16990108 Page 188 and 189 General Session of the Peace Armagh 8th January 1699

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County Armagh Sessions: At the General Sessions of the Peace held at Armagh in and for the said County the 8 ^th day of January in the eleventh year of the reign of our Sovereign, William the Third, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland; King Defender of the Faith and all. In this year of our Lord 1699 before the Justices of our said Sovereign and King appointed to keep the peace in the said Count said:-

For as much as the grand inquest of this County has informed the Court that the daily concourse and great increase of vagrant persons and solo beggars is a great grievance and annoyance to the inhabitants of the County and if through negligence or ignorance of the inhabitants of the several parishes and or officers concern it is to apprehend and punish such beggars they are now grown very numerous and several of them very insolent and the assumptions which by degrees may prove of ill consequences to the County if not timely prevented. Wherefore thy court taking into them their serious consideration what retried it may be most applied to the growing mischievers do order and command all high and petty constables and all other officers herein concerned if they do forthwith cause all the laws and statutes hereto for made against vagrants and also the sons and surly beggars and also against imported beggars to be put in due execution and to the end it is hereby ordered.

First that the Minister, Churchwardens and Parishioners of each Parish to be assembled at Vestry or otherwise and do agree to take an account of what number of poor are within their respective parishes, whom they esteem objects of charity and fit to be relieved by parish collections or otherwise to be licensed to ask alms and beg within their parishes and to enter the names of them in the Register book of the said Parish or in some other book to be kept for that purpose.

Secondly, to you and the poor of the each parish may be known as distinguished by ye in charge of every parish a badge or ticket of brass, copper or pewter with the name of the parish engraved or embossed on one side thereof be given by the Minister, Churchwardens or Parishioners to every individual poor person that receives parish alms or if a licence be given each of them under the seal of the next Justice of the Peace to go from house to house to ask alms within the respective parishes or limits by which licence they shall be prohibited to go to any other parish or limit which seal is to be engraved with the name of the parish or limit appointed to beg in and to be provided at the charge of the said parish.

Thirdly, ye all seneschally ( stewards) of Manors High and petty constables and all others herein concerned by the direction or approbation of the next Justice of the Peace shall within their respective towns, villages, constablewicks (area with constables in charge), manors and parishes within the County according to the number of people within each town, village, manor, constablewick or parish appoint three or more sufficient inhabitants to watch in the night time by which watch and to be examined and secured all strangers and suspected persons that shall walk or travel by night and cannot give a sufficient and satisfactory account for their so doing………… to be forthwith carried before same Justice of the Peace of this County to be exiled.

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Fourthly, all high and petty constables shall by order or allowance of a Justice of the Peace within their several and respective limits make a private search once every fortnight or oftener if need enquire in houses, barns and outhouses and suspected places in the night time for finding out and apprehending of rogues, vagabonds, wandering and idle persons and to secure all such; also solo persons who shall travel with forged or counterfeited passes, all such whom they shall find begging or wandering out of their limits if said constable with the assistance of some of the inhabitants of the parish shall cause to be stripped naked from the middle upwards and to be openly whipped till their bodies shall be bloody or to be put in the stocks two days and two nights and to have only bread and water.

Fifthly, the high and petty constables aforesaid shall go from house to house and give notice to every householder in person within their respective limits if they take care if neither they nor any of their servants hereafter believe any vagrant idle wandering or disorderly person or persons or other beggars except only the poor of the same parish who were a parish badge or have a licence to beg as aforesaid but if they see or know of any such person to beg not so badged or licensed they shall forthwith send of convey her, him or them to the constable in order to be whipped or put in stocks according to law upon the penalty of three shillings four pence for each impotent (ungovernable) beggar and six shillings and eight pence for every sturdy beggar either believed by any inhabitant or further by any parish crownship ( law) and for every time such offence is committed or suffered to be prosecuted for the same at the next quarter sessions.

Sixthly, if any alehouse keeper, victualler or private house keeper shall from henceforth relieve, entertain, lodge or harbour in their dwelling houses, out houses, barns or stalls any rogues, vagrants, vagabonds, sturdy beggars wandering and insolent beggars or any impudent beggar who wears not the parish badge or have not a licence as aforesaid of each person so offending shall forfeit the fines above mentioned for every such offence and to be prosecuted for the same at the next quarter sessions.

Seventhly, that all high and petty constables and all other officers herein concerned shall up their utmost endeavours to execute these laws and shall forthwith inform a Justice of the Peace or give an account upon oath in writing at the next General Quarter Sessions what rogues, vagabonds and idlers have been apprehended and punished and of alms-house keepers and others who have welcomed at their doors or who lodged or harboured in their houses, outhouses or barns any rogues, beggars or sturdy beggar, idle or vagrant persons or any impotent beggars not wearing the parish badge or not showing any licence as aforesaid and how often each have afforded contrary to what is before mentioned to the intent that they may be prosecuted there according to the law and to ye intent if none may plead ignorance herein it is ordered that a true copy hereof shall be sent to the constable and Churchwardens of every parish who are to cause the same to be publically read in every market town and fixed up there and also to

( Continued on Page 190 )