Poll Tax Act 1691

IX. Commissioners under c. 5. ante, to be Commissioners for executing this Act.

Commissioners to meet 16th March 1691; may divide themselves; and direct Precepts to Inhabitants, Constables, &c. to attend; and thereupon Commissioners to read, &c. the Rates openly, and instruct them how to make their Certificates; and prefix other Days for bringing in Certificates of Names, &c. of Persons residing within certain Limits, together with Assessment.; Penalty £5.; and also return Collectors,; for whose paying to Receiver General Parish to be answerable.; Such Certificates and Assessments returned to Commissioners 6th April 1692, and thereupon Commissioners to issue Warrants for collecting Assessments, and Collectors to demand Payment accordingly; and to levy and pay same for the said several Quarterly Payments at the times herein mentioned.; Receivers to hasten Collectors.; If not paid, Distress upon Collector

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that for the better assessing ordering and levying of the several sums of money so as aforesaid limitted and appointed to be paid And for the more effectual putting of this present Act in execuc[i]on the persons named and appointed to be Com[m]issioners by an Act of this present Session of Parliament intituled An Act for granting an Aid to Their Majesties of the sum[m] of sixteen hundred fifty one thousand seven hundred and two pounds eighteen shillings towards the carrying on a vigorous War against France shall be Com[m]issioners for putting in execuc[i]on this present Act and the powers therein contained within all and every the several and respective Counties Ridings Cities Boroughs Townes and places for which they are appointed Com[m]issioners respectively by the said Act And the said Com[m]issioners in order to a speedy execuc[i]on of this Act shall in their respective Counties Ridings Cities Boroughs Townes and Places meet together att the most usual [X1 or] com[m]on place of Meeting within such of the said Counties Ridings Cities Boroughs Townes and Places respectively on the sixteenth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety one And the said Com[m]issioners or so many of them as shall be present att the first General Meeting or the major part of them may by their consent and agreement divide as well themselves as other the Com[m]issioners not then present for the execuc[i]on of this Act in Hundreds Laths Wapentakes Rapes Wards Townes and other Places within their limitts priveledged or not priveledged in such manner and forme as to them shall seem expedient and shall direct their several or joynt precept or precepts to to such Inhabitants High Constables Petty Constables Bailiffs and other such like Officers & Ministers and such number of them as they in their discretions shall think most convenient to be Presenters and Assessors requireing them to appeare before the said Com[m]issioners att such time and place as they shall appoint not exceeding eight days and att such their appearing the said Com[m]issioners or so many of them as shall be thereunto appointed shall openly read or cause to be read unto them the rates in this Act menc[i]oed and openly declare the effects of their charge unto them and how and in what manner they ought and should make their Certificates according to the Rates aforesaid and shall then and there prefix another day to the said persons to appeare before the said Com[m]issioners and bring in their Certificates of the names and sirnames qualities degrees titles estates proffessions imployments and trades of all and every the persons dwelling or residing within the limitts of those places with which they shall be charged and of all other things in respect whereof any person is or may be chargeable by this Act together with the assessment of the respective rates hereby imposed on each particular person according to the rules and directions hereof without concealment love favor dread or malice upon paine of forfeiture of any sum[m] not exceeding five pounds to [X2 be] levied as by this Act was appointed And shall also then [X2 returne] the names of two or more able & sufficient persons within the [X2 bounds and] limits of those Parishes or places where they shall be charged respectively as aforesaid to be Collectors of the money due to Their Majesties by this Act for whose paying unto the Reciver General (to be appointed by Their Majesties) their Deputy or Deputies in manner following such moneys as they shall be charged withal the Parish or place by whom they shall be employed shall be answerable which Certificates and assessments shall be ascertained & returned into the Com[m]issioners att or before the sixth day of Aprill One thousand six hundred ninety two And upon the delivery or returneing in of such Certificates or Assessments unto the said Com[m]issioners they or any two or more of them shall forthwith issue out & deliver their Warrants of Estreats to such Collectors as aforesaid for the speedy [X3 colleting] and levying of the said Assessments and all moneys and rates due thereupon according to the intent and directions of this Act of all which the said Collectors are hereby required to make demand of the Parties themselves or att the places of their last Abode within six days after the receipt of such Warrants or estreats and to levy and pay in att such place as the Com[m]issioners shall appoint unto the respective Receiver General his Deputy or Deputies the sums payable for the first of the said quarterly payments on or before the third day of May in the said yeare One thousand six hundred ninety two And the sums payable for the second of the said quarterly payments on or before the third day of August in the said yeare One thousand six hundred ninety two the sum[m]s payable for the third of the said quarterly payments on or before the third day of November in the said yeare One thousand six hundred ninety two And the sum[m]s payable for the fourth and last of the said quarterly payments on on before the third day of February in the said yeare One thousand six hundred ninety two And the respective Receivors are hereby impowered and required to call upon and hasten the Collectors to the said payments And in default thereof to levy by Warrant under the hands and seales of any two or more of the Com[m]issioners upon the respective Collector by Distresse such sum[m] and sum[m]s of money as they have received and as ought by them to have been paid and are not paid by reason of their failure in doeing their duty respectively according to the direction of this Act.

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

X2 interlined on the Roll.

X3 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: collecting O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]