Bedford Level Act 1667

V. Names of the Surveyors who are to digest the 83,000 Acres into Seven Sorts;

who are to return Schedules thereof upon Oath.

And to the end that the said eighty three thousand Acres may be more equally rated by a graduall Acre Taxe not under the Number of seaven Sorts, Bee it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That Edward Partheridge Esq[uire]: Samuell Fortery Esquire Richard Mariott Esquire John Myngay Jonas Moore Peter Diamond Esquires Anthony Hamond Esquire Mark le Pla Geñ and John Bridgeman junio^r Gent. or any three or more of them are hereby constituted and appointed to be Surveyors and Valuers of the said eighty three thousand Acres, and are within twelve Moneths next after the passing of this Act to digest the said eighty three thousand Acres into such Number of Sorts or Degrees of Land not under the Number of seaven Sorts and Degrees, and to rate and tax such Degrees and digest the same into Schedules in Writeing and make Returnes thereof upon their Oathes into the Fenn Office, the Forme of which said Oath shall be (vizt)

I: A: B: doe sweare That according to the best of my Skill and Knowldge, I will faithfully discharge the Trust of surveying sorting devideing and rateing of eighty three thousand Acres Parcell of nynety five thousand Acres within the Great Levell of the Fenns knowne by the Name of Bedford Levell according to seaven Degrees or more as I upon my Oath shall thinke most equall,

Returns made within One Month from Survey, and to be set up publickly in the Fen-Office.; Appeal to Commissioners; Names of such Commissioners; their Power as to Relief and Costs; Limitation of Appeal.; Schedules to form the Rule of taxing.; The 12,000 Acres how to be rated.

The which said Oath the said Governor Bayliffes and Conservators or any three or more of them are hereby authorized to administer and alsoe to allow unto the said Surveyors or Valluers such reasonable Charges for their Traill and Paines therein as they shall think fitt, and after the same are returned into the said Fenn Office and there publiquely sett up, which said Returne is hereby enacted to be made within one Moneth after the Survey taken and the severall Valuac[i]ons by the Parties to that Purpose by this Act: appointed and agreed upon, and all Parties agrived may take their Excepc[i]ons within thirty Dayes next after the same are sett up and within forty Dayes next after such Excepc[i]ons taken may appeale for Releife unto the said Governor Bayliffes and Conservators or any five or more of them [X1 for] altering the said Schedules in the Rates and Values complained off, soe as the Parties appealeing shall prosecute their said Appeale within the said forty Dayes, and not at any Tyme after, And in case the said Governor: Bayliffes and Conservators shall not within the said forty Dayes releive the said Parties grived or if the said Parties shall not bee satisfied with the Determinac[i]on of the said Governor Bayliffes and Conservators That then the [X1 said] Parties may appeale unto S^r. Henry North Barr^t: S^r Levinus Bennett Barronett S^r: Robert Brooke of Yoxford Knight S^r: Edmond Pooley Knight Henry Williams Robert Apreece, Richard Nailer Houmphrey Orme, Morris Tresham Lawrence Oxborough Henry Farer junior Edward Barber Mathew Wren Thomas Marsh Henry Hitch D[oct]o^r: of Lawes Thomas Steward Anthony Fisher Mathias Tayler John Towers Esquires and Burrage Martin Gent or any three or more of them who are hereby constituted and appointed Comission[er]s of Appeale to heare and determine such Complaints and to give Relief therein as they shall see cause and to award Costs to either Parties as they shall see cause the which said Costs may bee recovered by Acc[i]on of Debt in any of his Majesties Courts of Record at Westmr: wherein noe Essoigne or Wager of Law shall bee [X1 allowed which said Appeales to the Co[m]missio shall be] duely prosecuted by the said Parties grieved within two Moneths next after the Expirac[i]on: of the forty Dayes and not at any tyme after, The which [X1 said] Schedules with the Alterac[i]ons if any shall be made by the said Corporac[i]on wherew^th: The Parties shall rest satisfied or by the Determinacion of the said Co[mmissioner]s of Appeale are hereby confirmed and shall bee a constant Rule and Foundac[i]on for the rateing and taxeing of the said eighty three thousand Acres for the Future for Maintenance and Preservac[i]on of the Works, made and to bee made within or without the said Great Levell of. the Feñs And that the said Governor: Bayliffes and Conservators nor their Successors nor any of them shall taxe or assesse the said eighty three thousand Acres otherwise then by and according to the said Schedules to be returned or confirmed as aforesaid, And it is declared That the said twelve thousand Acres Residue of the said nynety five thousand Acres shall bee rated and taxed by a Medium towards all Taxes hereafter to be laid, as by the said Taxe made the said twentieth Day of June is provided, and not otherwise

Editorial Information

X1 interlined.