Middlesex Sessions:
General Orders of the Court
SM | GO

10th June 1713 - 17th October 1721

About this document type

Currently Held: London Metropolitan Archives

LL ref: LMSMGO400000228

Image 228 of 27713th October 1720


P adjorn Jovis 13o. die Octobris 1720

Order for a Comittee
to attend the Lord
cheife Justice Pratt
touching the putting
the Laws in execucon
agt. the Keepers &
Frequenters of
publique Gameing
houses,


Robt. Thornhill< no role >
Jacob Harvey< no role >
D' Oyly Michel< no role >
Jon. Leacroft< no role > } Esqrs .

Whereas their Excellencys the Lords Justices have
taken notice that there is a great Number of comon and
publique Gameing Houses and other disorderly Houses and
Night Houses in this County, where many loose Persons
resort to and play at dice cards and other new invented
unlawfull Games, whereby many Persons are defrauded
of their substance, and divers riots affrays & blood sheds
are comitted there, & such Houses are publique Nusances
And the effectual Suppressing thereof hath been recomended
by their Excellencys to his Majestys Justices of the
Peace for this County Now upon Information given
unto this Court that Several Justices of the Peace
for this County have assembled and met together
to put the Laws in Execution against Persons who
keep and also against the Persons who Frequent
Such publique Gameing Houses and play at unlawfull
Games, and for that purpose the said Justices have
repaired to such Gameing Houses in Order to See
what unlawfull Games were therein used, and
what Persons were playing thereat, to the end they
might apprehend and prosecute the Persons who
keep the said Gameing Houses and also the Persons
resorting thereto to use Such unlawfull Games, but
that the said Justices have not been able to enter
into the said Gameing Houses and Gameing Rooms
therein to discover the said Offenders for that the
Keepers of Such Gameing Houses have Strong
Hatches to their Street doors and also to the doors of
their Inner Rooms with Sharp Iron Spikes over the
said Hatches, which Hatches are kept fast locked &
are guarded by Soldiers who refuse to let the said
Justices of Peace or any Constable enter the said
Gameing Houses or Inner Roomes, whereby they
are obstructed from entring the same, & putting
the said Laws in Execucon, This Court for the
obtaining redress in the premisses and to the
intent that the Offenders above mentioned may




View as XML