VAGABOND. 



into the Dwina, at Uft Vagfkoi, in the government of 

 Archangel. . 



VAGABOND, a perfon that wanders about, having no 

 certain dwelling ; or a fturdy beggar, &c. mentioned in 

 divers ftatutes. 



" De vagabundis, et aliis hominibus mendicantibus, qui 

 fe nominant."— Travelling men, &c. Charta 22 Hen. VI. 

 «' Item utemur, quod nullus vagabundus vegetur feu deam- 

 bulet de noae in villa feu fuburbio port pulfationem cam- 

 pans noftrie communis, vocatae Coverfeu : et fi aliquis 

 ibidem capiatur poft pulfationem didlx campans, ducatur 

 ad gaulam domini regis, ct ibi morabitur ufqua in craftinum, 

 ut notitia perfons fua: habeatur," &c. MS. Cod. de Leg. 

 et Stat. Burgi villae Mountgomer. temp. Hen. II. 



All itinerant beggars, fortune-tellers, coUeaors for gaols, 

 fencers, bearwards, players of interludes, minftrels, jugg'^rs, 

 gypfies, &c. (liall be reputed vagabonds, rogues, and Iturdy 

 beggars. 39 Eliz. c. 4. , 



The court of Areopagus at Athens puniHied idleneis, 

 and exercifed a right of examining every citizen in what 

 manner he fpent his time. The civil law expelled all fturdy 

 beggars from the city ; and, in our own law, all idle per- 

 fons or vagabonds, (whom our ancient ftatutes defcnbe to 

 be " fuch as wake in the night, and lleep in the day, and 

 haunt cuftomable taverns, and alehoufes, and routs about ; 

 and no man wot from whence they come or whither they 

 go ;" or fuch as are more particularly defcribed by ftatute 

 17 Geo. II. c. 5. called the Vagrant Aft, and divided 

 into three clafles, idle ami diforderly perfons, rogues and 

 •vagabonds, and incorrigible rogues,) are offenders againft 

 the good order, and blemilhes in the government, of any 



kingdom. r •, j t. u 



Idle and diforderly perfons are thus defcnbed by the 

 faid ftatute : -viz. all perfons who threaten to run away, and 

 leave their wives or children to the parifti : all perfons who 

 faall unlawfully return to the parifti or place from whence 

 they have been legally removed by order of two juftices, 

 without bringing a certificate from the parifti or place 

 whereunto they belong : all perfons, who, not having where- 

 with to maintain themfelves, live idle without employment, 

 and rcfufe to work for the ufual and common wages given 

 to other labourers in the like work, in the parifties or places 

 where they are : all perfons going about from door to door, 

 or placing themfelves in ftreets, highways, or paftages, to 

 beg or gather alms in the parifties or places where they 

 dwell. And by 32 Geo. III. c. 45. all perfons who by 

 their wilful default and negled permit their wives and 

 children to become chargeable to their parifties or places ; 

 and it ftiall be made appear to two juftices that fuch perfons 

 do not ufe proper means to get emplbyment, or being able 

 to work do negleft to work, or fpend their money in ale- 

 houfes or places of bad repute, or in any other improper 

 manner, and do not employ a proper proportion of the 

 money earned by them towards the maintenance of their 

 wives and families, by which they or any of them become 

 chargeable to fuch parifti or place ; and thefe ftiall be deemed 

 idle and diforderly perfons. 



Rogues and vagabonds are, by the fame ftatute, fuch as 

 follow : viz. all perfons going about as patent-gatherers, or 

 gatherers of alms, under pretence of lofs by fire, or other 

 cafualty ; perfons going about as coUeftors for prifons, 

 gaols, or hofpitals ; fencers ; bearwards ; common players 

 of interludes, and all perfons who ftiall for hire, gain, or 

 reward, act, repvefent, or perform, or caufe to be afted, 

 reprefented, or performed, any interlude, tragedy, comedy, 

 opera, play, farce, or other entertainment of the ftage, or 

 any part therein, not being authorifed by law ; minftrels ; 



jugglers ; and all perfons pretending to be gypfies, or wan- 

 dering in the habit or form of Egyptians ; fortune-tellers, 

 or perfons pretending to have fl^ill in phyfiognomy, pal- 

 meftry, or hke crafty fcience, or to tell fortunes ; or ufing 

 any fubtile craft, to deceive and impofe on any of his ma- 

 jefty's fubjefts ; or playing or betting at any unlawful 

 games or plays ; all perfons who run away, and leave their 

 wives or children, whereby they become chargeable to any 

 parifti or place ; all petty chapmen, and pedlars, wandering 

 abroad, not being duly licenfed, or otherwife authorifed by 

 law ; all perfons wandering abroad, and lodging in alehoufes, 

 barns, out-houfes, or in the open air, not giving a good 

 account of themfelves ; all perfons wandering abroad, and 

 begging, pretending to be foldiers, mariners, or feafaring 

 men (but by 43 Geo. III. c. 61. foldiers, failors, marines, 

 and the wives of foldiers therein mentioned, are relieved 

 againft the penalties of the vagrant afts) ; or pretending to 

 go to work in harveft, without a certificate figned by the 

 minifter, and one of the churchwardens or overfeers where 

 he ftiall inhabit, that he hath a dwelling-houfe or place 

 there ; illegally dealing in lottery tickets and ftiares ; per- 

 fons to the number of two or more afTcmblmg to deftroy 

 game in the night-time (39 & 40 Geo. III. c. 50.) ; and 

 all other perfons wandering abroad and Tsegging, ftiall be 

 deemed rogues and vagabonds. By 23 Geo. III. c. 88. 

 any perfon apprehended, having upon him any picklock 

 key, crow, jack, bit, or other implement, v/ith an in- 

 tent felonioufly to break and enter into any dwelling-houfe, 

 warehoufe, coach-houfe, ftable, or out-houfe, or who ftiall 

 have upon him any piftol, hanger, cutlafs, bludgeon, or 

 other offenfive weapon, with intent felonioufly to aflault any 

 perfon : or ftiall be found in or upon any dwelling-houfe, 

 wirehoufe, coach-houfe, ftable, or out-houfe, or in any in- 

 clofed yard or garden, or area belonging to any houfe, 1 

 with intent to fteal any goods or chattels, (hall be deemed 

 a rogue and vagabond within the meaning of the ftatute of 1 

 the 17 Geo. II. So alfo by 39 & 40 Geo. III. c. 87. 

 fufpefted perfons and reputed thieves frequenting the 

 Thames, and the quays and warehoufes, &c. adjoining, 

 with a felonious intent. 



Incorrigible rogues are by 17 Geo. II. c. 5. thus de- 

 fcribed : all end-gatherers offending againft the ftatute of 

 13 Geo. I. being convifted of fuch offence, which offence, , 

 by 13 Geo. I. c. 23. is this, viz. the collefting, buying, j 

 receiving, or carrying any ends of yarn, wefts, thrums, (hort ' 

 yarn, or other refufe of cloth, drugget, or other woollen 

 goods ; and the puniftiment of fuch perfons is in order to 

 prevent their committing abufes, by fuch praftices, in the 

 woollen manufafture : all perfons apprehended as rogues 

 and vagabonds, and efcaped from the perfons apprehending 

 them ; or refufing to go before a juftice ; or to be examined 

 on oath before fuch juftice ; or refufing to be conveyed by 

 fuch pafs as is hereinafter diretled ; or knowingly giving a 

 falfe account of themfelves on fuch examination, after warn- 

 ing given them of their puniftiment : all rogues or vagabonds 

 who ftiall break or efcape out of any houfe of correftion, 

 before the expiration of the term for which they were com- 

 mitted or ordered to be confined by this aft : all perfons 

 who, after having been punifticd as rogues and vagabonds, 

 and difcharged, ftiall again commit any of the faid offences : 

 all thefe ftiall be deemed incorrigible rogues. To which 

 may be added, any perfon convifted of a third offence 

 againft the 6 Geo. III. c. 48. 



Idle and diforderly perfons are puniftiable by the ftatute 

 17 Geo. II. c. 5. with one month's imprifonment in the 

 houfe of correftion, upon conviftion before one juftice, by 

 his own view, confeffion, or oath of one witnefs. Any 



perfon iJ 



