A. D. 1709. 9 



and not an exclufive, company. Yet when a bill for that end was brought 

 into the houfe, it met with fo many objedlions that it was dropped for 

 this time. 



The regulations, which had been legally made in the year 1698 in 

 the trade to Africa, had not given fatisfadion to the feparate traders, 

 on account of the company's bad condud, which made thofe feparate 

 traders apply for fuch a law ; as they alfo did in the year following, 

 with equal fuccefs, after many hearings of the company, as well as of 

 the feparate traders, the parliament finding it extremely difficult to ob- 

 viate and remove the objedions ftarted on either fide, in relation to that 

 commerce. 



We have, in this year 1709, a third inftance of the legal registering 

 of deeds in England, being a law made for regiflering deeds, convey- 

 ances, and wills, and other incumbrances, made of, or affecting, any ho- 

 nors, manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments, within the county of 

 Middlefex ; the preamble to which runs in fuch a ftrong and jufi; flrain, 

 as feems well to merit the ferious confideration of both the landed and 

 monied interefls in every other county of England, viz. ' whereas, by 



* the different and fecret ways of conveying lands, tenements, and he- 



* reditaments, fuch as are ill-difpofed, have it in their power to commit 

 ' frauds, and frequently do fo, by means whereof feveral perfons (who 

 ' through many years induftry in their trades and employments, and 

 ' by great frugality have been enabled to purchafe lands, or to lend 

 ' monies on land fecurity) have been undone in their purchafes and 

 ' mortgages, by prior and fecret conveyances, and fraudulent incum- 

 ' brances ; and not only themfelves, but their whole families, thereby 



* utterly ruined.' Therefor it was now enaded, that a memorial of 

 all deeds, &c. and of all wills and devifes in writing fhould be regifter- 

 ed by the proper officers thereby appointed, for the fee of only one 

 fhilling. And every deed or conveyance, which fhould thereafter be 

 executed, fhould be adjudged fraudulent, and void againft any fubfe- 

 quent purchafer or mortgagee for valuable confideration, unlets fuch 

 memorial thereof be regiftered, as by this ad is direded, before the re- 

 giftering of the memorial of the deed or conveyance under which fuch 

 fubfequent purchafer or mortgagee fliould claim : and the like as to 

 memorials of wills not regiftered. The preamble declares this ad to 

 have been made at the humble requefl of the juftices of the peace, gen- 

 tlemen, and freeholders, of the county of Middlefex. [7 ylnn. c. 20.] 



Notwithftanding the evident utility and fafety of a general regifter for 

 all England, an attempt for it, many years after this time, was unac- 

 countably rejeded. 



1 710. — By an ad of parliament, [8 j4nn. c. 12] the entrance into the 

 port ot Liverpool having been long experienced to be fo dans^erous and 

 Vol. III. B 



