Anno quinto et sexto Eduardi Sexti Actes made in the session of this present parlament, holden vpo[n] prorogacion at Westminster, the. xxiii. daie of Ianuarie, in the fiueth yere of the reigne of our moste drad souereigne Lorde, Edward the. VI. by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande, in yearth [sic] the supreme hed: and there continued and kept to the. xv. daie of Aprill, in the vi. yere of the reigne of our saied souereigne lorde, as foloweth

¶ The .ij. Chapiter. ¶ An acte, for the prouision and relief of the poore. (Book 2)

TO the entent, that valiaunt beggers, idle, and loy∣tryng persones, maie be auoyded, and the impotent feble, and lame, prouided for, which are poore in ve∣ry deede: Be it enacted by the Kyng our souereigne Lorde, with the assent of the Lordes, Spirituall and Temporall, and the Commons in this present Parlament assembled, and by aucthoritie of the∣same, that aswel the statute, made in the .xxij. yere of the late Kyng, of famous memorie, Kyng Henry the eight, as also the

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statute, made in the third, and fourthe yere of the reigne of the kynges maiestie that now is, concernyng beggers, vagabondes, and idle per∣sones, and euery article, clause, braunche, sentence, and other thynges, conteined in theim, and in euery of them (other then suche thynges, as shalbe by this present acte ordeined, and prouided for) shall stande, re∣main, and be in their full force, and effect, and shalbe from hencefurthe iustly, and truely, put in execucion, accordyng to the true meanyng of thesaied seuerall statutes, and euery of them.

And further, be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesaied, that yerely, one holy daie in Whiteson weke, in euery citee, borough, and toune cor¦porate the Maior, Bailifes, or other hed officers, for the tyme beeyng: and in euery other Parishe or the countrey, the Persone, Vicar, or Cu∣rate, and the Churchewardeines (hauyng in a regester, or boke, aswell all the names of thenhabitātes, and housholders, as also the names, of al suche impotent, aged, and nedy persones, as beyng within their citee Borough toune corporate, or Parishe, are not able to liue of themsel∣fes, nor with their awne labor,) shall openly in the Churche, and quiet∣ly, after diuine seruice, call thesaid housholders, and enhabitauntes to¦gether. Emong whom, the Maior, and to of his brethren, in euery citee, the Bailifes, or other hed officers, in Boroughes, and tounes Corpo∣rate, the Persone, Vicare, or Curate, and Churchewardeins, in euery o∣ther Parishe: shall electe, nominate, and appoynct yerely, two able per∣sones or mo, to be gatherers, and collectours of the charitable almose of all the residue of the people, for the relief of the poore. Whiche Col∣lectours, the Sondaie next after their eleccion, (or the Sondaie folow∣yng, if nede require) when the people is at the churche, and hath heard Gods holy worde, shall gently aske, and demaunde of euery man, and woman, what thei of their charitie, wilbe contented to geue wekely, to∣ward the relief of the poore. And thesame to be written, in thesaid regi∣ster, or boke. And thesaid gatherers, so beyng elected, and chosen, shall iustly gather, and truely distribute thesame charitable almose wekely (by themselues, or their assignes) to thesaid poore, & impotent persones of thesaied citees, boroughes, tounes corporate, or Parishes without fraude, or couin, fauour, or affecciō. And after suche sort, that the more impotent, maie haue the more helpe: and suche, as can get part of their liuyng, to haue the lesse. And by the discrecion of the collectours, to bee put in suche labour as thei be fitte, and able to dooe, but none to go, or sitte openly a beggyng-vpon pam limited in the aforesaied statutes.

Be it also enacted, by the aucthoritie aforesaied, that no persone, or persones, so elected, nominated, and appoyncted to be gatherer or ga∣therers, as is aforesaid, shall refuse thesaied office, but shall iustly, and truely execute thesame by the space of one whole yere next ensuyng, v∣pō pain of forfeictyng .xx. s̄. to the almose boxe of the poore to be leuied by the churchwardeins, where thei, or he dwelleth, of the goodes of the

saied gatherer, or gatherers, so refusyng, by distresse.

And further, be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesaid, that thesaid gatherers, or collectours, shall make their iust accompte quarterly, to the Maior of the citee, Bailifes, or hedde Officers of the Borough, or toune corporate: and in euery Parishe of the countrey, to the Persone, Vicar, or Curate, and Churchewardeins of the Parishe. At whiche ac∣compt, suche of the Parishe, as will, maie be present. And when thei go out of their office, thei shall deliuer, or cause to be deliuered, furthewith vpon thende of their accomptes, al suche surplusage of money, as then shall remain of their colleccion vndistributed, to be put in the common chest of the churche, or in some other saufe place, to the vse of the poore, at the ouer sight, and discrecion of thesaied Maior, or other the officers before mencioned. And if thesaid collectours, or any of them, do refuse to make their saied accompt, within eight daies: then the Bishop of the Dioces, or Ordinarie, shall haue aucthoritie, by vertue of this acte, to compell thesaied persone, or persones, by Censures of the Churche, to make their saied accomptes, before suche persones, as thesaied Bishop or Ordinarie, shall appoyncte.

And be it further enacted, by the aucthoritie aforesaied, that if any∣persone, or persons, beyng able to further this charitable worke, do ob∣stinately and frowardly, refuse to geue towardes the help of the poore, or doo wilfully discourage other, from so charitable a deede: The Per∣sone Vicar, or Curate, and Churchewardeins, of the Parishe where he dwelleth, shall gently exhorte hym, or theim, towardes the relief of the poore. And if he, or thei, wil not so be perswaded, then vpō the certificat of the Persone, Vicar, or Curate of the Parishe, to the Bishoppe of the Dioces, thesame Bishoppe shall sende for hym, or them, to induce, and perswade hym, or theim, by charitable waies, and meanes. And so ac∣cordyng to his discrecion, to take order for the reformacion hereof.

And for the better maintenaunce of this charitable worke, it is or∣deined, and established, by aucthoritie aforesaied, that where as the late kyng, of famous memorie, Kyng Henry the eight, by his seuerall erec∣cions and foundacions, hath ordeined and appoincted, any some, or so∣mes of money, to thuse of the poore (not beyng taken awaie, otherwise by acte of Parlament) whether thesame be in any Cathedrall churche, College, or els where: the Bishoppe of the Dioces, for the tyme beyng, shall from tyme to tyme, examine, how, and after what maner, thesaied money is bestowed, and call to accompt the parties, whiche retain the∣saied money, so that it maie appere, that thesame is distributed to the poore, accordyng to the kynges maiesties foundacion.

Prouided alwaies, and be it further enacted, by the aucthoritie a∣foresaied, that this present Acte, nor any thyng therein conteined, shall extende, or bee preiudiciall vnto the Maior, Shirefes, and Citezeins, of the citee of Chester, for, or concernyng any gift, or graunt, of any an∣nuitie,

or yerely rent, heretofore made, geuen, or graūted by the kynges maiestie that now is, vnto thesaid Maior, Shiereues, and citezeins, of thesaied citee, goyng out of any manours, landes, tenementes, and he∣reditamentes, of the Cathedrall churche of Christ, and our Lady, with in the citee of Chester, but that thesame Maior, Shiereues, and cite∣zeins, shall, and maie, from hencefurthe, receiue, vse, and employe, the∣same annuities, yerely rentes, or profectes, to suche vses, and ententes, and accordyng to thesaid gift of our saied souereigne Lorde the Kyng any thyng in this present acte to the contrary, notwithstandyng. This acte to endure to the ende of the first Session, of the next Parlament.