A. D. 1757. Anno tricefimo primo Ge org 11 11. C. 18. 189 at all feafonable and convenient Times, upon Application to the faid Clerk, and take Copies thereof fo far which may he as relates to the faid Fines. infp.fted hy the Overleers; and Copi s taken thereof. XX. And be it further enabled by the Authority aforcfaid. That this' A61 and all the Powers and Autho- c<mmencemcnt rities herein contained, fnall commence and have Continuance from and after the twenty-ninth Day of Sep- '^'^'^ Contijiuanci: temper in the Year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-eight. of this Aa. XXI. And be it further enabled by the Authority aforefiiid. That if any Suit fhall be brought or com- Liinitation of menced againfl any Perfon or Perfons, for any thing done in purfuance of this A61, or in relation to the Atlions. Premifies, that in every fuch Cafe, the AcStion ihall be commenced within fix Months next after the Fa6l committed, and not afterwards ; and fhall be laid and brought in the County of Middlcfex.^ and not elfe- vvhere, except fuch Perfon or Perfons againfl: wliom fuch A6tion {hall be brought, fhall remove into and re- fide in the City of London^ in which Cafe the faid Adion {hall be laid and brought in the faid City of Lon- don ; and the Defendant and Defendants in fuch Action or Anions to be brought, may plead the General General ifTue, IfTue, and give this A6t, and the Special Matter, in Evidence, at any Trial to be had thereupon, and that the fame was done in purfuance and by the Authority hereof; and if it fhall appear fo to be done, or if any fuch Action or Suit fhall be brought after the Time before limited for bringing the fame, or fhall be brought in any other County, City or Place, than the County of Middle/ex (except in fuch Cafe as aforefaid) that then and in fuch Cafe, the Jury Ihall find for the Defendant or Defendants ; and if upon fuch Verdiift, or if the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs fhall become nonfuit, or difcontinue his, her or their Action or A6lions ; or if a Verdicf fhall pafs againfl the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs; or if, upon Demurrer, Judgment fhall be given againfl the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs; the Defendant or Defendants fhall and may recover treble Cofts, and Treble Cofts. have the like Remedy for the fame, as any Defendant or Defendants hath or have for Cofts of Suit in other Cafes by Law. XXII. Provided always. That this Aft, or any Thing or Matter herein contained, fhall not extend to Placesand Per- .■the Church or College of JVeflminJler^ nor to the Clofe of IVeJimin/hr^ nor to any Perfon or Perfons in- ^°'^^ exempted habiting within the Site, Circuit or PrecintSl of the faid Church, College or Clofe, for any Offence or Mif- ^^^^ the jurjf- government to be committed by them, or any of them, within the Site, Circuit or Precin»Sl of the fai<l Aft'.""*' Church, College or Clofe. CAP. XVIIL An A6t for draining and preferving certain Fen Lands and Low Grounds in the Ifle of Ely 2ind CoMniy oi Cambridge , between iht Cnm^ oiVtxv^xk Grant, Oufe and Mildenhall Kiwevs,^ and bounded on the South Eaft by the Hard Lands of jp.tbam^ Fordham, Soham and JVicken and for im powering the Governor, Bailiffs, and Commonalty of the Company of Ccnfervators of the Great Level of the Fens, called Bedford Levels to fell certain Lands within the faid Limits, commonly called Invefied Lands.
- XT 7 HERE AS certain Fen Lands and Low Grounds lying and being in the feveral Parifhes of Soham, Prcamblfe*.
' VV JJleham arid Widen, in the County of Cambridge, and in the Parifh of Stretham cum Thctford, and
- Townfbip of Ely, in the Ifle of Ely and County aforclaid, containing in the Whole feventeen thoufand
- Acres, or thereabouts, and which are bounded as follows ; (that is to fay) From the Hard Lands of
- JVicken, along the Eaff Bank of the River Cam, otherwife Grant, and the Eafl Bank of the River Ouze,
- to the South Bank of the Mildenhall River ; and then along the faid Bank of the Mildenkall River ( in-
- eluding all the faid Banks) to the Skirts of the Hard Lands of IJleham ; and along the Shirts of the Hard
- Lands of IJlehrm, to the Skirts of ihe Hard Lands of Fordham; and along the Skirts of the Hard Lands
- of Fordham, to the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Soham ; and along the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Sohmn,.
' by Soham Coaies, to the Counter Bank of Soham Meer and along the Weft Side of the i'aid Bank to the
- Hard Lands of TFicken; and then along the Skirts of the Hard Lands of Wicken, to the Eafl Bank of the
- River Cam, otherwife Grant aforefaid ; have, for divers Years lafl pafl been, and ftill are, frequently
- overflowed and annoyed with Waters, through the Defe6l of their Outfalls to Sea, and thereby rendered
- of very little Value, to the great Lofs and Impoverifhment of the Owners of fuch Lands, and of the
- Inhabitants of the feveral Parifhes and Places where the fame do lie : And whereas the faid Fen Lands
- and Lov/ Grounds cannot be drained and preferved, without the Aid of Parliament :' May it therefore
pleafe your Majefty, that it may be enacted ; and be it enadted by the King's mofl Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confcnt of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament fembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That the Lord Bifliop of Ely, the Lord or Lords, Lady or Certain PerA.ns Ladies, of the feveral and refpedtive Manor of Soham and Fordham, Parcel of the Duchy of Lancajier, JViJr ^P"'"'"'^ ^'"" thrrhall, JVigorn, Great Ijkharn, with Barnets Beck, oXqx^{q B£ckhall in Ifleham, Ne-iuhaH zn^ Up hall in ;;;|^^J°;,'J. ;'"• ^ JJleham, Wicken, Thetford in the Ifle, and Stuntney, for the time being, or in his, her or their Abf nee refpec- ,.i,j)fe",' fy, ^^,5 tiveiy, his, her or their refp;£tive Agents or Deputies appointed by Writing under his, her or their refpec- feveral Hlacs, tive Hands ; an Agent appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Ely ; an Agent appointed by the Mafter andta execute the Fellows of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, for each of their Manors of Soham ReSiory and Banvay under their '^'■'^• refpedtive Common Seals ; every Perfon who fliall be botja fide feized or poffelfed, in his or her own Right, of two hundred Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this Act, notbB-ing Tenant at Rack-rent, or, in the Ab- fence of any fuch Perfon, his or her Agent, to be appointed under his or her Fland as aforefaid ; and aifo feven Perfons fo feized or poffefTed as aforefaid of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of this A6t, lying in the Tov/nfhip of Ely ; nine Perfons fo feized or pofleifcd of thirty Acres of Land taxed by virtue of tfiis Adt, lying in the faid Parifh of Soham ; fix Perfons fo feized or poffcflcd of thirty Acres of Laiid taxed by virtue
