Alehouse Act 1627

II. Keeping Alehouse, &c. without Licence.

Penalty 20s. to the Poor.; Proof of Offence by View or Confession or Oath of Two Witnesses.; Penalty levied by Distress; Not paid within Three Days after, Distress appraised and sold; Offender not having Goods, or not paying Penalty within Six Days after Conviction.; Punishment.

For Remedie whereof, be it enacted by the Authoritie of this p[re]sent Parliament That if any p[er]son or p[er]sons after Fortie Daies next ensuing the End of this p[re]sent Session of Parliament shall uppon his owne Authoritie not being thereunto lawfullie licensed take uppon him her or them to keepe a co[m]mon Alehouse or Tipling house or use co[m]monlie selling of Ale Beere Cyder or Perrie: that then every such p[er]son or p[er]sons shall for every such Offence forfeite and lose the so[m]me of Twentie Shillings of Currant Mony of England to the Use of the Poore of the Parish where such Offence shalbe co[m]mitted: the same Offence being viewed and seene by any Mayor Bayliffe or Justice of Peace or other Head Officer within their severall Limitts or confessed by the Partie so offending or proved by the Oath of Two Witnesses to be taken before any Maior Bayliffe or other Head Officer or any one or more Justice or Justices of the Peace who by vertue of this Act shalbe authorised to minister the said Oath to any p[er]son or p[er]sons that can or will justifie the same being within the Limittct of their said Co[m]mission, The said Penaltie to be levied by the Constables or Churchwardens of the Parish or Parishes where the said Offence shalbe co[m]mitted who shalbe accomptable therefore to the Use of the Poore of the said Parish by way of Distresse to be taken and detained by Warrant or p[re]cept from the said Mayor Bayliffe Justice or Justices or other Head Officer by whome the said Offence shalbe viewed or before whom the same shalbe confessed or proved as aforesaid: And for Default of Satisfaccion within Three Daies next ensuing the said Distresse to be by the said Constables or Churchwardens apprised and sold, and the Overplus to be delivered to the Partie or Parties offending, and this to be onelie for the First Offence. And if such Offendor or Offendors shall not have sufficient Goods and Chattells, whereby the said Twentie Shillings may be levied by way of Distresse as aforesaid or shall not pay the said so[m]me of Twentie Shillings within Six Daies after such Conviccion as aforesaid, that then the said Mayor Bayliff Justice or Justices or other Head Officer before whome the said Offender shalbe convicted as aforesaid shall co[m]mitt all and every the said Offendor or Offendors to some Constable or Constables or other inferior Officer or Officers of the Citie Borough Towne Parish or Hamlett where the Offence shalbe co[m]mitted or the Partie app[re]hended to be openlie whipped for for the said Offence as the said Justice or Justices shall lymitt or appoint.