An Additionall ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS and COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT: Concerning dayes of Recreation, allowed unto Schollers, Apprentices and other Servants.
ORdered by the Lords Aſſembled in Parliament, That this Ordinance be forthwith printed and publiſhed.
London printed for John Wright at the Kings Head in the old Bayley. 1647.
WHereas by an Ordinance of Parliament, bearing date the eleventh day of this inſtant June, 1647. It is provided and Ordained, That every ſecond Tueſday in every Moneth throughout the yeare, ſhall be allotted to Schollers, Apprentices, and other Servants, for recreation, and relaxation from their conſtant and ordinary labours, as formerly they have uſed to have on Feſtivals, commonly called Holy-dayes, as2 by the ſaid Ordinance more at large appeareth: and leaſt ſuch daies of Recreation might be abuſed, to the diſhonour of God, ſcandall to Religion, and detriment both of Maſters and Servants, and for the more orderly proceeding in the ſtrict obſervation of the ſaid day of Recreation, according to the true intent and meaning of the ſaid Ordinance; It is further Ordained by the ſaid Lords and Commons, That all windowes of Shops, Warehouſes, and other places, where Wares or Commodities are uſually ſold, ſhall be kept ſhut on the ſaid day of Recreation, from eight of the clock in the morning untill eight of the clock at evening, on the ſaid day; And that no Maſter ſhall wilfully detaine or with-hold his Apprentice or other Servant within doores, or from his Recreation in his uſuall duty or ſervice on the ſaid day of Recreation, unleſſe Market daies, Faire daies, or other extraordinary occaſion; yet ſo as ſuch Maſter ſhall allow unto ſuch Apprentice3 or other Servant one other day inſtead of ſuch day imployed in the Service of his Maſter, upon ſuch occaſion as aforeſaid. And be it likewiſe provided and Ordained, That if ſuch Apprentice or other Servant ſhall ryotouſly ſpend or abuſe ſuch day of Recreation, either to his owne hurt, or the dammage of his Maſter, and being thereof lawfully convicted and found guilty before any one Juſtice of the Peace; It ſhall and may be lawfull for ſuch Maſter at his pleaſure to detaine and with-hold ſuch Apprentice or other Servant from their Recreation on ſuch allowed daies. And be it alſo provided and Ordained, That if ſuch Apprentice or other Servant ſhall cauſe any ryotous or tumultuous aſſembly, to the diſturbance of the Peace on ſuch day of Recreation, ſuch Apprentice or other Servant being thereof lawfully convicted and found guilty, upon the teſtimony of two Witneſſes upon Oath, before one Juſtice of the Peace in any County, City,4 or Towne Corporate, where ſuch Offence ſhall be committed, or before the Chamberlaine of the City of London, for the time being, within the ſaid City, who ſhall have power to adminiſter ſuch Oath, ſuch Juſtices of Peace, and the ſaid Chamberlaine of the City of London reſpectively ſhall, and may at their diſcretion inflict on ſuch Apprentice, or other Servant ſo convicted as aforeſaid any Corporall puniſhment, by impriſonment or otherwiſe, ſo as the ſame impriſonment exceed not the ſpace of three dayes. And it is laſtly Ordained, That all Mayors, Sheriffes, Bayliffes, Conſtables, Headboroughs, and all other Officers and Miniſters are hereby Authorized to make, or cauſe to be made diligent Searches for ſuch Apprentices or other Servants in Tavernes, Alehouſes, or Gaming-houſes, and ſuch Apprentices or other Servants as ſhall be found in any ſuch place after eight of the Clock in the Evening, or being drunke,5 or otherwiſe diſorderly, or ſhall there remaine after eight of the Clocke in the Evening on ſuch day of Recreation, ſhall bring, or cauſe to be brought ſuch Apprentice or other Servant before any Juſtice of the Peace in any County, City, or Towne Corporate, or before the ſaid Chamberlaine of London within their reſpective Limits as aforeſaid, who ſhall cauſe the Statutes to be executed upon them that are in ſuch caſe provided for the puniſhment of ſuch Offenders.
VPon a due neglect and ſlight regard of certaine Feſtivalls and Holy-dayes, formerly authorized and obſerved, which was effected through their ſuperſtitious uſe; we were emboldened (being hereby deprived of all times of lawfull pleaſure and recreation) to Petition your Honours for an eſtabliſhment and confirmation of ſome other ſet times for the ſupplying our ordinary pleaſure, (which indeed though Your Honours were pleaſed in8 ſome meaſure to ſatisfie us in this our requeſt) yet your Petitioners finde, and humbly conceive, that ſo full ſatisfaction is not contained in that late publiſhed Ordinance from this Houſe, as is by the generall expected; neither is an obſervance of the day ſo firmly authorized, as, if Your Honours pleaſes, may be vouchſafed. We are bold therefore to renew our deſires, and humbly preſent unto your Honours conſideration, theſe following Propoſitions, or Heads, which we deſire may be ſpecified and included in a renewed Ordinance from your Honours.
1. THat every ſecond Tueſday monethly be ſtrictly obſerved with Shop-ſhutting, and that no Maſter detaine his Servant on ſuch day or dayes in his uſuall imployment unleſſe extraordinary occaſion happen, (which if it ſhall ſo be) that then the ſervant be allowed ſome other day in ſtead thereof.
2 That no Apprentice or Servant diſobay his Maſter herein (when extraordinary occaſion ſhall require his ſervice on ſuch dayes.)
3. That whatſoever Apprentice ſhall be found to abuſe ſuch day or dayes, to his owne hurt, or damage9 of his Maſter, that then he be deprived of the benefit of the next day.
4 That none exceed the uſuall houres of eight in the morning to eight at night.
5. That whatſoever Apprentice be found the cauſe of any tumultuous aſſembly to the diſturbance of the peace, or through his diſtemper ſhall cauſe any diſorderly rout, or ſeditious company, that upon examination before the next Juſtice, if found notorious Offenders, Juſtice be duly executed upon them.
6 That all Conſtables and Officers, &c. be authorized to ſearch all Tavernes, Ale-houſes, and ſeize upon ſuch Apprentices or Servants as ſhall be found at unſeaſonable houres, either Gaming, Carding, Dice, or any other lawfull Games, whereby any diſturbance may happen, or fallings out, to the great diſquiet of the City and ſuch places, &c.
Theſe and ſuch like heads we leave to your honours prudence and judgement, to be compriſed in the renewed Ordinance, which we doubt not but will greatly prevent diſtractions, which otherwiſe may ariſe.
AN Ordinance concerning daies of Recreation for Schollers and Apprentices was this day read the firſt and ſecond time, and upon the queſtion committed unto
Or unto any five of them; who are to meet upon it to morrow in the afternoone, at two of the clock, in the Queenes Court. And the care hereof is more eſpecially referred unto Maſter Wheeler.
Imprinted at London for John Wright at the Kings Head in the Old-Bayley. 1647.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A82503)
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