ABSTRACT

JU , 6 l

" where the penon was heft known," was too indiicriminate to determine any thing, and nearly amounted to a general licence to beg throughout the k.ingdom. The 19 Hen. VII. c. 12. therefore, limited this vague defcription, by enaCting that they {hall go and abide in the city, town, or hundred, where they were born, or elfe to the place where they made laft their abode for the fpace of three years; and this continued to be the rule of fettlement in fubfequent ftatutes paffed againft vagrancy, in the reign of Henry VIII. his fon Edward, and daughters Mary and Elizabeth (1),

The J4 Biz, c. 5., after enaCting that the juftices fhall appoint within their divilions neat and convenient abiding places to fettle the aged and impotent poor, for their habitations and abidings; direCts, that the mayor of London, and the mayor, fheriffs, bailiffs, and other head officers, of every other city, borough, or town corporate, and the conftables, or tithing-men of the feveral hun~reds within all and every the raid {hires i'n England and Wales, in all and every f uch abiding places within their hundreds, limits, and precinCls, as {hall be appointed to fettle the poor people in, {hall once a month make fearch of all the aged, impotent, and lame perfons within the precinCl:s of their jurifdiClion; and all fucb as they {hall find not being born within that divilion, nor dwelling within the faid three years, (except leprore and bedrid people,) {hall caufe to be conveyed on horfebaclt, cart, or otherwife, to the next conftable, and fo from conftable to conftable, till they be brought to the place where they were born, or mof!: converfant by the fpace of three years next before, and there to be put in the abiding place, or one of the abiding places appointed for the habitation of the poor people of that country.