Impressment of Seamen (No. 3) Act 1640

c. 23. ante, found ineffectual.

Lord Admiral empowered to impress Seamen.; Such impressed Men to have conduct Money at the Rate of 1d. per Mile; and to have Wages and Entertainment at the like Rate as for Three Years last past.; Seamen, &c. refusing to be impressed, or hiding themselves, &c.; Imprisonment.

Whereas the late Act intituled An Act for the better raising and levying of Mariners Sailers and others for the present guarding of the Seas and necessary defence of the Realme & other his Majesties Dominions is found by experience to be ineffectuall for the supply of the present expedition now intended for the defence of all his Majesties Realmes and Dominions by reason of sundry restricc[i]ons and doubtfull limitac[i]ons in the said act And forasmuch as it highly importeth the safety of all his Majesties said Dominions that severall Fleets of Ships be with all possible speed set forth to the Seas and all manner of diligence be used therein for the raising of Mariners Sailers and others to that purpose Be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present Parliament That the Lord Admirall that now is shall and may at any time or times betweene the first day of February 1641. and the first of November 1642 by himselfe his Vice Admirall Commissioner or Co[m]missioners or other Officer or Officers or any of them levye and impresse such and soe many Mariners Sailers Watermen Chirurgions Gunners & Ship Carpenters as shall be requisite and necessary for this present expedition or for any such further defence of the Realm or any other of his Majesties Dominions which said Mariners Sailers and other such persons so to be levied & imprested as aforesaid and every of them shall have paid & delivered unto him upon such his impressing by the person that shall so impresse him for conduct money for every mile from the place where he shall be soe impressed to the Ship or place to which he shall be appointed to make his repaire the su[m]m of one peny and the like sum of one peny for every mile from the place of his discharge unto the place of his abode and shall be allowed for his service the best wages and entertainment which have or hath beene allowed by his Majestie to any such person or persons respectively at any time within three yeares last past And if any Mariner Sailer Watermen Chirurgion Gunner or Ship Carpenter shall wilfully refuse to be impressed in or for the said service or shall voluntarily hide and absent himselfe att the time of such presse to avoide the said service that then every such person so offending shall suffer imprisonment by the space of three monthes without bail or mainprise.