Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/573

 12 S. X. JUNE 17, 1922.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 471 AUTHORS WANTED. 1. I should be very much obliged if any reader could tell me whence the following lines are taken : " Love, honour, courage made your record clean, And grief is hushed in glorious pride of you." L. 'B. E. '2. I shall he glad to learn the source of the following lines : The mists lie low on hill and bay, The autumn leaves are dewless, dry ; But I have had the day ! Yes, I have had, dear Lord, the clay ; Brief be the twilight as I pass From light to dark, from dark to light ! " E. BASIL LUPTON. 10, Hurnboldt Street, Cambridge, Mass, U.S.A. A CURIOUS DEED OF OBLIGATION. (12S. x. 402.) THE bond quoted by MB. SWYNNEKTON is an interesting example of the vigilant way in which parochial officials strove to prevent persons becoming charge- able to their parish. The Statute of Elizabeth, which established our Poor Law system, rendered each parish liable to maintain its own poor, and the local officials were constantly on the watch to prevent the residence within their jurisdiction of persons who might possibly become a burden on the rates. Especially was objection made to inmates, who are explained by Jacob, in his ' Law Dictionary ' as being those persons who are admitted to dwell with, and in the house of another, and not able to maintain themselves. . . . These inmates are generally idle persons harboured in cottages, where- in it hath been common for several families to inhabit, by which the poor of parishes have been increased ; but suffering it is an offence by statute, liable to a forfeiture of 10$. a month inquirable of in the Court Leet, &c." A few extracts from unpublished local records will illustrate the way local au- thorities dealt with the matter. At the Court Baron for the Manor of Gisburn in the West Riding held on Jan. 30, 1636/7, a pain was laid by the jury that if any of the inhabitants harboured Dorothy .Mitton they should forfeit to the lord 10s. for every month, and a further pain was laid that no man, nor woman, should harbour any person, or persons, any. longer than two or three nights, unless needful occasion constrain them, under penalty for every offence of 10s. At the Court Baron for the Manor of Halton, near Lancaster, held on July 4, 12 James I., the jury ordered that whoever kept Jennett Sander and Agnes Sander after that court should forfeit for every week 6s. Sd. ; that whoever kept Thomas Woodfield and his wife after that court should forfeit for every week 6s. Sd. ; that whoever kept Richard Lambe after that court should forfeit 6s. Sd. ; and they amerced Thomas Barker 6s. Sd. for keeping Lawrence Hutton and his wife. At the Court Baron of the same manor held on Oct. 26, 16 James L, Christopher Wales was amerced for keeping Arthur Harrison and his wife two years, 6s. Sd. for each year ; and Agnes Denny was amerced 6s. Sd. for keeping Richard Milner and his wife. At the Court Baron of the same manor held on March 16, 1719/20, the jury ordered that no tenant in the lordship should make any division of houses, or make any sort of housing anew, whereby there may be any new families taken thereunto, upon penalty ofl 19s. Qd. At a Court Leet for the Borough of Clitheroe held in November, 1603, the jury made the following presentment : ' ' We pre- sent all inmates that they void them betwixt this and Saturday next." At a Court Leet held on Oct. 23, 1628, the jury ordered That William Bailey, Smith, shall give suffi- cient security to the bailiffs to save the town harmless from his family, and also to give the town satisfaction for his trade between this and the next Court day or depart out of the town under the penalty of 40s. (By the borough regulations no person was entitled to carry on any trade in the town unless he had served an apprenticeship of seven years to a person of the same trade in the town. In any other case he had to compound with the borough authorities for permission to exercise his trade. Bailey was evidently an outsider, and he had there- fore not only to pay for being permitted to set up his trade, but he was obliged to give security that his family should not become chargeable, or else he must quit the town.) At a Court Leet held on Jan. 17, 1648, it was ordered That no man within this town shall take any inmates into his house hereafter except he first give security to the Bailiffs and Burgesses of this town, under the penalty of 20. And at a subsequent Court the jury presented Mr. Bailiff Wood (one of the heads
 * ' I know the night is near at hand,
 * When at thy call I have the night,