EGYPTIANS. 1 & 2 P. & M. c. 4, which one month in 22 HENRY 8, CAP. 10.-An act concerning outlandish people, calling themselves Egyptians -Forasmuch as before this time divers and Enforced by many outlandish people calling themselves Egyptians, using no craft nor feat of merchandize, have come into this realm, and gone from makes it felony for them shire to shire, and place to place in great company, and used great, to remain subtile, and crafty means to deceive the people, bearing them in hand, the realm. that they by palmestry could tell men's and women's fortunes, and Enforced so many times by craft and subtilty have deceived the people of 5 Eliz. c. 20, their money, and also have committed many heinous felonies and which takes robberies, to the great hurt and deceit of the people that they have come among. II. Be it therefore by the king our sovereign lord, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, ordained, established, and enacted, that from henceforth no such person be suffered to come within this the king's realm; and if they do, then they and every of them so doing, shall forfeit to the king our sovereign lord all their goods and chattels, and then to be commanded to avoid the realm within fifteen days next after the commandment, upon pain of imprisonment; and it shall be lawful to every sheriff, justice of peace, and escheator, to seize to the use of our sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, all such goods as they or any of them shall have, and thereof to make account to our said sovereign lord in his exchequer; and if it shall happen any such stranger hereafter to commit within this realm any murder, robbery, or any other felony, and thereof be indicted, and arraigned, and to plead not guilty, or any other plea triable by the country, that then the inquest that shall pass between the king and any such party, shall be altogether of Englishmen, albeit that the party so indicted pray medietatem lingue, according to the statute of anno 8 Henrici 6, or any other statute thereof made. III. Provided alway, that the Egyptians now being in this realm, have monition to depart within sixteen days after proclamation of this statute among them shall be made, upon pain of imprisonment, and forfeiture of their goods and chattels; and if they then so depart, that then they shall not forfeit their goods nor any part thereof, this present statute notwithstanding. IV. Provided alway, that every such person or persons, which can prove by two credible persons, before the same party that seized such money, goods, or chattels, of the same Egyptians, that any part of the same goods, money, or chattels, were craftily or feloniously taken or stolen from him, shall be incontinent restored unto the same goods, money, or chattels, whereof he maketh such proof before the same party, that so seized the same money, goods, or chattels, upon pain to forfeit to the same party, that maketh such proof, the double value of the same by action of debt, bill, or otherwise, in further by away clergy. Egyptians into this realm, &c. explained by which makes it felony. 3 Inst. 102. any of the king's courts to be sued, upon which action and suit he shall not be admitted to wage his law, nor any protection or essoin to be allowed; any thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding. V. Provided always, and be it further enacted, that if any justice of peace, sheriff, or escheator, which by authority of this act, have power to take or seize any goods or chattels of any Egyptians, at any time hereafter do seize, or take the goods or chattels of any such Egyptians, that then every such justice, sheriff, or escheator, doing the same, shall have, keep, and retain to his own use, the moiety of all such goods so by him seized; and of the other moiety so by him taken or seized, shall make answer and account to the king in his exchequer, according to the tenor of this present act; any thing in the same act contained to the contrary hereof notwithstanding: and that upon any account hereafter to be made for the said other moiety of the same goods, the accountant shall pay no manner of fees or other charges, for his account or discharge to be had in the king's exchequer, nor elsewhere. 1 & 2 PHILIP & MARY, CAP. 4.-An act against certain persons Punishment calling themselves Egyptians.-Where in a parliament holden at for bringing Westminster in the twenty-second year of the reign of our late sovereign lord king Henry the eighth, (for the avoiding and banish22 H. 8, c. 10. ing out of this realm of certain outlandish people calling themselves Enforced and Egyptians, using no craft nor feat of merchandizes for to live by, but 5 Eliz. c. 20, going from place to place in great companies, using great, subtile and crafty means to deceive the king's subjects, bearing them in hand, that they by palmistry, could tell men's and women's fortunes, and so many times by craft and subtilty deceive the people of their money, and committed divers great and heinous felonies and robberies, to the great hurt and deceit of the people); it was amongst other things then enacted, that from the time of the making of the said act no such persons should be suffered to come within this the king's realm, upon pain of forfeiture to the king of all their goods and chattels, and then to be commanded to avoid the realm within fifteen days next after the commandment, upon pain of imprisonment; and such persons calling themselves Egyptians, as were then within this realm, should depart within sixteen days next after proclamation of the said act, upon pain of imprisonment, and forfeiture of all their goods and chattels, with divers other clauses and articles contained in the said act, as by the said act more at large it appeareth: forasmuch as divers of the said company, and such other like persons, not fearing the penalty of the said statute, have enterprized to come over again into this realm, using their old-accustomed devilish and naughty practices and devices, with such abominable living as is not in any christian realm to be permitted, named or known, and be not duly punished for the same, to the perilous and evil example of our sovereign lord and lady the king and queen's majesty's most loving subjects, and to the utter and extreme undoing of divers and many of them, as evidently doth appear: The penalty for bringing II. For reformation whereof, be it ordained and enacted by the of Egyptians king and queen our sovereign lord and lady, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, realm. and by the authority of the same, that if any person or persons into this after the last day of January next coming, do willingly transport, bring or convey into this realm of England or Wales, any such persons calling themselves, or commonly called, Egyptians, that then he or they so transporting, bringing or conveying in any such persons, contrary to the true meaning of this act, shall forfeit and lose for every time so offending, forty pounds of lawful money of England. felony for England a III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if It shall be any of the said persons called Egyptians, which shall be transported Egyptians to and conveyed into this realm of England or Wales as is aforesaid, do remain in continue and remain within the same by the space of one month, month. that then he or they so offending shall by virtue of this act be deemed and judged a felon and felons, and shall therefore suffer pains of death, loss of lands and goods, as in cases of felony, by the order of the common law of this realm, and shall upon the trial of them or any of them therein so tried in the county, and by the inhabitants of the county or place, where they or he shall be apprehended or taken, and not per medietatem lingue, and shall lose the benefit and privilege of sanctuary and clergy. for the Egyp tarry in Eng IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if The penalty the Egyptians, or other persons commonly calling themselves Egyptians that tians, and every of them, now being within this realm of England or now be, to Wales, do not depart out of the same within twenty days next after land. proclamation of this present act shall be made, that then he or they which shall not depart within the said time, according to the true meaning of this act, shall forfeit and lose all his and their goods and chattels, and that then it shall be lawful to all and every the king's and queen's subjects to seize the same; the one moiety thereof to be to the use of our sovereign lord and lady, the king and queen, and the other moiety thereof to be to the use of him or them that shall so seize the same. for Egyp tians not to depart with in forty days. V. And be it also enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if the The penalty Egyptians, and other persons commonly called Egyptians, and every of them, now being within this realm of England or Wales, do not depart out and from the same within forty days next after proclamation shall be made of this act, that then he or they which shall not depart and avoid within the said time of forty days, according to the true meaning of this act, shall be judged and deemed according to the laws of this realm of England a felon and felons, and shall suffer therefore pains of death, loss of lands and goods, as in other cases of felony, and shall be tried as is aforesaid, and without having any benefit or privilege of sanctuary or clergy. for suing of VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if The penalty any person after the first day of January next coming shall sue for licence for the obtaining of any licence, letter or passport, for any of the said Egyptians to tarry in Engpersons called Egyptians, to abide or continue within this realm of land. England or Wales, contrary to the tenor of this act, that then every such person so suing shall forfeit and lose for the same forty pounds of lawful money of England; and that every such licence, letter and passport, shall be by virtue of this act void to all intents and purposes; the one moiety of all which sums of money, to be forfeited as is aforesaid, shall be to the king and queen our sovereign A proviso for ty trade. lord and lady, and the other moiety thereof to be to him or them that will sue for the same in any court of record, by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, wherein no essoin, wager of law nor protection shall be admitted and allowed. VII. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforewhich leave said, that this present act, nor any thing therein contained, shall not their naugh- extend or be hurtful to any of the said persons commonly called Egyptians, which within the said time of twenty days next after the said proclamation to be made as is aforesaid, shall leave that naughty, idle and ungodly life and company, and be placed in the service of some honest and able inhabitant or inhabitants within this realm, or that shall honestly exercise himself in some lawful work or occupation, but that he or they so continuing in service, or other lawful work or occupation, shall (during such time as he or they shall so continue) be discharged of all pains and forfeitures contained in this act. To what persons this VIII. Provided also, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, statute doth that this act shall not in anywise extend to any child or children, not extend. being not above the age of thirteen years, nor to any of the said persons being now in prison, so that he or they so being in prison do depart out of this realm within fourteen days next after his or their delivery out of prison; nor shall extend to charge any manner of person or persons as accessary to any offence or offences contained or specified in this statute. 5 ELIZABETH, CAP. 20.-An act for further punishment of vaga3 Inst. 102. bonds, calling themselves Egyptians.-Whereas sithence the act made in the first and second years of the late king and queen, king Philip and queen Mary, for the punishment of that false and subtile company of vagabonds calling themselves Egyptians, there is a scruple and doubt risen, whether such persons as being born within this realm of England, or other the queen's highness' dominions, and are or shall become of the fellowship or company of the said vagabonds, by transforming or disguising themselves in their apparel, or in a certain counterfeit speech or behaviour, are punishable by the said act in like manner as others of that sort are, being strangers born and transported into this realm of England: The statute of 1 & 2 Egyptians shall con tinue in force II. Therefore for the avoiding of all doubts and ambiguities in P. & M. c. 4, that behalf, and to the intent that all such sturdy and false vagaconcerning bonds of that sort, living only upon the spoil of the simple people may be condignly met withal and punished, be it enacted by the queen our sovereign lady, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the said statute made in the first and second years of the said late king and queen concerning those vagabonds calling themselves Egyptians, shall continue, remain and be in full force, strength and effect. It shall be felony for terfeiting III. And yet moreover, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, Egyptians,or that all and every person and persons, which from and after the first others coun- day of May now next ensuing shall be seen or found within this themselves realm of England or Wales, in any company or fellowship of vagalike to them, bonds, commonly called or calling themselves Egyptians, or countermonth in this feiting, transforming or disguising themselves by their apparel, realm. speech or other behaviour, like unto such vagabonds, commonly to remain a called, or calling themselves Egyptians, and so shall or do continue and remain in the same, either at one time or at several times, by the space of one month: that then the said person or persons shall by virtue of this act be deemed and judged a felon and felons; and shall therefore suffer pains of death, loss of lands and goods, as in cases of felony by the order of the common laws of this realm; and shall upon the trial of them, or of any of them therein, be tried in the county and by the inhabitants of the county or place where they or he shall be apprehended or taken, and not per medietatem lingue; and shall lose the privilege and benefit of sanctuary and clergy. sons this act IV. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, To what perthat this act shall not in any wise extend to any child or children shall not exbeing within the age of fourteen years, nor to any of the said tend. persons being in prison the last day of this present parliament; so that he or they so being in prison, do within fourteen days next after his or their delivery out of prison, either depart out of this realm of England and Wales, or put him or themselves to some honest service, or exercise some lawful work, trade or occupation, and utterly forsake the said idle and false trade, conversation and behaviour of the said counterfeit and disguised vagabonds, commonly called or calling themselves Egyptians. the realm to depart V. Provided also, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, None born in that the said act made in the first and second years of the said late compellable king and queen, shall not extend to compel any person or persons thence. born within any the queen's majesty's dominions, to depart out of this realm of England or Wales, but only to constrain and bind them and every of them to leave their said naughty, idle and ungodly life and company, and to place themselves in some honest service, or to exercise themselves at home with their parents, or elsewhere, honestly in some lawful work, trade or occupation; any thing mentioned in the said former act to the contrary hereof in anywise notwithstanding. 23 GEORGE 3, CAP. 51.-An act to repeal an act, made in the fifth year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, intituled, an act for further punishment of vagabonds calling themselves Egyptians.-Whereas Preamble. an act, made in the fifth year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, Act 5 Eliz. intituled, an act for further punishment of vagabonds calling them- recited, selves Egyptians, is and ought to be considered as a law of excessive severity; be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that, from and after the first day of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, the said act shall be, and the same is hereby repealed. and repealed. SPACE LEFT, FOR REFERENCE, IF NECESSARY, TO ACTS OF PARLIAMENT PASSED SUBSEQUENT TO A. D. 1814. |