April 1644.
[3 April, 1644.]
Ordinance for making Salt-petre.
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, that, without a larger Supply, the Navy, Forts, and the Land
Arms, 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 forceable, than
that which is made in England; and whereas divers Foreign
Estates 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 inforce us to make Use of our own Materials; it is
held most necessary, that the digging of Salt-petre, and making
of Gunpowder, should 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 Committee of
Lords and Commons for the Safety of the Kingdom, or any Five
of them, their Factors, Workmen, and Servants, shall have
Power and Authority, by this present Ordinance, to search and
dig for Salt-petre, in all Pigeon-houses, Stables, Cellars, Vaults,
empty Ware-houses, and other Out-houses, Yards, and Places
likely to afford that Earth, at fit Seasons, from Half an Hour
after Sunrising in the Morning, till an Hour before Sun-setting;
and in Pigeon-houses likely to afford that Earth, at fit Seasons,
from Nine of the Clock in the Morning, till Three of the Clock
in the Afternoon; the said Salt-petre-men at their own Cost and
Charges leveling the Ground, and repairing any Damage which
shall be done by them; wherein if the said Salt-petre-men do
fail to give Satisfaction to the Contentment of the Owners, upon
Complaint made by the Parties grieved, unto the DeputyLieutenants, Justices of Peace, Committees of Parliament, or
any One or more of them, and they, or any One of them, shall
have Power to compel the said Salt-petre-men to lay the Ground
in as good Order as before the breaking-up (Working only ex
cepted), 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 said Committee of
Lords and Commons for the Safety of the Kingdom, or any Five of
them: 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 the Committee of Lords and
Commons for the Safety of the Kingdom, or any Five of them,
to dig, and work for Salt-petre, according to the Rules and
Limitations beforementioned; upon Complaint thereof made to
the Deputy Lieutenants, Justices of Peace, Committees of Parliament, or any One or more of them, then they, or any One of
them, shall hereby have Power to inforce the Obedience of the
Parties so refusing, or to certify their Offence, and Names of the
Offenders, to the Committee of the Lords and Commons for the
Safety of the Kingdom, 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 Gunpowder, 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 by
common Estimation; for Carriage whereof, the Owner shall be
paid after the Rate of Eight Pence the Mile, and the empty
Vessels are to be re-carried gratis; and the said Salt-petre men
are likewise to be freed from all Taxes and Tolls demandable for
any of their Carriages used about their said Works: and in
Case any Person whatsoever shall refuse to suffer the said Saltpetre-men to dig, or to do any other Thing in Pursuance of this
Ordinance, according to the Limitations and Directions hereby
given, then the Salt-petre-men shall return the Names of such
Persons so refusing, to the Committee of Lords and Commons
for the Safety of the Kingdom, or any Five of them, to be proceeded against according to their Demerits; 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: For which Purpose, it
is lastly Ordained, That the said Committee of Lords and Commons for the Safety of the Kingdom shall, by virtue of this
Ordinance, have Power and Authority to put this Ordinance in
Execution, and to do and perform all such Thing and Things as to
them shall seem expedient for the better effecting of this Service.
And it is further Ordained, That such Salt-petre-men as shall
be allowed as aforesaid shall take such Out-houses, for their
Work-houses, to set their Vessels and Utensils in, as shall be fit,
and may be reasonably spared; and to have, take, and draw
Water fit for their said Works, they giving Satisfaction to the
Contentment of the Owners thereof; or, if they shall not agree
of such Satisfaction, that then they appeal to the Deputy
Lieutenants, Justices of Peace, or Committees of Parliament, or
any One or more of them, who may make such Order therein as
to him or them shall seem fit, which Order shall bind both Parties.
This Ordinance of Parliament to continue for Two Years,
from the 25th Day of March, 1644.