November 1776

pray and require Your Grace to call upon the Justices of the peace within
the County of Middlesex where of your Grace is Custos Rotulorum
and strictly enjoin and require them to cause all stragling Seamen
who are fit to serve or Board his Majestys Ships to be taken up and
sent by proper persons from place to place until they shall be brought to
the Clerks of the Cheque of his Majestys Yards at Deptford
Woolwich Chatham Sheerness Portsmouth Plymouth or to the
Naval Officer at Harwich according as those places shall be nearest
to where such Stragling Seaman shall be taken up that so they
may be put on Board such of his Majestys Ships or Vessels as
shall be appointed to receive them and that there be paid to the
persons who shall be intrusted with the Conducting them by the
aforesaid Clerks of the Cheque or Naval Officer Twenty Shillings
for each Seaman fit for his Majestys Service, and six pence a
Mile for every Mile they respectively Travel not exceeding Twenty
Miles but that if the Men so taken up shall be sent to any place
where no such Clerk of the Cheque or Naval Officer doth reside
that then the same allowance be paid to the Conductors by the
Collectors or proper Officers of the Customs residing at or nearest
to the place whereunto they shall be brought (out of Money to be
furnished them for that purpose by the Lords of his Majestys
Treasury as heretofore) upon Certificates from the Captain or
Commander of the Ship or Vessel whereunto they shall be put or
from a regulating Captain of his having received them which
allowance is to be reimbursed to the said Officers of the Customs
by the principal Officers and Commissioners of his Majestys
Navy upon their Transmitting to the said principal Officers
and Commissioners Authentic Accounts of what Monies they
shall Expend and so not doubting of Your Graces Zeal and
Vigour in the performance of this Service we bid Your Grace
very heartily farewell. From the Council Chamber of St James
the 8th. day of November 1776

Your Graces very Loving Friends

[..] o his Grace
[..] Duke of Northumberland
[..] os Rotulorum of the County
Middlesex

Dartmouth c:p:s
Sandwich
Clarendon
Falmouth
Hinchingbrook
Weymouth