty of sending him, he shall be fined in twenty pounds Scots on each occasion, to be applied as said is. And If any fencible men sent to convey refuse or fail in his duty, he is to be fined in two merks Scots on each occasion, to be applied as said is. And the said fencible men are to be chosen by turns in the said parishes. And whereas by the eighteenth act of the third session of the second parliament of King Charles II, correction houses are appointed to be erected in several burghs therein mentioned for employing of poor people in work as they are capable, which have been hitherto too much neglected (until the lesser burghs be able to perform what is therein required lest so good a design should totally fail), we hereby strictly require our burghs of Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Jedburgh, Dumfries, and Cupar of Fife, or such of them as have not already established correction houses in manner and to the ends prescribed by the said act, to erect and establish such houses and to receive such poor for work therein as shall be sent to them from any parish in manner and on the conditions prescribed by that act. And this but prejudice of erecting of correction houses in other burghs therein mentioned with all convenience. Our will is therefore and we charge yow strictly and command that immediately these our letters [are] seen you pass to the mercat cross of Edinburgh and to the mercat cross of the whole head burghs of the several shires of this kingdom, and there in our name and authority by open proclamation make publication of the premises that [none] may pretend ignorance. And ordain these presents to be printed. Given under our signet at Edinburgh 11 August, and of our reign the fourth year 1692. Sic subscribitur Tweeddale Cancel; Melville privy seal; Queensberr; Drumlanrig; Linlithgow; Strathmore; Forfar; Kintore; Breadalbane; Tarbat; Raith; Cardross; Carmichael.

1. PC1/48, 377-80.

1. PC1/48, 377-80.

2. Inserted above the line.

3. The word ‘persones’ **scored out here.**

4. The word ‘desyred’ **scored out here.**

5. Inserted above the line.

6. The word ‘apprehend’ scored out here and ‘examine’ added above the line.