March 1645: An Ordinance for securing of the Eighty Thousand pounds advanced by and under the eight Treasurers hereafter named, and for a further provision for the Raising and Maintaining of the Forces under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1911.

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'March 1645: An Ordinance for securing of the Eighty Thousand pounds advanced by and under the eight Treasurers hereafter named, and for a further provision for the Raising and Maintaining of the Forces under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax.', in Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660, (London, 1911) pp. 656-660. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/acts-ordinances-interregnum/pp656-660 [accessed 19 March 2024]

March, 1645

[31 March, 1645.]

Names of Treasurers at War for receiving £80,000 levied by former Ord. for maintenance of Forces under Sir T. Fairfax.; Provisions for repayment of said sum to Lenders thereof.

For the better securing of the Eighty thousand pounds, undertaken to be lent by divers persons, as well Aldermen, as Merchants and others, and for the more orderly receiving and issuing out of the Moneys appointed to be Taxed and Levied by the Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, made the fifteenth of February last; for the raising and maintaining the Forces under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax: Be it Ordained, and it is Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled: That Sir John Wollaston Knight, Thomas Adams, John Warner, and Thomas Andrews, Aldermen of the City of London; Abraham Chamberlaine, George Witham, Francis Allen, and John Dethicke, of London, Merchants, shall be Treasurers at War during the ten Months mentioned in the said former Ordinance of the fifteenth of February last: And be it likewise Ordained, That the said Treasurers at War shall receive from the severall Lenders of the said Money, the Summe of Eighty thousand pounds, and from the severall Collectors of all other the Moneys to be Taxed, Levied, and paid by vertue of the said former Ordinance of the fifteenth February last, the said Summes to be Levied, Taxed and paid; which severall Summes of Money shall be by them paid to the said Treasurers, and issued forth for the raising and maintaining of the said Forces, and the charges incident to the same; And for the re-imbursing and repayment of the said Lenders, the said Summe of Eighty thousand pounds, with the interest thereof, after the Rate of Eight pounds per cent. from the time of the lending thereof, to the time of the repayment thereof, to the severall Lenders of the same, their Executors and Administrators, or such other person or persons, to whom the said Lenders, their Executors or Administrators shall under their respective hands in writing, appoint the same or any part thereof to be paid, and the said Treasurers or any two of them (one of them being an Alderman, the other a Commoner) shall have power, and are hereby authorized, injoyned and required to repay the said 80,0001. unto the said Lenders, their Executors or Assignes, or such person or persons their Assignes as aforesaid, in manner and forme following: viz. Twenty six thousand, six hundred, sixty six pounds, thirteen shillings & four pence, with such interest thereof at one entire payment out of the moneys to be Taxed, Leavied and paid for the Collection of the fifth moneth, by vertue of the said former Ordinances; Twenty six thousand, six hundred, sixty six pounds, thirteene shillings four pence with the interest thereof, at one entire payment out of the moneys to be Taxed, Levied, and paid for the six moneths Collection, by vertue of the said former Ordinance: And twenty six thousand, six hundred, sixty six pounds, thirteen shillings, four pence with interest after the same Rate, at one entire payment out of the moneys to be Taxed, Levied, and paid for the seventh moneths Collection, by force of the said Ordinance of the fifteenth of February: The said severall summes of Twenty six thousand, six hundred, sixty six pounds, thirteen shillings four pence, with interest thereof, to be paid out of the first moneys to be received in, or for the said severall and respective fifth, sixth, and seventh Moneths Collection, by force of the said recited Ordinance, and of this present Ordinance. And in case there be not sufficient raised out of the fifth, sixth, and seventh months Levy, Tax or Receipt, That then the said Treasurers, or any two of them, (one of them being an Alderman, the other of them a Commoner) shall have power, and they are hereby authorized, injoyned and required to pay the said Eighty thousand pounds with interest as aforesaid, or the remainder thereof, to the said Lenders, their Executors, or Assignes as aforesaid, out of such summes of money as shall be Taxed, Levied and payed, by vertue of the said Ordinance of the fifteenth of February last, and this present Ordinance, for the eighth, ninth, and tenth moneths in the said recited Ordinance mentioned; The same to be paid proportionably to each Lender, his Executors, or Assignes as aforesaid, according to the summe by him or them advanced by way of Loan, upon his demand thereof from the said Treasurers or any two of them, the one of them being an Alderman, the other a Commoner. And if there shall be a failure of the payment of the said Eighty Thousand Pounds, and the interest thereof as such rate as aforesaid, or any part of the same out of the said monethly Collections hereby appointed for the payment thereof: It is hereby ordained, That so much thereof as shall be unpaid, shall be paid out of such other receipts as are hereafter mentioned, or as shall be in the power of both Houses of Parliament to dispose of, or by some other wayes or meanes to be provided for by both Houses of Parliament, who undertake the provision thereof accordingly: And that every County, City, Borough and other place may be fully assessed according to the Rate by the said Ordinance, intended to be Taxed and Assessed upon them, in case there should be default in any of the Committees appointed by the said Ordinance, in the making of the said Assessement, or in any County, City, Borough, or other place, in paying of the summes Assessed, or any negligence or default in any Collector to be appointed by vertue of the said former Ordinance, for raising and maintaining the said Forces, or Collecting of the same, or otherwise; Be it Ordained, That the Earl of Northumberland, the Earl of Kent, the Earl of Rutland, the Earl of Pembrook, the Earl of Salisbury, the Earl of Denbigh, the Earl of Bullingbrook, the Lord Viscount Say and Seal, the Lord Wharton, the Lord Howard, Master Sollicitor, Sir Henry Vane Junior, Mr. Crew, Mr. Pierrepoint, Mr. Stroad, Mr. Recorder, Sir John Evelyn, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Renolds, Collonel Ven, Sir Thomas Soame, Mr. Jennour, Mr. Hodges, Mr. Pury, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Benningfield, Mr. Bond, Sir Arthur Haslerig, Mr. Seawen, and Sir Gilbert Gerrard, Members of the Commons House of Parliament, and the said eight Treasurers or any four of them, (whereof two to be Aldermen and two to be Commoners) calling unto them such of the Lenders as they or the greater number of them shall thinke fit, shall have full power and they are hereby authorized to take and set downe such order as they shall thinke meete and fit for the full assessing, and the due collecting of the said severall summes of Money to be taxed, levied, and paid, and levying the Arrears hereafter in this present Ordinance mentioned, and all incident Charges touching the same And such order shall bee obeyed by every person and persons in such manner and forme as shall be by the Persons before named, or any eight of them (foure of them at the least being Members of the Commons House of Parliament) directed and prescribed, The same power not to exceed that already given to the respective Committees by the said recited Ordinance of the fifteenth of February last.

Said Treasurers to give Receipts for moneys advanced.

And be it further Ordained that the said Treasurers at Warres, or any two of them (whereof one of them to be an Alderman, and the other a Commoner) shall subscribe every receipt to such person or persons, as shall advance by way of Loane any summe or summes of Money towards the said eighty thousand pounds undertaken to be Advanced, and such receipt shall interest and intitle every person or persons, to whom the same shall be given their and his Executors, Administratours and Assignes, as aforesaid, into the security and benefit of this present Ordinance for the repayment of the said eighty thousand pounds, with such interest thereof as aforesaid.

Power to Committee to give warrants to Treasurers for issuing said £80,000.

And it be further Ordained, that the Receipt of the said Treasurers or any two of them, (the one of them being an Alderman, and the other a Commoner) shall be a sufficient discharge to every Collector, or other person that shall pay in any Money that shall be taxed, leavied, and paid by vertue of the said Ordinance of the fifteenth of February last, or this present Ordinance. And that the said Members of the House of Commons, or any five of them shall have Power, and are hereby Authorized to bee a Committee to give Warrants to the said Treasurers at Warre, or any two of them, for the issuing forth of the said eighty thousand pounds advanced by way of loane, and all other the Moneys that they shall receive by vertue of the said former, and of this present Ordinance, and in the same Warrant it shall bee expressed for what purpose the Money contained in the same is to be issued, and the said Warrants with a receipt thereupon under the hand of the party to whom the same is directed to be paid, or his Assigne or Assignes, shall be a sufficient discharge to the said Treasurers, and every of them, for so much as they shall thereupon issue forth, Except for the severall summes of twenty six thousand, six hundred sixty six pounds thirteene shillings and four pence, with interest thereof, as aforesaid; Which summes are to bee paid to the persons advancing the said eighty thousand pounds as aforesaid, and not otherwise employed.

Said sum to be used only for purposes named in this and former Ord.

And it is also Ordained, that the said eighty thousand pounds advanced by the said Lenders, and all Moneys to bee raised by vertue of the said Ordinance of the fifteenth of February last, shall bee employed onely for the purposes, uses, and intents in this Ordinance and the forementioned Ordinance of the fifteenth of February expressed, and not otherwise, and not Warrants shall bee made from the said Committee or any other, or if issued, shall bee obeyed but onely for the purposes aforesaid.

Allowance to Treasurers at War.; And to their Assistance.

And it is also further Ordained, that the said Treasurers at War for their paines in receiving, and issuing forth of the said eighty thousand pounds, and the Moneys to be raised and received by vertue of the said recited Ordinance, and this present Ordinance, and in consideration shall execute the employment of the Treasurer at Warres, shall have three pense for every pound, they shall receive and issue forth of the Moneys to bee taxed, levyed and paid by vertue of the said recited Ordinance; And shall also have three pounds five shillings four pence per diem, to bee disposed of as they shall thinke fit for the payment of such persons as they shall thinke meete to make use of, for the better execution of the said employment of Treasurer at Warre, and all other charges allowed to Sir Gilbert Gerrard, as Treasurer at Warre, and shall issue the Moneys without any further or other allowance, the said allowances to bee paid monethly.

All Arrear on former Ord. to be used for purposes here named.

And bee it further Ordained that all arrears which are or shall be due upon the Ordinance of the fifteenth of February, and all arrearages of Weekly Assessements due upon any Ordinance from any of the Inhabitants within the Cities of London and Westminister, or the County of Middlesex, And all Moneys that shall bee due from any Accomptant or Accomptants, Collectors or Treasurers, by vertue of any Ordinance for taking of the Aecompts of the whole Kingdome shall bee employed, towards the raising and maintaining of the Forces under the Command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, and other the purposes in this Ordinance mentioned.

But any sums due to Accountants, Collectors etc., to be first paid,

Provided, That all such Moneys that by Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, or Order of the Commons House of Parliament, before the passing hereof, are to be paid out of the said arreares or moneyes that shall be due from any Accomptant or Accomptants, Collectors or Treasurers shall be first paid, notwithstanding this Ordinance or any thing herein contained to the contrary.

Last months' Tax on Kent to be for Plymouth Garrison.

Provided also, that this Ordinance shall not extend to the Raising, or Levying, of the last Moneths Tax or Assessement upon the County of Kent, but that the same shall and may be employed for the Garrison of Plymouth.

Tax named in Ord. of Feb. 15 to be in force till the £80,000 be repaid.

Provided, and it is Ordained, that the tax and Assessement on the severall Counties and places in the said Ordinance of the fifteenth of February mentioned, and all power for Collectiong, Raising, Levying and receiving the same, shall be in force, and stand in being, and put in execution untill the summe of eighty thousand pounds with interest as aforesaid be repaid, although this present Warre continue not so long.

Months to be Calendar months.

Provided that, Whereas by the said former Ordinance, It is appointed that the sums therein mentioned shall be taxed levyed, and paid from the first day of February till the first day of December next, which comprehendeth more then ten Moneths, reckoning eight and twenty days to the month, Whereupon some doubt hath arisen, touching the computation of the said Moneths; for clearing whereof, It is hereby Declared & Ordained, that the said Monethly Taxe be made according to the Callender, and not otherwise.

And whereas by the said former Ordinance, the severall Committees, or any two of them are Authorised and required to allow the severall allowances of one penny, and one halfe penny therein mentioned: And it is necessary that the said severall summes of Money Collected, be paid to the said Treasurers in Guild-Hall London.

Moneys to be paid in at Guildhall.; Collectors' Allowance.

It is Ordained, that the said summes be paid at the Guild-Hall London aforesaid, according to the intent of this Ordinance by the said Collectors. And upon payment thereof the said Treasurers or any two of them (the one of them being an Alderman and the other a Commoner) shall give allowance of the said one penny, and one halfe penny to the said Collectors, and to free the said Committees from trouble therein. It is also ordained that the said power as to the allowing of the said one penny, and one halfe penny, by the said Committees be hereby discharged the former Ordinance notwithstanding.