The statute for mending of highways 1555
I copied the following text from a book on Turnpikes in Berkshire, produced as a topic guide for Primary School teaching, and found in the local studies section of Wokingham Library. An excellent book by the way, covering all aspects of the subject without patronising.
I do not know if the text is complete, the original source is given as Reading University Library. I have 'modernised' it only by changing the long S (f) to the modern s.
St. John the Baptist's day is 24th June.
Ross Kennedy, Green Lane Association, June 2003
The statute for mending of highways.
| |
| |
FOR amending of highways, being now very noisom and tedious to travel in, and dangerous to all passengers and carriages :
|
| (2) |
be it enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the constables and church-wardens of every parish within this realm, shall yearly upon the Tuesday or Wednesday in Easter week call together a number of the parishioners, and shall then elect and chuse two honest persons of the parish to be surveyors and orderers for one year, for the works for Amendment of the highways in their parish leading to any market-town ;
|
| (3) |
the which persons shall have authority by virtue hereof, to order and direct the persons and carriages that shall be appointed for those works, by their discretions ;
|
| (4) |
and the said persons so named shall take upon them the execution of their said offices, upon pain every of them making default, to forfeit twenty shillings.
|
|
| II |
| |
And the said constables and church-wardens shall then also name and appoint four days for the amending of the said ways, before the feast of the nativity of Saint John Baptist then next following ;
|
| (2) |
and shall openly in the church the next Sunday after Easter give knowledge of the same four days ;
|
| (3) |
and upon the said days the parishioners shall endeavour themselves to the amending of the said ways ;
|
| (4) |
and shall be chargeable thereunto as followeth ; that is to say, every person for every plow-land in tillage or pasture that he or she shall occupy in the same parish, and every other person keeping there a draught or plough, shall find and send at every day and place to be appointed for the amending of the ways in that parish as aforesaid, one wain or cart furnished after the custom of the country with oxen, horses or other cattle, and all other necessaries meet to carry things convenient for that purpose, and also two able men with the same, upon pain of every draught making default, ten shillings;
|
| (5) |
and every other householder, and also every cottager and labourer of that parish, able to labour, and being no hired servant by the year, shall by themselves or one sufficient labourer for every of them, upon every of the said four days, work and travel in the Amendment of the said highways, upon pain of every person making default, to lose for every day twelve pence.
|
| (6) |
And if the said carriages of the parish, or any of them, shall not bethought needful by the supervisors to be occupied upon any of the said days, that then every such person that should have sent any such Carriage, shall send to the said work for every Carriage so spared two able men, there to labour for that day, upon pain to lose for every man so sent to the said work, twelve pence.
|
| (7) |
And every person and Carriage above said shall have and bring with them such shovels, spades, picks, mattocks, and other tools and instruments, as they do make their own ditches and fences withal, and such as be necessary for their said work.
|
|
|
