A. D. 1472. Anno duodecimo Edward i IV. C. 29 Statutes made at Wcflminflcr, Anno 12 Edw. IV. W Anno Dom. 1472. Cotton MS. Nero, C. r. A 1 tit tenuz a Weftm' lc vj*. jour bre Ian du reigne Ju Roy Edward le quart puisle< [ucfl xij*. mefme noftre 11 ! Roy al Honour deDieu, '& pupfc fon Roialme, del advys & aflent ignurs cfpirituelx & temporelx & a lare- quefte de fez Communes, en mefme lc dit parle- ment aflemblez, 8t per au<Storite dc mefme le dit parlement, ad fait ordeigner & eftablier certcins cftatuita Si ordenauncez en la fourme qe cnfuifl. AT the Parliament holdcn at Wejlminjler the' Sixth Day ot Ofiobcr, in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of King Edward the Fourth after the Conqueft ; our faid Sovereign L< rd the King, to the Honour of God, and the Weal of him, and of his Realm, by t!ic Advice and Afient of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and at the Rcqueft of his Commons, in the fame Parliament" aflemblcd, and by Authority of the fame Parlia- ment, hath ordained, mad;', and cflablifhed certain- Statutes and Ordinances in Form following." CAP. I. For Returns of Sheiiffs. PRimcremcnr, par ceo qe per cfratuit fait a Weftm' en Ian du reigne du Roy Henry jadys en fait & niant de droit Roy Dcnglcterre, appel- lez le Roy Henry le vj'. puis le conqueft: xxiij. cttoit ordeigne, qe null vifcount occupieroit fon of- fice de vifcount ouftier un an, fur paync ne CC. li. except certcins perfons en mefme lcflatuit exceptz, come en ycellc eft pluis plcynemcnt efpecinez ; diverfez & plufours dcz liegez du Roy ount eftez grevoufment endamages & graundement dclaiez de lour fuitez & proceflez chelcune an en le terme ap- pellez Michel tcrme, come pur lour aclions briefs & preeeptz deftre rctournez deinz mefme le terme apres le vj c . jour du mois de Novembr', pur ceo qc lez lettres patcntz du Roy, per les quels afcune tiel vifcount eft fair, portent date pluis commune- ment le vj'. jour de Novembre ; & communement qil foit, qe novels vifcountz foient aunuelment eflieux en lendemayn dez toutz almez, de les quelx novelx vifcountz iffint cflieux & appointez diverfez de eux ount rcfufez, & diverfez de ceux nount mye ewez lour patentz, ne preignez lour ferement, jefques long temps apres le fine del dit A'lichell terme : pur quoy plufours liegez & fubgietz du Roy fount graundement endamages & dclaiez de lour proceflez & preeeptz, qe ferrount retournablez en lez Courtz du Roy as les jours del retourne deinz mefme le tcrme apres le vj'. jour de Novembr', fcilicet as les jours del retourne appellez Craftino Mariini, OiStabis Martini, tk Quindena Martini, pur caufe qe les veelez vifcountz nofent ne voillent prendre fur eux de rctourner afcune briefe ou pre- cept apres Ian qe fon patent port date, pur paour del pcyne en le avauntdit eftatuit conteignuz, a graund perde, fibien a Roy de ceo qe luy accrefce- roit per reafon de lez ditz proceflez, come a fon liege poeple per delaiez qils ount per ycell : fy eft il ordcignez per lauclorite du dit parlement, qe fi afcune vifcount dafcun countee execute ou retourne afcune briefe precept ou war. nt en afcuns des Courtz du Roy deinz le dit terme appellez Mi- chell terme, apres le vj e . jour de Novembr' & de> vaunt afcune briefe de difcharge deliverer a luy de fa occupation de vifcount, ne foit endamage per force du dit eftatuit, ne del peyne avauntdit foit FIRST, Whereas by a Statute made at Wejltnin- l3 h. 6 t. 8. » Jler, in the Twenty third Year of the Reign of 13 Ed. i.ftat.x. ■ King Henry, late in Deed, and not of Right, c ■ 39 ■ ■ King of England, called King Henry the Sixth, it'* 7 o^Jf',*'
- was ordained, That no Sheriff fhould occupy h'sV 3' qEJ.i.'
• Office of Sheriff above a Year, upon Pain of Two/a/.i. 14.EJ. '■ hundred Pounds ; (zj except certain Perfons in the *.c.n x Ed. ■ faid Statute excepted, as in the fame is more plainly l-fi"}- -• r, 4-
- fpecihed
- {) Divers and many of the King's liege ' Et , '}/*'
' People have been gricvoufly indamaged, and greatly , 4 e/.'~. ,, 7 '• delayed of their Suits and Proceffes every Year, in is n. zSEd. 3. ' the Term called Michaelmas Term, as for their Ac- <■ 7&9- ' dons-, Writs, and Precepts to be returned within 4Z /"'f" 3 " f " n '
- the fame Term, after the Sixth Day of the Month j H '
- ' [ ]
'■ of November,, becaufe that the King's Letters Pa- 4 //' V c . 5, '
- tents whereby any Sheriff" is made, do moft com- 1 B. 5. .-. 4,
■ monly bear Date the Sixth Day of November, (4) 4 I! - 5- '• z - '• and though it fo be, that the new Sheriffs be yearly '■ chofen the Morrow after the Fcaft-day of All-fouls, '• of which new Sheriffs, fo chofen and appointed, '• divers of them have refufed, and divers of them ■ have not had their Patents, nor taken their Oath,
- until long Time after the End of the faid Miehacl-
'• mas Term, by Reafon whereof divers of the King's ' liege People and Subjects be greatly indamaged and
- delayed of their Suits, Proceffes, and Precepts,.
1 which fhould be returnable in the King's Courts at ' the Days of the Return within the fame Term, af-
- ter the Sixth Day of November, that is to fay, at
- the Days of Return called Crajlino Martini, Oelabis
■ Martini, and ^h;ir:,ie>;a Martini, becaufe that the • old Sheriffs durft not, nor would not take upon them
- to return any Writ or Precept after the Year that
■ his Patent did bear Date, for Fear of the Penalty 1 contained in the aforefaid Statute, to the great Loff, 1 as well to the King of that which fhould grow to
- him by Reafon of the faid Procefs, as to his liege
'People, by Delays which they thereby fuftain."' (cj It is ordained by Authority of the forefaid Par- A SherlrThei.ig liament, That if any Sheriff of any County do exe- " l cute or return any Writ, Precept, or Warrant in any r . of the faid Courts of the King, within the (aid Term £/j h«w S called MJchatliruis-Tenvi, after the Sixth Day of No- Term, iiotwitb- vember, and before any Writ of Difcharge delivered ftand to him of his occupying of Sheriffwick, he flia'J not S";i-;e uf • Read* »..
