Page:The statutes of Wales (1908).djvu/195

 

An Act for punishment of Welshmen attempting any Assaults or Affrays upon any the inhabitants of Hereford Gloucester and Shropshire.

Forasmuch as in times past divers and sundry the King our Sovereign Lord's subjects, inhabited as well in Wales as in the Marches of the same, have heretofore used at sundry times, when awful process hath been attempted against them or against their kinsmen or friends for sundry robberies murders or felonies by them committed, or for any suits or processes of the Law pursued or sued against any person or persons inhabiting or dwelling within Wales or the Marches of the same, within the Counties of Gloucester Salop and Hereford have lain in a wait and suddenly of prepensid malice have not only met with the pursuers of the said suits in the said Counties and in places near adjoining to the same, but also have beaten mayhemed grievously wounded and some times murdered divers of the same pursuers, for the only attempting and pursuing of such felonies, whereby hath ensued no little violation and disturbance of the King's peace, to the great disquieting of all the said parts and to the right perilous example of all other like offenders; Be it therefore ordained established and enacted by the King's said Highness his Lords Spiritual and temporal and the Commons in this present parliament assembled and by the authority of the same that if any manner person or persons inhabited or dwelling in Wales or in the Marches of the same at any time hereafter upon any prepensid malice shall presume to assault beat hurt wound or mayhem any other the King's subjects of the said Counties, that then he or they so attempting, whatsoever they be, being indicted and convicted thereof shall suffer imprisonment without redemption for the space of one whole year, in such prison or prisons as unto the Justices before whom he or they shall be so convicted shall be thought convenient, with such further pain and punishment as he or they should have had if this Act had never been had or made; this Act to endure unto the last day of the next parliament.