Hunting of Deer Act 1661

Unlawful Hunting or killing of Deer.

Penalty £20; Distress.; Want of Distress, Punishment.; Proviso against Double Punishment.

FOR the better preventing of the unlawfull coursing hurting takeing or killing of Deere by many idle loose and disorderly Persons Be it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie and by the advice and consent of Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That if any person or persons shall from and after the First day of August next unlawfully course kill hurt or take away any Red or Fallowe Deere in any Forrest Chase Purliew Paddock Wood Park or other Ground where Deere are or have beene usually kept within the Realm of England or Dominion of Wales without the consent of the Owner or person cheifly intrusted with the custody thereof or shall be aiding or assisting therein and shall be convicted thereof by the confession of the party or by the Oath of one or more credible Witnesses before one or more Justices of the Peace (woe are hereby impowered to administer an Oath to that purpose) such person being prosecuted for such Offence within six monthes after such offence done that then every person soe offending shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of Twenty pounds to be leavyed by way of Distresse upon the Goods and Chattells of every such Offender by Warrant under the Justices hand before whom such conviction shall be made the one moyetie of the said Twenty pounds to be given to the Informer and the other moyety to the Owner of the Deere and for want of sufficient Distresse the Offender shall be committed to the House of Correction for six monthes and there to be put to hard labor or to the co[m]mon Gaol for one whole yeare without Baile or Mainprize at the discretion of the [X1 Justices] of Peace before whom such conviction shall be (and not to be discharged from thence till he or they have given sufficient Sureties for theire good behavior for one whole yeare next ensueing after his or theire inlargement) Provided that where any Offender shall be punished by force of this Act that he shall not be prosecuted nor incur the Penalty of any other Law or Statute for the same Offence

Editorial Information

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