Expenses of Sheriffs Act 1662

Recital that by reason of Charges at Assises, &c. the Office of Sheriff hath of late become very burthensome.

Regulation respecting Tables to be kept by Sheriffs during the Assises.; Sheriffs not to make Presents to the Judges for their Provison, nor to their Servants. Number of Sheriff's Servants.Penalty £200.

WHEREAS the Office of Sheriff as well by reason of the great and unnecessary charges in the time of Assises and other publique meetings as by the tedious attendance and charge of Sheriffes in passing of theire accompts in the Exchequer hath of late yeares been very burthensom to the Gentry of this Your Realm who in the late times of Tyranny and Oppression have been great Sufferers and thereby much impoverished in theire Estates and Fortunes For remedy wherein Your Majesties most Loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses assembled in Parliament do most humbly beseech Your Most Excellent Majesty that it may be declared and enacted And be it declared and enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That no person or persons being duely sworne into the Office of Sheriff for any County or Shire within this Your Majesties Realm shall from and after the First day of February next ensuing in the time of the Assises held for the said County or Shire during his or theire Sherifalty keepe or maintaine or cause to be kept or maintained one or more Table or Tables for Receipt or Entertainment of any person or persons resorting to the said Assises other then those that shall bee of his owne Family or Retinue nor shall make or send in any Present to any Judge or Judges of Assise for his or theire provision nor give any gratuity to his or theire Officers or Servants or any of them And alsoe that no Sheriffe shall after the [X1 said] First day of February have more then Forty Men servants with Liveries attending upon him in the time of the said Assises nor under the number of Twenty Men servants in any County whatsoever within the Kingdom of England nor under the number of Twelve Men servants in any County within the Dominion of Wales upon pain that every Sheriffe offending in any of the p[re]misses contrary to the true meaning hereof shall forfeit for every default the su[m]m of two hundred pounds

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.