'88 A. D. 1541. 



Bridgwater, Taunton, Somerton, and Alchefter, (all in Sonierfetfliire) ; 

 Maldon in EfTex; and, laflly, Warwick : ' which houfes now are fallen 

 ■' down, decayed, and at this time remain unre-edified as defolate and 

 ' vacant grounds, many of them nigh adjoining to the high ftreets, re- 

 ' plenifhed with much uncleannefs and filth, with pits, cellars, and 

 ' vaults, lying open and uncovered, to the great peril of the king's fub- 

 ' jeds ; and other houfes are in danger of falhng. Now, if the owners 

 ' of the watte grounds (on which lioufes had flood within twenty-five 

 ' years back), and of the decaying houfes, do not in three years time 



* rebuild them, then the lord of whom the ground is held may re-en- 



• ter, and feize the fame, &c. as in a like law anno 1535.' Concern- 

 ing which laws (now and afterward) it may be truly faid, they were 

 •well enough judged, as probably thofe nuifances complained of were 

 -more owing to carelelTnefs, than to any real decay in moft of the places 

 mentioned in thofe two ads, and in the fubfequent ones of this centu- 

 ry ; fince it is well known, that many of thofe cities and towns were, 

 in thofe very times, increafing in commerce and manufadures : fo that 

 thefe two fiatutes feem to have proceeded rather from a particular hu- 

 mour of that parliament, than from any real decay of all, or at leaft of 

 many of the places ; fince, excepting London, Norwich, Liverpool, 

 Northampton, Chefter, Nottingham, Cambridge, and a few more, almofi; 

 all the confiderable cities and towns of the kingdom are thus enumerat- 

 ed as decaying ones, which is almoil impoflible to have been the cafe, 

 whilft the nation in general was increafing, though then but llowly, 

 in wealth and commerce. This therefor feems to be one infi:ance at 

 leaft of the fallibility of fome of our old ftatutes : Some of thofe places 

 might complain of a real decay, which might give a handle to the re- 

 prefentatives of other places to include them alfo in that number, 

 though probably without any ground. 



1542. — The humour of coercive laws for building up wafi:e grounds 

 in cities and towns of England, feems to have prevailed much in the 

 reign of King Henry VIIL We have juft exhibited a long lift of inch, 

 by an ad of parliament in 154.1 ; and another ad [^^ Hen. VIII, c. ^6.^ 

 fays, that whereas in times paft, many beautiful houles have been with- 

 in the walls and liberties of the cities of Canterbury and Rochefter; the 

 towns of Stamford and Grimlhy in Lincolnihire ; the towns of Cam- 

 bridge, Darby, Guildford, Dunwich ; the towns of the Cinque-poris, 

 with their members; Lewes inSufi'ex, and Buckingham ; which are now 

 fallen down, decayed, and remain unre-edified; lying as defolate, with 

 much ordure, filth, &c. as in the preceding laws is fpecified ; where- 

 for, the owners of fuch wafte grounds, and of thofe decayed houfes, 

 are to rebuild them within two years after proclamation made by the 

 magiftrates ; or failing them, then the next or chief lord of the foil may 

 feize on ajnd rebuild the fame for his own ufe, fo he does it within two 



