The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
of our said realm dominion and subjects, that then or in such cases
the Lord Admiral of England for the time being upon complaint and
proof thereof made to him shall take the body or bodies of all and
every such notorious offenders and keep them under arrest until they
shall conform themselves and reform what they have done amiss as
aforesaid. And forasmuch as a great part of the said art or mystery
are continually for the most part employed and attendant upon the
service and navigation of us our heirs and successors, we therefore
... do will and grant ... that the said Master Wardens and Commonalty
or any of them or their or any of their successors shall not at any
time or times hereafter be informed put placed or impanelled in or
upon any assizes juries inquests or attaints whatsoever before any
judges justices or commissioners of us our heirs or successors out
of the cities towns boroughs parishes or places where they or any of
them do or shall happen to dwell, unless they have lands or tenements
lying out of the said cities towns boroughs parishes or places by
reason whereof they or any of them ought to be charged, nor shall at
any time be pressed or enforced to serve us our heirs or successors
as land soldiers, but do absolutely and freely discharge them and
every of them from any such service or attendance. And we do further
by these presents for us our heirs and successors straitly charge
and command all and every sheriffs bailiffs and other officers of us
our heirs and successors, that they and every of them do from time
to time forbear to put or impanel any of the said Master Wardens and
Commonalty or any their deputy or apprentices in or upon any such
juries or inquests as is aforesaid, contrary to our said meaning and
intent, upon pain of our displeasure and of such pains penalties
and imprisonments as by the laws of this our Realm can or may be
inflicted or imposed upon them or any of them for their contempt in
doing contrary to our royal pleasure and commandment in that behalf.
And whereas the Master Wardens and Commonalty of the said art and
mystery of Shipwrights of Redrith aforesaid and their and every of
their deputies and apprentices being continually for the most part
charged and chargeable to be ready and provided at an hour's warning
upon divers services and employments as well at the sea for the
necessary defence and safety of our realms and kingdoms and for the
use and employment of our merchants for continuance and increase
of trade and commerce with foreign nations for the benefit and
profit of us and our subjects, as also to give attendance within our
kingdoms for the new building repairing and trimming as well of the
ships pinnaces and vessels of us our heirs and successors as of the
ships pinnaces and vessels of our merchants and subjects, therefore
our will and pleasure is that if it shall happen the said Master
Wardens and Commonalty or other persons which by the true intent and
meaning hereof are and ought to be discharged from such service upon
juries and inquests shall by sheriffs bailiffs and other officers
ignorantly or wilfully be put and impanelled to serve upon juries and
inquests contrary to our true intent and meaning in that behalf in
certain our former letters patent granted and also in these presents
renewed, and that any of the said persons being absent from their
houses and places of habitation at such times as they were or shall
be summoned or warned to appear upon any such juries or inquests
could not nor cannot plead nor alledge the said former letters
patent nor these presents or the privileges and authorities hereby
given and granted unto them for their discharge in that behalf,
whereby divers issues lines and amercements are many times returned
against them contrary to our true intent and meaning, we do therefore
grant ... unto the said Master Wardens and Commonalty and to their
successors forever that if any issues fines or amercements shall
be returned forfeited or imposed by or upon any of the said person
or persons of the said Corporation trade art or mystery for and in
respect of not doing or not performing of any the said services or
other things whereof they are hereby exempted or freed or mentioned
to be exempted or freed, that then the same person or persons his
and their heirs executors administrators and assigns and every of
them and all his and their lands tenements goods and chattels shall
be forever freed and discharged of and from the said issues fines
and amercements and every of them, and we do require and command
the Barons of our Exchequer that in respect of the poverty of many
that are to be relieved in this case they give them all expedition
and ease in their proceedings and pleadings for their discharge in
that behalf. And because this Corporation of Shipwrights hath been
principally instituted and made for the maintenance and increase of
navigation and for the better and more substantial making building
and repairing of ships and also for the training up and instructing
of shipwrights ship-carpenters labourers and workmen to make them
more ready able and skilful for service, all which things do very
greatly concern the defence safety wealth and profit of our self
our kingdoms and subjects, therefore we do not only straitly charge
and command all and every person or persons which are or shall
be of the Commonalty of this Corporation that they do dutifully
submit themselves to such good and wholesome laws statutes and
ordinances as shall be hereafter ordained and made by virtue of these
letters patent for the government rule order and direction of this
Corporation and of all the members thereof, but we do also straitly
require charge and command all Masters Wardens Assistants deputies
and other the principal officers of this incorporation now being
and that hereafter shall be, that they and every of them in their
several offices and places do carefully diligently and circumspectly
look to the due and severe execution of all such laws statutes and
ordinances so to be made as aforesaid, that the same may be truly
performed and accomplished according to the tenor and true meaning
of the same, upon pain of our heavy displeasure and indignation and
of such punishment and imprisonment as by our laws may be inflicted
on them and every or any of them, wherein our meaning is to extend
the greater punishment upon such as having offices and places of
trust and charge committed unto them shall by wilfulness negligence
remissness partiality or otherwise offend themselves or suffer others
to offend in those things whereof they ought to be the reformers and
redressers and at whose hands we expect to receive and have amendment
and reformation of all offences that shall be committed by any others
in that behalf. And forasmuch as the poverty of Shipwrights and
persons belonging to the said Corporation is now much more increased
than in former times and not able to be relieved supported and
maintained by the duties and revenues of the said Corporation which
heretofore they have had or were enabled to have, being so small
in yearly value, therefore and to the end the said Master Wardens
and Commonalty and their successors may be from henceforth the
better enabled from time to time to bear and sustain their charges
and expenses drawn and occasioned by reason of the Corporation and
to relieve and maintain the poor of the same, we have ... given
and granted ... unto the said Master Wardens and Commonalty of
the said art or mystery of Shipwrights of Redrith aforesaid and to
their successors, especial licence and free and lawful faculty power
and authority that they and their successors forever shall and may
not only have receive and purchase to them and their successors
forever to their own proper use and behoof as well of us our heirs
and successors as of any other person or persons whatsoever manors
messuages land tenements rectories tithes rents reversions services
and other hereditaments whatsoever which are not held of us our heirs
and successors in chief or by knight's service nor of any other by
knight's service, so always that the same manors [_&c._] by the said
Master Wardens and Commonalty or their successors so to be received
purchased obtained or had as aforesaid do not exceed the clear yearly
value of forty pounds by the year above all charges deductions
and reprises, the statute of lands and tenements not to be put in
mortmain or any other statute act or ordinance provision restraint
or any other matter cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary
notwithstanding. And further ... we do give and grant special license
and full and free power and authority to any and every of the
subjects of us our heirs and successors and to all and every body and
bodies corporate and politic and other person or persons whatsoever
and to every of them; that they and every of them shall and may
give grant bequeath assign or by any ways or means whatsoever alien
devise or assure unto the said Master Wardens and Commonalty and
to their successors forever any manors [_&c., as before, with same
limitations_]. And finally we do by these presents for us our heirs
and successors straitly charge and command as well the Lord Admiral
of England for the time being and also the Judge of our Admiralty
and principal officers of our Navy and all Vice-Admirals Marshals
Serjeants and other officers of our Admiralty as also the Lord Mayor
of our City of London and the Sheriffs Justices Constables and other
officers and Ministers of the said city for the time being, and also
the several Mayors of our cities of Bristol and Rochester and of our
towns of Yarmouth Plymouth Dartmouth Ipswich Southampton Woodbridge
Hull and Newcastle respectively for the time being and all other
Mayors Sheriffs Justices of Peace Bailiffs Constables and other
officers and ministers of us our heirs and successors whatsoever
within our said realm of England and dominion of Wales, that they and
every of them be from time to time and at all times hereafter helping
aiding and assisting to the said Master Wardens and Commonalty and
to their successors and to every and any of them for the time being
and to every of their deputy or deputies officer or officers for the
time being forever, as well in and for such search view and survey
so to be made as aforesaid as also for and in the execution of all
and singular grants ordinances laws constitutions and orders herein
contained or hereafter upon or by virtue of these presents to be
allowed and approved in all things according to the true intent
and meaning of the same, upon pain of our high displeasure and as
they will answer the contrary. And these our letters patent or the
enrolment thereof shall be good and effectual in the law to the said
Master Wardens and Commonalty and their successors to all intents
constructions and purposes against us our heirs and successors
forever, any Act of Parliament statute law provision proclamation
restraint or other matter cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary
thereof in any wise notwithstanding. Provided always that these our
letters patent or anything therein contained shall not in any wise
extend or be constructed to extend or be prejudicial to our Cinque
Ports or to the liberties or members of the same or of any of them
or to any jurisdiction power or authority of the Lord Warden of the
Cinque Ports for the time being which he hath or in any wise or sort
he ought or may lawfully use exercise or claim to or with the office
of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports or of any other office or
offices belonging incident or appertaining to the said office of the
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, any grant power privilege matter or
thing before in these presents contained to the contrary thereof in