Assembly Proceedings, July 1-10, 1696. 429

or wager of Law to be Allowed and the Church wardens of
each respective Parish are by this Act Impowered to sue for
the same And if any Parent, Guardian, Master, Mistres or
Overseer shall not within two months after such Birth Bap-
tizme Marriage or buriall give notice to the Register of the
same together with the names of the persons and time when
they were married borne Baptized or buried to be Registred
shall forfeitt to the use aforesaid five hundred pounds of
Tobbacco to be recovered as aforesaid And if the Register
shall refuse or neglect tu Register the same haveing had
notice Given to him as aforesaid he shall forfeitt to the same
use the sume of six hundred pounds of Tobbacco to be recov-
ered in the County Court of the same parish in maner and
forme aforesaid Provided allways that this Law nor any thing

Lib. L. L. 2

therein Conteined shall not invalid the Testimony of any
Entry of Births, Marriages and Burialls heretofore Entred in
the Records of the County Courts by Virtue of a former Act
of Assembly of this Province for the same nor of any Entry of
the same by the Clerks of the severall Vestrys from the tenth
day of May Anno Domini 1692 but that the same remain
Good and firme Evidence as by the said Acts was Intended
and are hereby repealed And be it further Enacted by the
Authority afores^d by & with the Advice and Consent aforesaid
That the Vestrymen of each respective parish within this
Province within twelve months after the publication of this
Act shall procure a Table of Marriages as is Established by
the Church of England to be fairly written and sett up in
theire respective Churches when finished under penalty of five
hundred pounds of Tobbacco each Vestryman failing thereof
the minister Excepted) and shall also yearly and every year in
the month of January Elect two Sober and discreet men ffree-
holders of their parish to serve as Church Wardens for the
Ensueing year who shall be sworne by the Chief Vestryman to
performe the said Office to the best of their skill knowledge
and ability as also to take the Oaths appointed by Act of Par-
liament to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and
Supremacy and each pson that shall neglect or refuse to per-
forme his Duty or refuse to take upon himselfe the said Office
shall forfeitt to the uses aforesaid the sume of one Thousand
pounds of Tobbacco to be recovered as af^d And be it Enacted
that the Vestrymen and Churchwardens of each parish within
this Province take due Care and Caution by the best ways and

p. 131

means they Can to repaire and amend their Churches when
and as often as need shall require And if any Vestryman hap-
pen to dye or Depart this Province or remove himselfe out of
his County or parish or by any other ways or means become
disabled the Vestry shall Supply his place by Electing another

p. 132