parish or parishes, wherein such boys baptifm shall be registred, without fee or reward, and may be writ upon paper or parchment without any stamp or mark; and where no fuch entry of fuch boys being baptized can be found, two or more of fuch justices of the peace, and such mayors, aldermen, bailiffs, or other chief officers shall, as fully as they can, inform themselves of fuch boy's age, and from such information shall infert the fame in the faid indentures; and the age of fuch boy so inserted and mentioned in the said indentures (in relation to the continuance of his service) shall be taken to be his true age, without any further proof thereof.

T

down for

II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, ChurchwardThat the churchwardens and overseers of the poor for the time ens to pay being, of the several and respective parishes, from whence any boys nécessary such boy shall be bound apprentice to the faid fervice, as afore- cloathing, &c. said, shall pay down to such master, to whom the boy is bound, and be allowat the time of his binding, the sum of fifty shillings, to pro-ed the fame in vide necessary cloathing and bedding for sea service, for fuch their accounts. boy; and the charges by this act appointed shall be allowed to the faid churchwardens and overfeers on their accounts.

Overseers of

III. And whereas in many large parishes within this realm, there are feveral townships or villages, and overseers of the poor are chofen and appointed within and for each fuch township or village respectively; be it therefore enacted, That the overseers of the poor of every the poor of fuch township or village shall and may, from time to time, any township within every such township or village, do, perform, and execute or village may all and every the acts, powers, and authorities hereby enacted act as churchor directed to be done, performed, or executed by the church- wardens. wardens or overseers of the poor of a parish; any thing herein contained to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding.

until 18 years

IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, No such apThat no such apprentice or apprentices shall be compelled, or prentice to be impressed, or permitted or fuffered to lift or enter him or them- impressed, &c. selves into her Majesty's service at sea, or enter into the fea fer- old. vice of her Majesty's heirs or fuccessors, till fuch apprentice or apprentices respectively arrive to the age of eighteen years.

V. And be it further enacted, That the churchwardens and Apprentices overseers of the parish, out of which any fuch boy shall be indentures to bound an apprentice, shall send the faid indentures to the col- be fent to the lector of her Majesty's customs, residing at or belonging to any the port port or ports within this kingdom of England, dominion of whereunto his Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, whereunto such master bemafters or owners of ships or vessels, to whom fuch apprentice longs. or apprentices shall be bound, do or may belong; who fhall, Collector to in a fair book or books to be by him kept for that purpose, enter the fame fairly enter, from time to time, all and every indenture and in- gratis, &c. dentures, whereby such apprentice and apprentices shall be bound, and which shall be so sent unto him, and shall make an indorsement upon the faid indentures of the registry thereof, subscribed by the said collector, without taking any fee or other reward for the fame; and every fuch collector neglecting or re

Penalty on collector neglecting.

fusing to enter fuch indentures, and indorse the fame, or making false entries, shall forfeit the sum of five pounds for the use of the poor of the parish, from whence fuch boy was bound apprentice: and all and every such collector or collectors, or his or their lawful deputy or deputies, of the faid several and refpective ports, shall from time to time transmit certificates in writing, under his or their hands, to the lord high admiral of England, or to the commiffioners of the admiralty for the time being, containing the names and ages of every such apprentice

respectively, and to what ship he belongs; and upon receipt of Lord admiral such certificates, protections shall, from time to time, be made to grant pro- and given for such apprentices, till they attain their several and fuch apprenti- respective ages of eighteen years, without any fee or reward to ces, gratis. be taken for the same; which certificates, so as aforesaid to be

tections

over

given, are not required to be writ upon stampt paper or parch

ment.

VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every the person and persons, to whom any poor parish boy hath been, or hereafter shall be, put apprentice, according to the statute made in the forty third year of the

43 Eliz. c. 2. reign of Queen Elizabeth, may, with the consent and approbation of two or more justices of the peace of the fame county, and dwelling in or near the same parish where fuch poor boy was bound apprentice, or by and with the consent and approbation of any mayor, alderman, bailiff, or other chief officer or magistrate of any city, borough, or town corporate, where such poor boy was bound apprentice, at the request of the master or mistress, then living, of such apprentices, or his or Parish boys their executors, administrators, or assigns, by indenture, afbound apfign and turn over such poor boy apprentice to any master or prentices, may owner of any such ship or vessel, using the sea service, as to the fea fer- aforesaid, for and during the then remaining time of his apprenticeship; which affignment and assignments of such apprentices, so as aforesaid, shall be, and are hereby declared to be Indentures of good and effectual in the law: all which indentures of affignaffignment to ment are hereby directed to be registred, and certificates therebe registred. of given and transmitted by fuch collector, at the faid several Altered by 4 Annæ, c. 19. ports where such parish apprentices shall be so assigned over, and bound to the sea service, in manner and form aforesaid; and upon receipt of such certificates, protections shall, from time to time, be made and given for such apprentices (fo to be affigned over, as aforesaid) till they shall attain their several and respective ages of eighteen years, without fee or reward for the fame, in like manner as aforesaid.

vice.

f. 16.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and singular such poor boys as are herein before-mentioned, or intended by this act to be bound and put out, and such as shall be assigned over to the sea service, as aforesaid, during their several and respective apprenticeships, till such time as they shall attain their several and respective ages of eighteen years, shall be, and are hereby declared to be exempt

ed, ed, freed, and discharged of and from payment of fix pence See 2 Geo. Zas per month towards the better supporting of Greenwich Hospital, C. 7. f. 36. the act of parliament made in the feventh and eighth years of 7 & 8 W. 3. the reign of the late King William the Third (of glorious memory) intituled, An act for the increase and encouragement of feaC men, or any clause in the fame contained to the contrary hereof in any wife notwithstanding.

C. 21.

VIII. And for the better providing fuch apprentices with Masters of masters for the faid service; be it further enacted by the au- ships, &c. thority aforesaid, That all and every of her Majesty's subjects, obliged to take such apbeing mafters or owners of any ship or ships, vessel or vessels, prentices. ufed in the sea service, as aforesaid, of the burthen of thirty tun to the burthen of fifty tun, be obliged to take one such By 4 Annæ apprentice, and one more for the next fifty tun, and one more c. 19. sect. 16. no mafter shall for each and every hundred tun, such ship or vessel shall ex- be bound to take ceed the burthen of one hundred tun: and such master or own- a boy under 13 er of any ship or vessel, refusing to take such apprentice or ap-years of age, prentices, as aforesaid, shall forfeit the sum of ten pounds for &c. the use of the poor of the parish from whence fuch boy was

bound apprentice.

IX. And be it further enacted, That every master or owner and to give an of fuch ship or ships, vessel or vessels, so obliged to take fuch account of their names,

I apprentice or apprentices, after his arrival into any port or ports the
aforesaid, and before he clears out of fuch port, shall give an
account in writing, under his hand, to the collector of such
port to which he belongs, containing the names and numbers
of fuch apprentices as are then remaining in his service.

X. And for the better conveying and conducting all and every fuch apprentice and apprentices, so to be bound, as aforesaid, to his or their respective master and masters; be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every such appren- How appren tice and apprentices shall, from time to time, be severally and tices thall be respectively fent, conducted, and conveyed to the several and conveyed to respective ports, to which his or their master shall respectively the ports to belong, by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, or masters be| their agents, of the parish from whence fuch apprentice is bound, long. and the charges thereof to be in the same manner, as it is provided by an act of parliament made in the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of his faid late majesty King William the Third, intituled, An alt for the more effectual punishment of vagrants, and c. 18. fending them whither by law they ought to be fent.

which their

11 & 12W. 3.

XI. And it is hereby directed, That the counterpart of all The counterand every fuch indentures, to be executed by the several and parts of their respective masters of all such apprentices, shall be sealed and indentures to executed in the prefence of, and attested by, the collector at to the churchthe port aforesaid, (where such apprentices shall be bound or wardens, &c. affigned over) and the constable or other officer, who shall bring or convey such apprentices to the said several and respective masters; which conftables or officers last mentioned shall transmit and convey the counterparts of fuch indentures to the church wardens and overseers of the several parishes from whence fuch

and apprentices.

such apprentices shall be bound, by the same ways and means as such apprentice or apprentices were conveyed to the faid several and respective ports.

Justices to deXII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, termine comThat two or more justices of the peace of the respective counties, plaints between masters and dwelling in or near any of the ports aforesaid, and all mayors, aldermen, bailiffs, and other chief officers and magistrates of any city, borough, or town corporate, in or near adjoining to fuch port or ports, to which such ship or vessel shall at any time arrive, shall have full power and authority, and are hereby authorized and impowered to inquire into, and examine, hear, and determine all complaints of hard or ill usage from the several and respective masters, to such their apprentice or apprentices, so to be bound or assigned over, as aforesaid, and also of all fuch as already have, or who shall at any time hereafter voluntarily put themselves apprentice to the fea service, as aforesaid, and to make such orders therein, as now they are enabled by law to do in other cases between masters and apprentices.

Collector to keep a regifter, &c.

XIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every fuch collector in every port or ports aforesaid, shall, in their several and respective stations, keep an exact register, containing as well the number and burthen of all such ships and vessels, together with the masters or owners names, as alfo the names of fuch apprentices in each ship and vessel belonging to their respective ports, and from what parishes and places and tranfmit a such apprentices were respectively sent; and that such collectors copy thereof shall tranfinit true copies of such register, signed by them, to fenibe quarter the quarter sessions, or to fuch cities, boroughs, towns corpo

feflions, gratis.

Penalty.

Officer to infert on the cocquet, the number of

rate, parishes, or places, when and so often as they shall be reasonably required so to do; for which copy or copies, so to be transmitted as aforesaid, no fee or reward shall be taken : and that every such collector refusing or wilfully neglecting to tranfmit such copies, as aforesaid, shall for every fuch refusal or neglect forfeit five pounds for the use of the poor of the parish, from whence fuch boy was bound apprentice.

XIV. And be it further enacted, That every custom-house officer or officers, at each and every of the ports aforesaid, shall infert, and are hereby required from time to time, to infert men and boys at the bottom of their cocquets, the number of men and boys on board, &c. on board the respective ships or vessels, at their going out of every fuch port, therein particularly defcribing the apprentices by their respective names, ages, and the dates of their several indentures, for which no fee or reward shall be taken.

XV. And for the encouragement of all such as have, or shall voluntarily bind themselves apprentices to the sea service; Persons volun- be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and tarily binding themselves every such person and persons, who have or shall so voluntarily, apprentices and of his or their own accord, bind or put him or themselves to fea fervice, apprentice to any such masters or owners of any ship or vessel, not to be im- as aforesaid, shall not be compelled or imprest into her Majesty's fea

10

4 Annæ, c. 19.

fea service, or the sea service of her Majesty's heirs or fuc- pressed for 3 cessors, for and during the term of three years, to be accounted years. from the dates of the respective indentures of such voluntary Explained by apprentice or apprentices; all which indentures are hereby di- fect. 17. rected to be registred, and certificates thereof given and tranf- Indentures to mitted by fuch collector at the said several ports, where such ap- be registred, prentices already have become so bound, or that hereafter shall and protections given for fo bind themselves, in manner and form as aforesaid; upon re- the faid 3 ceipt of which said several certificates, protections shall, from years. time to time, be made and given, for the said first three years of their feveral respective apprenticeships, without either fee or reward for the fame.

men and boys,

XVI. And forafmuch as divers dissolute and idle persons, rogues, All lewd and vagabonds and sturdy beggars, notwithstanding the many good and disorderly wholesome laws to the contrary, do continue to wander up and down, deemed va pilfering and begging through all parts of this kingdom, to the great gabonds or disturbance of the peace and tranquility of the realm; for the more sturdy begeffectually suppreffing such diforderly persons, and to the end gars, by 39 that they may be made serviceable and beneficial to their Eliz. c. 4. to be taken up country; be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That and conveyed all lewd and disorderly men servants, and every such person into the and perfons, both men and boys, that are deemed and adjudged Queen's sea rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars (not being felons) by an service. act of parliament made in the nine and thirtieth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, for punishing of rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars, shall be and are hereby directed to be taken up, fent, conducted, and conveyed into her Majesty's service at fea, or the service at sea of her Majesty's heirs or fuccessors, by such ways, methods, and means, and in such manner and form, as is directed for vagrants by the said before-mentioned act of parliament, made in the faid eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of the said late King William the Third, For the more effectual punishment of vagrants, and fend- 11 & 12 W. 3.

-ing them whither by law they ought to be fent.

C. 18.

XVII. And whereas owners and masters of merchant ships are at great charge in educating and bringing up the parish children, till they come to the age of eighteen years, and other voluntary apprentices three years, at which time they are capable to serve in her Majesty's ships of war; be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, When When fuch fuch apprentices shall be impressed, or voluntarily enter them- apprentices selves into her Majesty's service, the faid owners or masters of thali be imfuch apprentices, their executors, administrators, or affigns, prefied, shall be intituled to able seamens wages for fuch of their ap- have able feaprentices, as shall upon due examination be found qualified for mens wages the fame, notwithstanding their indentures of apprenticeship. for them.

masters to

Penalties and

XVIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, forfeitures, That all the penalties and forfeitures directed by this act, shall, how to be leby warrant under the hands and feals of any two or more ju- vied. stices of the peace, of the fame county, city, borough or town corporate, be levied by distress and sale of the goods and chattles of the offender, which sale shall be good in the law against fuch offender.

6

XIX. And