October 1643
[23 October, 1643.]
Whereas the great Expence of Gunpowder, occasioned by the
present War within His Majesty's Dominions, hath well near
consumed the old Store, and doth exhaust the Magazines so fast,
as, without a larger Supply, the Navy, Forts, and Land Armies,
cannot be furnished; and whereas Foreign Salt-petre is not
equal in Goodness with that of our own Country, and the
Foreign Gunpowder far worse conditioned and less forcible than
that which is made in England; and whereas divers Foreign
States have of late prohibited the Exportation of Salt-petre and
Gunpowder out of their own Dominions and Countries, so that
there can be little hope of future Expectation of any Petre or
Powder to be brought into this Kingdom as in former Times,
which will enforce us to make Use of our own Materials; it is
held most necessary, that the digging of Salt-petre and the
making of Gunpowder shall by all fit Means be encouraged at
this Time, when it so much concerns the Public Safety: Nevertheless, to prevent the reviving of those Oppressions and
Vexations exercised upon the People, under the colourable
Authority of Commissions granted to Salt-petre-men, which
Burthen hath been eased since the Sitting of this Parliament,
and to the End that there may not be any Pretence to interrupt
the Work, it is Ordained, by the Lords and Commons
in Parliament, That such Persons as shall be nominated
and allowed by the said Lords and Commons in Parliament shall have Power and Authority, by this present
Ordinance, to search and dig for Salt-petre, in all Pigeon-houses,
Stables, and all other Out-houses, Yards, and Places likely to
afford that Earth, at fit seasons and Hours, between Sun-rising
and Sun-setting (except all Dwelling-houses, Shops, and Milkhouses); the said Salt-petre-men, at their own Cost and Charges,
levying the Ground, and repairing any Damage which shall be
done by them; wherein if the said Petre-men do fail to give
Satisfaction to the Contentment of the Owners, then, Notice
given by the Parties grieved unto the next Deputy Lieutenant,
or other Committees appointed by Parliament, the said Deputy
Lieutenants, Committees, or any one or more of them, shall have
Power to compel the said Petre-men to lay the Ground in as good
Order as before the breaking up (Working only excepted); and
likewise to give such reasonable Satisfaction for the damage, as he
or they, in his or their Discretion, shall think fit; which not
being obeyed, the Name and Offence of such Person or Persons
refusing shall be returned to the Parliament: And forasmuch as
the Salt-petre-men, for the Provision of the State, are to bring in
a Proportion of Salt-petre Weekly, which they can be in no
Ways able to do in Case they should be denied to dig and work
for Salt-petre, it is therefore Ordered, That, in case any
Person whatsoever shall refuse to suffer Salt-petre-men allowed
by Parliament to dig and work for Salt-petre, acccording to the
Rules and Limitations beforementioned, then the Salt-petre-men
shall return the Names of such Persons so refusing, to be
proceeded against according to their Demerits: And it is likewise Ordained, That the said Salt-petre-men, for the Carriage of
the Liquor, Vessels, and other Utensils, from Place to Place, and
delivering of the Salt-petre where the same shall be made into
Gun-Powder, it shall be lawful for the said Salt-petre-men to
demand and take Carts, by the known Officers, so as the Lading
shall not exceed Twenty Hundred Weight, and the Journey not
exceed Ten Miles; for Carriage whereof, the Owner shall be paid
after the Rate of Eight Pence the Mile; by which Means the
Work of making Powder in this Kingdom (which else will be let
fall in this time of Danger) may be continued and cherished,
and the Subjects may have the Benefit of Powder at far easier
Rates than now it is sold for.
This Ordinance to continue only during the Pleasure of both
Houses of Parliament.