concern) the miserable and deplorable State & condition of
many of the prisoners, Men, Women, and children there
confined, they being by age or Sickness disabled from doing
any times for their own Support, and haveing no allowance
are Starveing and perishing for want of the common
comforts & necessary of life, And the Said Grand Jury
therefore earnestly desired and requested That the Said
Court would be pleased to make a Rate or Tax on every
parish in the Said County as by Law they were enabled &
impowered to do, And that they would be pleased to
direct & appoint proper persons to apply the money So
raised to the immediate relief of these poor unhappy
Creatures, And the Said presentment mentions the power
in Such case granted to Justices of the peace in the words
following, to witt, It Shall & may be lawfull for
the Justices of peace of every Shire within this Realmat
their General Quarter Sessions of the peace to be holden
within the Same Shire or the most part of the Said
Justices being then present to rate and tax every parish
within the Said Shire at Such reasonable Sums of money
for & towards the relief of the Said prisoners as they Shall
think conveinent by their discretions, So that the Said
Taxation and Rate doth not exceed above Six pence or
eight pence by the week out of every parish, 14 Eliz:
chap: 4-1 James: 25-21 Ja: 28-3 Char: 4
Now upon reading the aforesaid presentment It is
Ordered by this Court that it be And It is hereby
recomended & referred unto Richard Newton< no role > John
Milner Thomas Lane< no role > William Stevart Nathaniel
Blackerby Anthony Chamberlain< no role > Jacob Harvey< no role >
Simon Mithell< no role > Alexander Garrett< no role > Andrew Osborne< no role >
Nathaniel Chandler< no role > William Booth< no role > Clifford William< no role >
Phillips Henry Dodson< no role > & Thomas Robe< no role > Esqr . fifteen of
his Maties Justices of the peace for the Said County
and other his Maties Justices of the peace for the Said
County who Shall think fit to be present or any