POLITICAL HISTORY 



country. The last shred of feudal tenure was abolished ; the levies of 

 the county received parliamentary recognition ; a new system of military 

 service was begun. The necessity of providing for their own safety, 

 which was a burden on the frontier counties, had ceased since the union 

 of the Crowns, and though the old customs were temporarily revived 

 during the civil war, they fell into abeyance during the Protectorate. 

 By the enactments of 1662 the county was absorbed into the military 

 organization of the nation as a whole, and subjected to the burden of 

 contributing its quota to the national forces. The exceptional position 

 of the frontier counties, however, was not yet at an end. An additional 

 obligation was thrown upon them of dealing with a state of society 

 which had been fostered by their past history and associations. The 

 attention of parliament in 1662 was directed to the condition of the 

 northern borders, and an Act 1 was passed for the declared purpose of 

 putting down disorderly and lawless persons, commonly called moss- 

 troopers, who had for many years frequented the counties of Northum- 

 berland and Cumberland, and who had increased * since the time of the 

 late unhappy distractions.' The justices of the peace in Quarter Sessions 

 were now constituted in the place of the special commissioners of 

 James I., who had in turn succeeded the lord wardens of the marches. 

 In Cumberland the new authority was empowered to levy a yearly tax 

 not exceeding 200 for the defence of the county. A crude police 

 system was established, consisting of an officer, called the country 

 keeper, and twelve men, for the purpose of hunting the thieves and 

 bringing them to the gallows." Book-keepers were appointed in all the 

 market towns of the county, where the country people were at liberty to 

 register their cattle. The office of country keeper 3 was a sort of insur- 

 ance agency responsible to the owner for the value of all booked cattle 

 stolen or lost. The records of Quarter Sessions for about a century after 

 the system was instituted teem with evidence of the working of this new 

 machinery. It should be mentioned that the Act was permissive and had 

 to be revived, as occasion called, at the expense of the county. 4 The office 

 of country keeper was a yearly appointment, and it often happened that 

 the same person was re-appointed for several years in succession. The 

 allowance varied from year to year according to the state of the country, 

 but it could not exceed 200 as allowed by the Act. 



The application of the Border service for the protection of property 

 may be illustrated by an entry in the sessional records : 



i 13 & 14 Charles II. c. 22, entitled ' An Act for preventing of theft and rapine upon the Northern 

 Borders of England.' It was amended by the subsequent Acts 18 Charles II. c. 3, and 29 & 30 Charles II. 

 c. 2. Compare this legislation with43 Elizabeth c. 13, and 13 Geo. III. c. 31. The reputation of the 

 countyfor thieving was noticed by George Fox on his visit to Gillesland in 1653 (Journal [Leeds, 1836], 

 i. 241). 



* By the Act 1 8 Charles II. c. 3, great and notorious thieves and spoil takers in the counties of North- 

 umberland and Cumberland shall suffer death as felons without benefit of clergy, or may be transported 

 for life by order of the judges of assize. 



3 It was customary to select one of the justices for the office of country keeper. Bonds of the country 

 keepers continued to be registered with the clerk of the peace, Carlisle, till 1756, about which time, pro- 

 bably, the justices ceased to have the Act renewed. 



4 In the proceedings of the sessions there are frequent orders for this purpose. 



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