A. D. 1444. Anno vicefimo tertio Henrici VI. C. Cotton MS. refme Ian de fon reigne xiij e pur caufe que diverfez vifcountz en diverfez counteez dEngleterre adon- ques efteauntz avoient lour officez, afcuns pur terme dans de graunte du Roi, et afcuns confiantz en pluis longe continuance en lour officez per procurement &c. fluent graundement efbaudez, et prifteront fur eux, de faire plufours et diverfez oppreffions a le liege poeple du Roy meyns due- ment, et malement et fauxement fervoient le Roi et fon poeple ; ordeigna et fift, que nulle vifcount demureroit ne expecteroit en fon office ouftre un an, et que adonques un autre covenable et fufficient homme ferroit ordeine en fon lieu per le Chaun- celler et Treforer dEngleterie et le chief Baron del Efchequer et autres chefcune an en lendemayn dez toutz almez ; ficome il appiert en le dit efta- tut : Et apres cell eftatut iffint fait, per un autre eftatut fait a Weftm' en le parlement du dit Roi tenuz le prim' jour May Ian de fon reigne xlij ordeigna et fift, que null vifcount, fouthvifcount, ne clerk de vifcount, demureroit ou expecteroit en fon office ouftre un an ; ficome eft ordeigne per autres eftatutz faitz devaunt celle temps ; ficome il pluis pleinement appiert perle dit eftatut del xlij an. Et ouftr' ceo per un autre eftatut fait a Weftm' en le xv de feint Michell Ian du reigne du Roy Richard le feconde primer fuift ordeigne et fait, que nulle homme que avoit eftee vifcount dafcun counte pur un entier an ne ferroit eflieu autrefoitz, ne mys en la dit office, deinz trois ans adonques prof- cheinz enfuantz ; ftnoun que ne foit afcun autre fufficeant deinz le dit countee ; ficome il pluis pleinement appiert per le dit eftatut du Roi Rich- ard : Et come en diverfez counteez dEngleterre apres la fefaunce dez ditz eftatutz plufours di- verfez vifcountes ount eftez faitz, et ount occu- piez deinz lez ditz counteez, afcuns x. ans, et afcuns xij. ans, et pluis, a le graund damage du Roi qoreft, fez prog-;nitours, et lour poeple deinz lez ditz counteez, contrarie a lez ditz eftatutz, et tout autre bon rule, et veraie femblablement en temps avenir deftre importable damage, overt dif- heritaunce, & fupportation domicidie et perjurre, et graund oppreflion as plufours du liege poeple du Roi, confiderez lez graundez confanguinite alliaunce les famulers des vifcountes, fibien de ceux que ount eftee devaunt ceft temps, come de ceux que ore fount en les ditz counteez : Noftre dit Seignur le Roi, confiderant les premifTes, ad ordeigne per lauftorite fuifdit, que les eftatutz de- vaunt recitez et chefcun de eux foient duement obfervez en chefcune countee dEngleterre, les Southvifcounts et touts les autres officers deinz la Citee de Loundres que ore fount ou ferrount tout temps excepts, et autielx countees tantfoule- ment exceptz, en queux divers de le liege poeple du Roi en loffice de vifcount a ceft jour fount en- heritez, et auxint tielx perfones que ount eftate de frank tenement en loffice de vifcount mefme ceft jour et lettres patents a eux faitz del office de vifcount et lour Southvifcounts et Clerks ex- cepts. Et fi afcun Vifcount ou Clerk de Vifcount occupia office de Vifcount, Southvifcount, ou Clerk de Vifcount, contrarie a afcuns de les efta- tutz avaunt recitez, ou encountre leffecl: ou en- tent difcun de eux, exceptz devaunt exceptz ; que adonques ceftuy que iffint occupia, foxfaira la J, 607 " the Fourteenth Year of his Reign, for that feveral " Sheriffs in divers Counties in England then being, " had their Offices, fome for a Term of Years of the " King's Grant, and fome trufling of longer Conti- " nuance in their Offices, by Procurement, ts'c. were " greatly encouraged, and did take upon them to do " many and divers Oppreffions to the King's liege Peo- " pie, unduly, and evil, and falfly to ferve the King " and his People, did ordain and ftablifh, That no " Sheriff fhould tarry and abide in his Office above " a Year, and that then another meet and fufficient " Man fhould be affigned in his Place by the Chancel- " lor and Treafurer of England, and the chief Baron of " the Exchequer, and other, every Year in the Morrow " of All-Souh, as it appeareth in the faid Statute; (2) " and after the faid Statute fo made, by another Sta- " tute made at Weftmlnjler, in the Parliament of the ". faid King, holden the firft Day of May, the Forty- 4* ?■&■ z- <=•?» " fecond Year of his Reign, he ordained and made, " That no Sheriff, or Under-Sheriff, nor Sheriff's " Clerk, fhould tarry and abide in his Office over one " Year, as it is ordained by other Statutes before this " Time, as it appeareth more plainly by the faid " Statute of the fame Forty-fecond Year. (3) AndiR, 2. c. n, " moreover, by another Statute made at Wejhninfler, " the Fifteenth of St. Michael, the Firft Year of the " Reign of King Richard the Second, it was or- " dained and made, That no Man which hath been " Sheriff of any County by one whole Year, fhall be " another Time chofen nor put in the faid Office with- " in Three Years next enfuing, except that there be not " other fufficient within the faid County, as it appeareth " more plainly by the faid Statute of King Richard. " (4) And whereas in divers Counties in England, after " the making of the faid Statutes, many and feveral " Sheriffs have been made, and have occupied within the " faid Counties, fome Ten Years, and fome Twelve " Years, and more, to the great Damage of the King " that now is, his Progenitors, and their People within " the faid Counties, contrary to the faid Statutes, and " all other good Rule, and very like in Time to come " to be to their importable Damage, and openDifheri- " fon, upholding of Manflaughter, Perjury, and great " Oppreffion to many of the King's liege People, con- " fidering the great Confanguinity, Alliance, and Fa- " miliars of the Sheriff, as well of them as have been " before this Time, as of them which now be in the " faid Counties ;" ' (5) our faid Lord the King, con- i Conffrmatfoa ' fidering the Premiffes, hath ordained by the Autho- ° f the Statutes ' rity aforefaid, That the Statutes before recited, and ^° T ^'^ e
- every of them, fhall be duly obferved in every County sheriffabove one
' of England. (The Under-Sheriffs, and all other year, ©V. ' Officers within the Ciy of London, which now be, 28 Ed. 3, c. 7. ' or fhall be, at all Times excepted ; and fuch Coun- ' ties only except, in which divers of the King's liege ' People be inheritable to the Office of Sheriff's at this ' Day, and alfo fuch Perfons as have Eftate of Freehold ' in the Office of Sheriff's at this Day, and except the ' Letters Patents made to them of the Office of Sheriffs, ' and their Under-Sheriffs and Clerks.) (6) And if^^^f' ' any Sheriff, or Under-Sheriff, or Sheriff's Clerkj sheriffwick' ' occupy the Office of Sheriff, Under-Sheriff, or She-above one Year. ' riff's Clerk, contrary to any of the Statutes afore re- Altered bv I3 c cited, or againft the Effect or Intent of any of them Ed. 4. c.'i. £¥ ' (except before excepted) that then he which doth fou Ed. 4. c 7. ' occupy, fhall forfeit the Sum of CC li. yearly, as- fc long
