of the Seventeenth Century. 



73 



before the Assizes as anciently they have done and of right ought to 

 doe, by meanes whereof many offenders oftn escape uupunished. It 

 is therefore nowe ordered by this Court That all petty constables and 

 Tythingmen w rh in the sev'rall hundreds and lib r ties of this County 

 shall from henceforth a ffortnight at least before any Assizes niake 

 their prsentments in writinge of all misdemean" and offences comitted 

 and done w th in their libties and tythinges w ck are not punished, and 

 carry the same prsentmts before the next Justice of^the peace to be 

 sworne unto it. And afterwards the said petty conbles and Tything 

 men are to deliver the same present" 113 to the Constables of their 

 hundreds before every Assizes,_who are to deliver the same into the 

 Cort with their owne presentmts, That proces may goe forth to call 

 in the offenders to answere to their offences. And coppies of this 

 order are to be sent to the Con bl(S of every hundred w th in this County 

 who are to publish the same in their hundreds before the next Assizes 

 that p r sentments may be made accordingly." 



Penruddock and Grove had fallen, the fourteen Major-Generals, 

 ff those Dragons, " were out harrying the land. The above looks 

 like a whisper of one of them dropped into the ear of the Chief 

 Baron, and passed on hy him to the Grand Jury. Such an order 

 would increase the prevailing discontent, and may, amongst other 

 things, have induced " His Highness 99 once more to summon 

 "His Parliament," which assembled "for grievances" on the 17th 

 of September following. 



Then at the same Assizes "John Parker of Leigh, upon hearing 

 of the matter in open court, it is ordered by his consent (?) that he 

 shall take the apprentice, Edward Lewis, placed with him by the 

 churchwardens and overseers of the poore with the consent of the 

 Justices of the Place/' 



Judges of assize have ceased to act in such matters, and also in 

 the following. 



Somerset Assizes, Chard,28th July,1656,before Chief Baron Steele : 

 " fforasmuch as many useful lawes have been and are in force for the preservation 

 of tymber notwithstandinge which many persons mindinge theire private lucre 

 doe w th in the county distroy and grubb upp their woods w th out leavinge standolls 

 accordinge to Lawe and otherwise offende in destroyinge the same w ch being 

 taken notice of and p r sented by the Grand Inquest for this County att this 

 Assizes — This Cort doth refer and recomend a business of soe publique concern- 

 ment to the Justices of peace att their next publique Q r . Sessions to consider how 

 by such waies as they shall find just to encourage some ffitt p r sons to inquire 

 out and prosecute accordinge to Lawe and Justice such as doe or shall offend in 

 the p r misses." 



