142 C. 6, Anno fecimdo & tertio Ann^ Reginas. A. D. 1703. CAP. VI. An Act for the Increafe of Seamen, and better Encouragement of Navigation, and Security of the Coal Trade. «R. 2. c. 4. i £/. c. 5. 8 ff^. 3. c. 2% .9 ^. 3. c. 41,- f reritices to the sea Service,
- "ITT H E R E A S the giving due Encouragement to fuch of the Youth of this Kingdom, as fhall vo-
' VV luntarily betake themfelves to the Sea Service, and Pradtice of Navigation, and obliging others, ' who by reafon of their own or their Parents Poverty, are defl:itute of Employment, or any lawful Means ' whereby to maintain themfelves, may greatly tend to the Increafe of able and experienced Mariners and ' Seamen,_ for the Service of her Majeity's Royal Navy, and for the carrying on the Trade and Com- ' merce of this Kingdom;' Be it therefore enafted by the Queen's moll Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Loids Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That from and after the five and twentieth Day of March Pari/hBoys may in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feyen hundred and four, it ftiall and may be lawful to and for two ieputoutAp- Qj. more Juftices of the Peace, in their feveral and refpeStive Counties, Ridings, or Divifions, as alfo to and for all Mayors, Aldermen, Bailiffs, and other chief Officers and Magiftrates of any City, Borough, or Town Corporate, within her Majefty's Kingdom of England, Dominion of fVales, and Town oi Ber- wick upon Tweed, and likewife to and for the Churchwardens and Overfeers of the Poor (for the Tinxe being) of the feveral and refpeftive Parifhes within the Places aforefaid, by and with the Confent and Approbation of fuch Juftices of the Peace, Mayors, Aldermen, Bailiffs, or other the chief Officers or Magiftrates aforefaid, to bind and put out any Boy or Boys, who is, are, or {hall be of the Age of ten Years, or upwards, or who is, are, or {hall be chargeable, or whofe Parents are or {hall become chargeable to the refpefLive Pari{h or Parifhes wherein they inhabit, or who fhall beg for Alms, to be Apprentice and Apprentices to the Sea Service, to any of her Majefty's Subjects, being Mafters or Owners of any Ship or Veffel ufed in Sea Service, and belonging to any Port or Ports within the King- dom oi England, Dominion o{ IV^ales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed aforefaid, for fo long Time, and • until fuch Boys fhall refpeftively attain or come to the Age of one' and twenty Years ; and fuch binding out any fuch Apprentice fhall be as efFeftual in the Law to all Intents and Purpofes, as if fuch Boy were Boy's Age to be of full Age, and by Indenture had bound himfelf an Apprentice : And to the end that the Time .of the jnferted in his Continuance of the Service of fuch Apprentice or Apprentices may the more plainly and certainly ap- pear, the Age of every fuch Boy, fo to be bound Apprentice, fhall be mentioned and inferted in his In- dentures, being taken truly from a Copy of the Entry in the Regifter Book, wherein the Time of his be ing baptized is or fhall be entred (where the fame can or may be had) which Copy {hall be given and attefted by the Minifter, Vicar, or Curate of fuch Parifh or Parifhes, wherein fuch Boy's Baptifm fhall fee regiftred, without Fee or Reward, and may be writ upon Paper or Parchment without any Stamp or Mark ; and where no fuch Entry of fuch Boy's being baptized can be found, two or more of fuch Juftices of the Peace, and fuch Mayors, Aldermen, Bailiffs, or other chief Officers {hall, as fully as they can, in- form themfelves of fuch Boy's Age, and from fuch Information fliall infert the fame in the faid Indentures ; and the Age of fuch Boy fo inferted and mentioned in the faid Indentures (in relation to the Continuance of his Service) {hall be taken to be his true Age, without any further Proof thereof. IL And be it further enabled by the Authority aforefaid, That the Churchwardens and Overfeers topaydown 50s. of the Poor for the Time being, of the feveral and refpeftive Parilhes, from whence any fuch Boy {hall for Boys niceira- ^g bound Apprentice to the faid Service, as aforefaid, fhall pay down to fuch Mafter, to whom the Boy and bra'ilowe?'^' '^ bound, at the Time of his binding, the Sum of fifty Shillings, to provide neceffary Clothing and Bed- the fame in their '^'"5 ^°'^ ^^3. Service, for fuch Boy ; and the Charges by this Adl appointed fhall be allowed to the faid Churchwardens and Overfeers on their Accounts. ' III. And whereas in many large Parifhes within this Realm, there are feveral Townfhips or Villages, ' and Overfeers of the Poor are chofen and appointed within and for each fuch Townlhip or Village ' refpedfively ;' Be it therefore enafted. That the Overfeers of the Poor of every fuch Town{hip or Vil- lage {hall and may, from Time to Time, within every fuch Townfhip or Village, do, perform and exe- cute all and every the A£ls, Powers, and Authorities hereby enadted or direiled to be done, performed, or executed by the Churchwardens or Overfeers of the Poor of a Pari{h ; any thing herein contained to J the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. I iV. And be it further enadfed by the Authority aforefaid. That no fuch Apprentice or Apprentices {hall l| t-o Maflsrs of Ships &c. , indenture, &c. ChorcWardcns Accounts^ Overfeers of the Poor of any Townihip or Vil- lage may aft as Churchwardens, NofuchAppren- ticetobeimpreff- Jje compelled or impreffed, or permitted or futi'ered to lift or enter him or themfelves into her Majefty's i| 'Years'^ old" '^ Service at Sea, or into the Sea Service of her Majefty's Heirs or Succeflbrs, till fuch Apprentice or Ap- Apprentices In dentures to be lent to the Col prentices refpe£lively arrive to the Age of eighteen Years. V. And be it further enafted. That the Churchwardens and Overfeers of the Parifh, out of which any fuch Boy {hall be bound an Apprentice, fliall fend the faid Indentures to the Colleftor of her Majefty's leftorat thel'on^"^"™^' ^ft'^'ng ^t or belonging to any Port or Ports within ts K-xngAowi of England, Dominion of "hereunto his fValcs, and I'own of Berwick upon T^vecd, v/hereunto fuch Mafters or Owners of Ships or VelTels, to Mafter briongs. whom fuch Apprentice or Apprentices {liall be bound, do or may belong ; who {hall in a fair Book or Colieftor to en- Books to be by him kept for that Purpofe, fairly enter from Time to Time, all and every Indenture Jj^j'^ V^ ^""^ S"" and Indentures, whereby fuch Apprentice and Apprentices fhall be bound, and which fhall be fo lent ■" '^ ' unto him, and fhall make an Indorfemcnt upon the faid Indentures of the Regiftry thereof, fubfcribed by the fiid Colledfor, without taking any Fee or other Reward for the fame : And every fuch Colle6lor ne- glecting or refufing to enter fuch Indentures, and indorfc the fame, or making falfe Entries, fnall forfeit i I ■ the i
