Moss Troopers Act 1662

Recital that Moss Troopers have for many Years past frequented the Northern Borders, and escape from one Kingdom into the other to avoid Justice;

that the Inhabitants of the Counties of Northumberland and Cumberland have been obliged to maintain Parties of Horse for their Defence; and that the Inhabitants remote from the Borders have been unwilling to contribute thereto. From Michaelmas 1662, for 5 Years, Justices in Sessions may make Order for charging the Inhabitants for the Safeguard of the said Counties.

WHEREAS a great number of lewd disorderly and lawlesse persons being Theives and Robbers who are comonly called Moss Troopers have successively for many and sundry yeares last past been bred resided in and frequented the borders of the two respective Counties of Northumberland and Cumberland and the next adjacent parts of Scotland and they taking the opportunity of the large Waste Grounds Heaths & Mosses and the many intricate and dangerous Ways and By paths in those parts do usually after the most notorious crimes committed by them escape over from the one Kingdome [X1 into] the other respectively and so avoid the hand of Justice in regard the Offences done and perpetrated in the one Kingdome cannot be punished in the other. And whereas since the time of the late unhappy distractions such Offences and Offenders as aforesaid have exceedingly more increased and abounded and the several Inhabitants of the said respective Counties have been for divers years last past necessitated att theire owne free and voluntary charge to maintain several Parties of Horse for the necessary defence of theire Persons Families and Goods and to the end the aforesaid evill and pernitious members might be apprehended and brought to Judgement And whereas the most part of the Inhabitants of the said Counties being more remote from the borders then other parts and consequently not soe much exposed to imminent [X2 dangers] as others are therefore unwilling to contribute theire proportionable parts of the aforesaid Charge and yet notwithstanding it cannot probably or possibly be avoided but that those Inhabitants of the respective Counties who hold themselves most secure must certainly sustain much damage and detriment in theire Goods and Estates in case the aforesaid Mosse Troopers be not timely suppressed but suffered to growe numerous strong and potent which they must needs doe in case there be no restraint upon them Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the advise and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by Authority thereof that from and after the Feast of S^t. Michael the Archangell which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and two for and during the terme of Five yeares next ensuing the date of this present Act it shall and may be lawfull for the respective Justices of Peace of the said respective Counties or the major part of them at any General Sessions of the Peace to be holden for the said Counties respectively on the behalfe of the said Counties or either of them from time to time as they shall see occasion to make an Order in open Court of Sessions for charging according to theire several p[ro]portions all and every the several Inhabitants of the said respective Counties for the safeguard and securing of the said several Counties and Inhabitants thereof from all injury violence spoil and rapine of the Mosse troopers aforesaid

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: unto O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: danger O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]