Bedford Level Act 1663

III. The remaining 83,000 Acres settled and vested in the Governor, &c.

in Trust for the said Earl William of Bedford and the Adventurers.; To be holden in free Socage.; The 10,000 Acres, residue of the said 12,000 Acres, vested in the King, subject to Charges.; The Authority of the said Corporation as Commissioners of Sewers.; To proceed by Juries; and to employ Serjeants to summon and return Juries. ; Power of the said Juries.; Governor, &c. may lay Taxes upon the 95,000 Acres, exercise Customs, appoint Officers, &c. as are used in Romney Marsh.; To take the Oath of Commissioners of Sewers.

And bee it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the eighty three thousand Acres, remainder of the said ninety five thousand Acres, with the said Wayes, Passages, new Rivers, Cutts, Dreynes, Bancks, and Forelands, over and above the said ten thousand Acres, Residue of the said twelve thousand Acres, which were allotted in Severalty, and of which his said late Majesty was in Possession as aforesaid, are hereby vested and setled in the said Governour Bailiffs and Co[m]minalty of the Company of Conservators of the said Great Levell of the Fenns, and their Successors, In Trust neverthelesse for the said William Earle of Bedford, and the Adventurers and Participants of the said Earle Francis, and Earle William, or either of them, their Heires and Assignes. in such manner and wise, as is herein after more particularly and especially lymited and provided, and according to such Parts and Proportions, as they respectively now hold and enjoy, or by Virtue and Provision of this Act, ought to hold and enjoy, subject and lyable, likewise to the Payment of all Taxes and Charges as aforesaid, to bee holden of the Kings Majesty his Heires and Successors, of the Mannor of East Greenwich, by Fealty only in free and co[m]mon Socage, and not otherwise And the said ten thousand Acres, residue of the said twelve thousand Acres (whereof his said late Majesty, was in Possession as aforesaid) are hereby vested and setled in his Majesty that now is, and his Assignes, subject and lyable with the residue of the said ninety five thousand Acres, to the same Taxes and Charges, before specified And because the said Great Levell of the Fenns, extends into the said six Countyes, besides the Isle of Ely, and forasmuch as Co[m]missioners of Sewers, cannot legally proceed in Execution of their Co[m]mission, but by a severall Jury of every County, to enquire of the Matters within their Commission in that County, which hath heretofore enforced the said Earle, his Participants and Adventurers, Co[m]missioners and Countryes to very great Trouble, Losse and Expence, both of money and time, For avoyding which Inconveniencyes, It is hereby further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Governour Bailiffs and Conservators of the said Corporation for the time being, or any five or more of them, whereof the said Governour or Bailiffs for the Time being or their Successors, or any of them to bee two, for maintenance and preservation of the said Great Levell, by convenient Outfalls to the Sea, shall for ever hereafter bee, and are hereby made and constituted Co[m]missioners of Sewers, for and of the said Great Levell of the Fenns, And the said Governour, Bayliffs and Conservators or any five or more of them, whereof the said Governour or Bailiffs, and their Successors, or any of them to bee two are hereby enabled and impowered from henceforth to use and exercise the Power and Authority of Co[m]missioners of Sewers within the said Great Levell of the Fenns, and of the Works, made, or to bee made without the said Great Levell, for conveying of the Waters of the said Great Levell, by convenient Outfalls to the Sea, touching all Matters and Things whatsoever happening to bee executed or done, within the said Great Levell, or the said Workes without the said Great Levell, enquireable, punishable, or to bee done by Co[m]missioners of Sewers, and therein to act and proceed, by one or more Juryes of good and lawfull Men, inhabiting within any Parte or Place, within the Boundaryes of the said Great Levell of the Fenns, though in severall Countyes, as if the said Great Levell of the Fenns, lay within one of the said Countyes: only, and shall have Power to imploy the said Serjeants or any of them for the time being, by Warrant or Precept from the said Governour Bayliffs and Conservators, and their Successors, or any five [X1 or more ] of them, whereof the said Governour or Bailiffs, or any of them to bee two, under the Co[m]mon Seale of the said Corporation, to su[m]mon and returne Juryes within the Boundaryes of any Part of the said Great Levell, and execute all Precepts and Proces from them from time to time, and all other Things doe, as fully as any Sheriffe, within his respective County, may or can doe by Warrant or Precept from Co[m]missioners of Sewers, which Juryes are to appeare at the Times and Places, sett or appointed for them to appeare, before the said Governour Bailifis and Conservators, and their Successors, or any five or more of them, whereof the said Governour and Bailiffs and their Succeffors, or any of them to bee two, and are hereby impowered to inquire of, present, and try all Matters, within the said Great Levell, and of and concerning the said Workes made or to bee made without the said Great Levell, for conveying of the Waters of the said Great Levell by convenient Outfalls to the Sea. within the Power of Comissioners of Sewers as if the same lay within any one of the said Countyes or as if the said Great Levell were one distinct County of it selfe And the said Governor Bayliffes and Conservators or any five or more [X1 of them whereof the said Governor or Bayliffs or any of them ] to be two shall have further Power aswell for the Maintenance of the said Great [X1 Levell ] as for laying and levying of Taxes upon the said nynety five thousand Acres to use and exercise within the said Great Levell such and the like Lawes and Customes and constitute and appointe such and the like Officers from tyme to tyme as are or lawfully may be used in Rumney Marsh in the County of Kent they who exercise the said Power of Comissioners of Sewers first taking the Oath which Comissioners of Sewers are by the Law to take the which Oath the said Governour and Bayliffs or any of them are hereby impowred to administer from tyme to tyme without any further Comission

Editorial Information

X1 interlined.