February 1642/3
[3 February, 1642/3.]
Whereas it is found necessary, for the Security and Protection of the Persons and Estates of the Inhabitants of the County
of Wilts, and Parts adjacent, and for the common Defence of
the Kingdom from the Rapines and Plunderings of the Enemy,
and for the Prevention of any Meeting, Invasion, or Incursion,
of the Enemies Forces, at Oxon, or elsewhere, and in the West,
that considerable Strength and Forces of Men and Horses
should be forthwith prepared and raised, within the said
County: It is therefore Ordered and Ordained, by the Lords
and Commons now assembled in Parliament, That Two Regiments of Horse, consisting of Four Troops apiece, and One
Regiment of Dragooners consisting of a Thousand Men, shall
forthwith be raised within the said County, to be disposed
of within the said County or elsewhere, in such Manner
as the Lord General shall from Time to Time appoint or
think fit, for the Purposes aforesaid, under the Command of
such Person or Persons as his Excellency the Earl of Essex shall
nominate and appoint: And it is further Ordered and Ordained;
That, for the Payment of these Regiments and Forces aforesaid,
after the Rate and Proportion of the Parliament's Pay to other
Forces of the like Nature, that no Monies shall be raised in the
County of Wilts (by virtue of this Ordinance), but of the Estates
of Papists, Delinquents, Bishops, Dean and Chapter, Prebendaries of Sarum, and other Prebendaries or Pluralists within the
County; or out of the Estates of such as have not contributed unto
the Parliament, or have opposed or assisted against the Parliament; or such as have been solicited to contribute to the Propositions, and have refused, or shall not contribute in considerable
Proportion to their Condition and Estate; or such Clergymen or
others, as have either refused to observe or obey the Orders and
Ordinances of Parliament, or otherwise have expressed any Disaffection to the Parliament or Proceedings thereof: And it is
Ordered, That Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath, calling to him any Two or more of the Deputy Lieutenants, or any
Two or more of the Commissioners for Subscriptions for the said
County, or Theobald Gorges, Edmond Mayneford, Alexander
Thislethwayte Junior, Robert Nicholas, Walter White, Thomas
Grove, John Morden, Thomas Bennett, Thomas South, Nicholas
Greene, Esquires, or any Two or more of them; or, in the
Absence of the said Sir Edward Hungerford out of the said
County, any Three of the Persons aforementioned as the said Sir
Edward Hungerford shall appoint, shall have Power, and are
hereby authorized and required, to rate, tax, assess, and charge,
all or any the Persons aforesaid, the Lands, Goods, and Tenements, at such Rates, and with such Sums of Money, and other
Charges, and in such Manner and Proportion, as they shall think
fit, and the Necessity of the Occasion shall require, using the
best Indifferency and Moderation they can, not exceeding the
Twentieth Part of their Personal Estate, or the Fifth Part of their
Yearly Revenue, except Papists, Archbishops, Bishops, Deans,
Deans and Chapters, and such notorious Delinquents as have
taken up Arms against the Parliament, or have been active in
the Commission of Array; and to appoint such and so
many Persons to collect, gather, and levy all such Sums,
or other Charges, so assessed or charged, by such Ways and
Means as by them shall be directed: And further, the said Sir
Edward Hungerford shall have Power, by virtue of this
Ordinance, to recieve and take all such Monies, Plate, and
Horse, as are or shall be raised upon the Ordinance of Subscriptions within that County, to be employed by them in this
Service upon Accompt; as also to receive the Remainders and
Arrears of the Monies to be levied in that County upon the Bill
of Four Hundred Thousand Pounds, to be employed by them in
this Service; and in Case that present and sufficient Sums of
Money cannot be gotten by any of the Means and Ways aforesaid, for Maintenance of the Forces aforesaid, that then, if any
Person or Persons shall lend any Sum or Sums of Money, for the
Advancement of the present Service, an Acquittance under the
Hand of the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall be a sufficient
Warrant to such Lenders to require Payment of the same, with
consideration after the Rate of Eight Pounds per cent. upon the
Public Faith: And it is likewise Ordered and Ordained, That
the said Sir Edward Hungerford shall hereby have Power and
authority to disarm all such as shall not willingly contribute, in
Proportion to their Estates, to the assistance of the Parliament,
and all such Persons as shall be found opposite or disaffected to
the Service of the Parliament, notwithstanding any Protection
had or obtained to the contrary; and also to have Power to put
any Number of Soldiers into any City or Town within the said
County, as to him shall seem fit and expedient, which City or
Town shall be under his Command during the time of the Abode
of any such Soldiers within the same: And it is further
Ordered and Ordained, That Duplicates of Rolls be made,
containing the Names and Surnames of every Person charged by
virtue of this Ordinance, and the Places of their Abode, together
with the particular Sums upon each of them set and assessed;
and that like Duplicates be made of all such Sums of Money, or
other things, as shall be received, disbursed, employed, or
expended, in this Service, upon a just Accompt to be made, and
allowed by the Commons House of Parliament; and that, in so
doing, the said Sir Edward Hungerford, the Deputy Lieutenants,
those of the Committee, the Persons above-named, and all others
employed by them, and observing their Commands and
Directions, or that join with and assist them in executing any of
the Premises, or that shall willingly submit to perform and pay
such Rates and Monies, and perform such Services, as shall be
imposed on and required of them by virtue of this Ordinance,
shall be protected, defended, and saved harmless, in their Estates,
Lands, Goods, and Persons, by the Authority and Power of
Parliament.