Greenwich Hospital, etc. Act 1696

VI. Commissioners may summon and examine Masters of Merchants Ships on Oath as to the Number and Wages, &c. of Persons serving in their Ships, and who are obliged to pay 6d. per Mensem out of their Wages; refusing to appear or to give Account;

Penalty £10.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for the better levying and collecting the Duties of Six pence per mensem given & granted by the said recited Act for the Revenues and [X1 Supplies] of the Hospital Charities and Bounties therein mentioned it shall and may be lawfull to & for the Co[m]missioners appointed for registring of Seamen or their respective Deputies for the time being for the better discovery of the Pay and Wages due to the Saylers and Persons who served on board any the Merchants or private Shipps and Vessells in the said Act mentioned by Warrant under their Hands and Seals to cause all such Masters and Co[m]manders of such Ships not in his Majesties Service to be & appeare before them the said Co[m]missioners or the respective Deputies who are hereby impowered and directed all and every such Masters & Co[m]manders upon their Oaths to examine as to the Number Rates Salaries Wages and Times of Service of all and every Person or Persons belonging to or serving in such Ships or Vessells in the said recited Act and which by the said Act are obliged to pay the said Su[m]m of Six pence per mensem out of their Salaries and Wages as aforesaid and if such Masters or Co[m]manders or any of them shall refuse when so su[m]moned or co[m]manded to appeare before the said respective Persons hereby impowered to examine them in manner as aforesaid or if they shall appeare and obstinately & wilfully refuse to give a plaine full & exact Discovery of the Matters aforesaid upon their several Oaths that then and in every such Case all and every such Offender or Offenders shall for every such Refusal or Neglect forfeit the Su[m]m of Ten pounds to the Uses mentioned in the said recited Act to be recovered by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in any of his Majesties Courts of Record att Westminster with full Costs of Suit provided such Masters or Co[m]manders be not Quakers or esteemed Quakers.

Editorial Information

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