A. D. 1667. Anno decimo nono Carol i 11, C. 3, 303 Complaints. The faid Judicature (hall be a Court of Record. Officers. A Table of Fees. The Con- tinuance of this Act. rrovifo touching the renewing and reverfmg Orders or Decrees. CAP. III. An A£t for Rebuilding the City of London. FOrafmuch as the City of London, being the Imperial Seat of his Majefty's Kingdoms, and renowned for Trade and Commerce throughout the V/orld ; by Reafon of a mofl: dreadful Fire lately happening ' therein, was for the mofl: Part thereof burnt down and deftroyed within the Compafs of a hw Days, and
- now lies buried in its own Ruins : For the fpeedy Reftauration whereof, and for the better Regulation,
' Uniformity and Gracefulnefs of fuch New Buildings as fhall be ere£led for Habitations in order thereunto j ' and to the End that great and outrageous Fires (through the Bleffing of Almighty God) fo far forth as human Providence^ (with Submiffion to the Divine Pleafure) can forefee, may be reafonably prevented or obviated for the Time to come, both by the Matter and Form of fuch Building : And further, to the In- tent that all Encouragement and Expedition may be given unto, and all Impediments and Obftruclions that may retard or^protraft the Undertaking or carrying on a Work fo neceffary, and of fo great Honour and Importance to'his Majefty and this Kingdom, and to the Refl: of his Majefty's Kingd«ms and Domi- nions, may be removed :' II. Be it therefore enadfed by the King's mofl: Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Con- 'fent of the Lords Spiiitual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That the Rules and Direftions hereafter in this Act prefcribed, be duly obferved: by all Perfons therein concerned. III. And firfl:, that no Building or Houfe for Habitation whatfoever be hereafter erefled within the Li- Rules and D;* - rtiits of the faid City and Liberties thereof, but fuch as (hall be purfuant to fuch Rules and Orders of Build- regions -o be-, iing, and with fuch Materials, as are herein after particularly appointed, and according to fuch Scantlings obieryed in ■as are fet down and prefcribed in a Table in this prefent A6t hereafter fpecified : (zj And if any Perfon " '"^" 'or Perfons fiiall prefume to build contrary thereunto, and be convifted of the fame by the Oaths of two or more credible WitneiTes, to be taken before the Lord Mayor for the Time being, or any two or more ofPenaltyj. the Juflices of the Peace foT the faid City, who are hereby impowered to adminilter the fame Oaths ; That then and in iuch Cafe, the faid Houfe fo irregularly built as aforefaid, fliall be deemed as a common Nufance ; '(3) and the Builder and Levier thereof fhall enter into a Recognizance in fuch Sum as the faid Mayor and Juflices refpeftively in their Difcretions fhall appoint, for Abatement and Demolifhing the fame in Convenient time, or otherwife to amend the fame according to fuch Rules and Orders as aforefaid : And in Default of Entring into fuch Recognizance, the Offender fhall be committed to the common Gaol of^ the faid City, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize, till he fhall have abated or demolifhed, or other- wife amended the fame ; or elfe fuch irregular Houfe fliall or may be demolifhed or abated by Order of.^ the Court of Aldermen. I IV. And that the faid irregular Buildings may be the better prevented, or more effectually difcoveredj Prevention of Ifz) Be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Common !"^e"'" '^"^' Counx:il of the faid City, fliall and may at their Will and Pleafure ek£t, nominate and appoint one or '"^^" more difcreet and intelligent Perfon or Perfons in the Art of Building, to be the Surveyors or Supervifors to fee the faid Rules and Scantlings well and truly obferved : (3) And that it fhall be lawful for the faid • Mayor, Aldermen and-Common Council, or for the Mayor and Aldermen in their Court of Aldermen, to adminifler to all the faid Surveyors or Supervifors, an Oath upon the Holy Evangelifts, for the true and impartial Execution of their Ofnce in that Behalf, and to appoint the feveral Precinfts which fnall be under ■ their feveral Surveys. V. And to the End that all Builders may the better know how to provide and fit their Materials for There (hall he their feveral Buildings; (2) Be it enadted. That there fhall be only four Sorts of Buildings, and no four Sorts of more ; and that all Mmner of Ploufes fo to be eredted, fhall be of one of thefe four Sorts of Buildings, and Buildings on!/, • no other ; (that is to fay) the firft and leaft Sort of Houfes fronting By-lanes ; the fecond Sort of Houfes fronting Streets and Lanes of Note ; the third Sort of Houfes fronting high and principal Streets ; the fourth and largeft Sort, of Maniion-houfes, for Citizens, or other Perfons of extraordinary Quality, not fronting . either of the three former Ways : And the Roofs of each of the faid firft three Sorts of Houfes refpedtively, fhall be uniform. , VI. And for avoiding any LTncertainty to the Builders or others herein, Beit further enadted, That the p^^^^^i.^ gf ,1^^ • Lwd Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the faid City for the Time being, fhall on or before the Lord Mayor, ■ firft Day of ^j*?// next eni'uing, declare which and how many fliall hereafter be accounted and taken to Aldermen and be By-lanes, which and how many fliall hereafter be deemed Streets or Lanes of Note, and high and prin- CommonCoun- , cipal Streets, by A£t of Common Council to be pafled for that Purpofe : Which Declaration being made "' '*"'"'"^^ , as aforefaid, all and Angular the faid Streets and Lanes (hereby intended to be rebuilt) fhall by Order of ^.j_ ' "' ' the faid Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council, or fuch Perfons as they under the Common' Seal of the faid City fhall order and appoint, be marked or flaked out and diftinguiQied_, to the End theBreadth,- Length and Extent thereof may be the better known and obferved. (2) And if any Perfon or Perfons whatfoever fhall wittingly or willingly, without good Authority, pluck up or remove any of the faid Stakes or Mark-ftones, thereby to obfcure or confound the Bounds of fuch Streets or Lanes, or any of them, and fhall be thereof legally convidted by the Oath of one Witnefs (other than of the Informer) to be taken before any one or m.ore Juflices of the Peace of the faid City ; that then the faid Juftice or Juftices fhall or may fend fuch Offender to the common Gaol of the faid City, there to remain by the Space of three Months without Bail or Mainprize, unlefs he fhall pay or caufe to be paid to the Ufe of the Mayor, Com- monalty
