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his eares cutte of; and yf he offende the thyrde tyme to have lyke
punysshement wth whyppyng, stondyng on the Pillary & to have
his other eare cutte off
Form of Licenses to Beggars:—
Kanc ss. Memorand That A B of Dale for reasonable consideracons
ys lycensed to begge wythin the Hundred of P. K. and L. in the
sayde Countie, yeven under the Scale of that lymyttee, Tali die
& Anno :
Kent ss. J. S. whypped for a vagarant stronge begger at Dale in the
sayde Countie accordyng to the lawe the xijth daye of July in
the xxiijth yere of Kyng Henry the viij was assigned to passe
forthwyth & directly from thens to Sale in the Countye of Midd ;
That Westminster was subjected to serious inconvenience
by the number of vagabonds who resorted there is shown
by the following document preserved with the State
Papers:—
The Office of Surveyor of London, Westminster,
& Suburbs & Punishment of Vagrants, &c. 1G13.
Indenture dated the last of December 1613. Between Edward
Grent, Citizen & Mercer of London, Robert Moore of London,
Esqre Martin Smyth of London, Gent. and Francis Hexham of
London, Gent. (and duly signed and witnessed) recites—That K.
James by Patent dated 6 November the 11th year of his reign
constituted "the office of Surveys for the executinge of three
severall charges following (that is to saye) to discover and finde
oute from time to time all the inmates wthin the Cittye of Westmr
the suburbs of the Cittye of London and three miles compasse
everye waye round about the said cittye and liberties and to
present their names to the Justices of the Peace at every
Quarter Sessions to be held for ye County of Middlesex,
and every Court to be holden for the said Cittye of Westmr
and for the verge of everye of them respectively wthin
whose jurisdicon the same offence shall bappt to be punished
according to the lawes & proclamacons made and provided
for that purpose Secondlye to provide and carefully to see
that all the poore lame and impotent persons within the said Citty
of Westmr and the prcencts aforesaid be relieved and maintayned
by such wayes and meanes as the lawes and statutes of this
Realme doe limitt and appointe or any of them hereafter to be
made and Provided in that behalfe shall limitt and appoint, and
Lastlye to searche find out and see that all vagrant and other
persons wanderinge into and through the said Cittye of Westminster
and the limitts & precincts aforesaid be punshed according
to the true intent and meaninge of the lawes now in force or
hereafter to be in force against such offenders''—And the said
Letters Patent granted to the said Grent, Moore, Smyth and
Hexham the offices as therein set forth.