Burials, heretofore made with any Clerk of any County Court, according
to
the Directions of such laws as were then in Force, before any of those
Laws
were in Being.
N.B. The Fines in this
Clause are recoverable before a single Magistrate, One Half to the
Parish Charge,
the other to the Informer, by 1730, ch. 23, §. 4.
For the Salary to the Vestry Clerk,
fee 1730, ch. 23, §. 7.
XI. And
that the Register of each Parish may be enabled to perform the
Charge hereby required of him; Be it
Enacted, by the Authority, Advice
and Consent aforesaid, That if there be any Vestries of any
Parishes that have
not already provided good and substantial Writing Books, well bound,
sufficient
for registring such Proceedings in, according to the Directions of
the
former Laws, that in every such Case of such Neglect or Omission, the
Vestry
of such Parish shall, at the Parish Charge, provide such Book or Books,
within Six Months from the End of this Session of Assembly, under the
Penalty
of Five Hundred Pounds of Tobacco each Vestry-man (the Minister only
excepted) neglecting as aforesaid, to our Sovereign Lord the King,
for the
Uses within mentioned.
XII. And
that there may be no Neglect in the Vestries, or those employed
under them, in the lawful and conscionable Performance of their several
Charges, the said several Vestries are hereby obliged to meet once
in every
Month, or as often as need shall require upon Public Notice given by
the
Principal Vestry-man of each Parish, to consult of the Methods and
Ways of
performing the several Authorities reposed in them, and from which
Vestry,
so appointed, no Vestry-man, being personally summoned, shall, without
a
lawful or reasonable Excuse, absent himself, under the Penalty of such
Fine
or Mulct as the Residue of the said Vestry-man, meeting shall lay upon
them, so as
the same never exceed One Hundred Pounds of Tobacco: And upon
Default
or Neglect in such Principal Vestry-man, as is before mentioned, to
summon
a Vestry when there is Need for one, and he is thereunto requested,
any other
Three of the Vestry, or if there shall happen by any Accident to be
but Two
of the said Vestry, besides the Principal Vestry-man residing in the
said Parish,
such Three or Two shall have Power and Authority to summon and appoint
a
Vestry to be holden. And all such Omissions and Neglects to be
noted in the
Vestry's Register of Proceedings, and any * Forfeiture thereby incurred,
to
be recovered in his Majesty's Name.
* The Fines in this Clause are recoverable
before a single Magistrate. See the Note on §. 10.
XIII. And
the said several and respective Vestries are hereby further enjoined,
that where there is not Tables of Marriages already put up, in their
respective
Parish Churches, with all convenient Speed, and within Six Months
at the most, to procure a fair Table of Marriages transcribed, and
set up
in their respective Churches, and the same keep continually in their
said
Churches, that Persons being thereby informed what Marriages are forbidden,
may avoid the contracting of any such unlawful Marriages.
XIV. And
that the said Vestry-men, and the rest of the Inhabitants of
every Parish, being Free-holders within the same Parish, and contributing
to
the Public Taxes and Charges there, do once every Year, upon Easter-Monday,
Yearly, make Choice and Appoint, two sober and discreet Persons,
Free-holders of their respective Parishes, to be Church-Wardens for
that
Year; all the Inhabitants of every Parish, being Free-holders within
the same
Parish, and contributing to the Public Taxes and Charges thereof, having
Liberty also to vote in the Choice of Church-Wardens. Each Vestry-man
(excepting as before excepted) being under the † Penalty of Two Hundred
Pounds of Tobacco, for neglecting either to procure a Table of marriages,
ot to appoint Church-Wardens, to our Sovereign Lord the King as aforesaid;
which Church-Wardens, so chosen, shall take the usual Oaths, and
likewise declare on his Oath, to be administered unto him by the Vestry,
to
whom Power is hereby given to administer the same accordingly, |
CHAP.
I.
Births, &c.
confirmed.
Register
Books to be
provided at
the Charge of
every Parish.
Vestries to
meet once a
Month, &c.
Penalty for
Non-Attendance.
How to be
summoned
when Need
requires.
Tables of
Marriages to
be set up in
Parish
Churches.
Two new
Vestry-men
and Church-Wardens
to
be annually
elected.
Penalty for
neglecting to
procure a Table
of Marriages,
&c.
Church-Wardens,
to take the
Oaths, and
also,
|
