Orders for the poor.

"1. Fyrst that no parson or parsons olde or yonge shalbe suffred to go abrode after a generall warninge gyven, or be founde a beggynge in the stretes at the sermon or at anie mans dore or at anie place within the Citie in payne of sixe stripes with a whippe.

2. Not that anie parson or parsons, shall sustayne or fede anye such beggers at their dores in payne of such fyne as is appoynted by statute and further to paye for everi tyme fower pence, to be collected by the deacons, and to go to the use of the poore within the seide Citie.

3. Item that at the house called the Normans in the convenienteste place therfor, shall be appointed a workinge place, aswell for men as for women viz. for the men to be prepard forteyne mawlte quernes to grinde mawlte and suche excersises. And for the women to spinne and carde and such lyke exersises.

Which workinge place shall contayne to sett twelve parsons or more upon worke which parsons shall be kepte as presonars to worke for meate and drinke for the space of twentie and one dayes at the leaste and longer yf cause serve and they shall not eate but as they can earne (excepte som frende wyll be bownde for them) that the Citie shall nomore be troubled with them with this proviso that such parsons as shallbe thether comytted shall be suche as be hable to worke and daielie notwithstandinge wyll not worke but rather begge, or be withoute master or husbonde, or ellis be vacabowndes or loyterers.

Whiche parsons shall begynne their woorkes at fyve of the clok in somer viz^t from ower Ladie the an(n)unciacion untyll Myhellmes, and shall ende ther workes at eight of the cloke at nighte, and in wynter to begyn at sixe of y^e cloke from Mihellmes to ower Ladie, and to ende ate seven of the cloke at nighte or halfe an hower past with the alowaunce of one halfe hower or more to eate and a quarter of an hower to spende in prayer.

And everye one sent thether shall be by warrente from the maior or his deputie or deputies to the balie ther, upon which warrente the balie shall be bownde to receive every one so sente and see them sett a woorke.

And those that shall refuse to do their workes to them appointed or kepe their howers to be ponissed by the whipp at the discrecion of the wardens or balie of the house."

Item upon the seide awcthorite be also appointed another offycer he to be called the balie of bridewell, who is to be residente ther with his wyfe and famelie, who shall take the charge by inventorie from the wardens of all beddinge and other utenciles delyvered unto hym to the use of the workefolkes, who shall yerelie accompte with the wardens for the same.

And also shall take charge of such vagabowndes men and woomen as to them shall be committed enforcinge them to worke by the Houres aforeseide. The men to grinde mawlte and other workes, and the women to use their handedede and, except that thei worke, not to eate.

And to take of them for their victuall, and fewell, or other necessaries as the price shall be rated and ther sett up. And to alowe them for their worke by the pownde (or otherwise) as shall be rated and sett up and shall use such correccion as is aforeseid.

And also shall receive all stuffe thether browght and see the same trewlye and well used and sawfely delyverid.

And he to provide hym of such sarvantes as in his abcens or his wyves shall see the workes done as it owghte to be and to do the howse busynes as washinge, makynge of beddes, bakinge and also to be experte in handedede to spynne, carde etc.

And also to provide one offycer survayor to go daielye abowghte the citie, with a staffe in his hande to areste whome that is apte for brydewell and brynge them to master maior or to anie of the committies be comaunded thether.

And as he goeth abrode he shall certifie howe the workes in everie warde ar ordered and occupied and shal enforme master maior the committies or his master therof.

And he shall resorte to the deacons in everi warde and be aydinge unto them to bringe suche as be newe commars into the citie to master maior, the same presentlie to be sente away agayne to the place they cam from. And lykewise shall bringe all disordered parsons to be ponissed to Bridewell yf suche shall dwell in anye warde, and shall gyve his whole attendaunce thervppon.

And the seide balie shall be alowed for hym sylfe his wyfe sarvauntes and surveyor (yf he shalbe charged with his whole nombre of presoners) for meate, drinke and wages thirtie powndes by yere, wherof he shall paye fourtie shillinges a yere to a preste to mynister cervis to them twise a weke or elles yf he have lesse charge to have after the rate as by the discretion of the committies and wardeins of Bridewell shall be thowght convenient or as they can agree...."

Item, that there be also appoynted by the committies or comissioners for every syngle warde so manye selecte women as shal suffyse to receyve of persons within that warde, viz. of women, maydens or children that shalbe appoynted unto them by the comitties or deacons, to worke or learne letters in their house or houses, of the most porest children whose parentes are not hable to pay for theyr learinge or of women and maydes that lyve ydelye or be disordred to the nomber of six, eight, tenne or twelve at the moste in anie one of their howses.

The same to be dryven to worke and lerne, by the howers appoynted in bridewell and with such corrections, tyll their handes be browght into such use and their bodies to suche paynes as labore and learninge shall be easier to them than idleness and as they shall of themselves be hable to lyve of their owne workes with their famelies as others do.

And everie suche selecte woman appoynted to take charge of such aforeseide, shall see that suche as to them be comitted shall do ther woorkes trewelie and workmanlye and be learned profitablie, or ellis to laye sharpe correccion upon them; and everi such selecte woman doenge her duetie to teache or cawse to be tawghte or sett a worke, to have for her paynes in that behaulfe twentie shillinges by yere everi one of them so appoynted and nominated.

And whoso ever selecte woman so appointed shall refuse the same beinge therevnto appoynted, shall suffer imprisonemente by the space of twentie dayes at the leaste.

Item that in every single warde within this citie be also appoynted in that order, fourme and tyme aforesyde twoo civil and experte men that wyll be paynefull, the same to be called deacons, whiche twoo in everie petie warde appoynted, shall have the oversight of the poore of that warde and have the names of them as well of men, women as chyldren. And suche as have not remayned three yeris in the Citie to certifie the committies therof, to be presentlie sente awaye with their families, and also to have a contynuall eye that no more suche straungers be suffred here to inhabit as be not hable to lyve of themselves, or be lyke to be chargeable to the citie for the which they shall make search ir warde onis in a monethe at the least vpon payne of three shillinges and fower pence for everi tyme doenye the contrarye.

And suche as shall have nede and remayne and that the awlmes can not suffyse to certifie the seide commytties of their state from tyme to tyme as they maye be provided for.

And the reste that can worke, to se they ronne not abowght abegginge, but rather to be sett a worke.

Also all those that can and wyll not woorke to se them placed with suche selecte women as shall be charged with them and to kepe their howers to them appoynted or ellis to see correccion upon them as at brydewell (yf they shall refuse the correccon of their dames).

And also to certifie the nombre of disordered parsons to be ponissed wekelye.

And also that the nombre of childrene under age (not hable to worke) and that their parentes ar not hable to sustayne to certifie aswel of their names ages as places inhabiting to be considerid of.

And also to certifie the nombre of such bygge wenches or boyes as maye do cervis, not hable to be kept of their parentes, to be putt to cervis accordinge to the statute, and the reste to worke with their parentes so as they go not ydelie abowght.

And whosoever olde or yonge goinge abowght to begge the same to be ponissed as aforesyde.

Also what vagaboundes or ydle loiterers, dronkerdes or disordered parsons doth in that warde remayne that they be certified to be ponissed also.

And that all monye woode or other thinges whatsoever gyven or to be gyven to be distributed to the poore maye by them within everie warde be trewely done and recorded and the comitties made privie therunto.

And everi one to this office appoynted and shall refuse to do his duetie (in all the premisses) both trewlie and faithefullie, shall forfett the some of fortie shillinges the same to go to the vse of the poore.

Of the which twoo, one of the same shall ever contynue for twoo yeris befor he shall go of, to the ende to enstructe the other.

Itm yt is also orderid that the pore in everie warde shall receyve suche somes of money as is to them wekelie assigned at the handes at everie of the forseide deacons.

Item yt is also orderid that all gyftes colleccions, legacis, or benevolenses gyven or bequethed to the use of the poore, shall go to the use aforeseyde, and as ellis hereafter shall be thowght mete, to prepare woode or other fewell to sustayne the poore in wynter or to prepare them howses to dwell in or for anie other necessitie or to purchase some certentie of landes to maynteyne the same.

Finis."