Charles I 'Instructions which you are to follow in the execution of his Majesty’s commission concerning the Order of Knighthood to be taken at the King's coronation (1630)'

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Instructions w[hi]ch you are to Follow in [th]e executio{n} of his Mag[e]sties Commission concerninge [th]e order of Knight-hood to be taken att [th]e kings Coro{nation} by vertue of a stat[ute] maide Anno [th]e jst Ed.-2 putt in execution .1629.

1. First vpon [th]e receipt of this our Commission you are to me{et} and by y[ou]r joynt consents to aduise & resolue of [th]e fittest {gap: damage} & places & maner for y[ou]r execution of this our Commis{sion} w[i]th [th]e most expedition & best aduantage for our s{gap: damage}

2. Against [th]e time of y[ou]r furth[e]r meetinge you shall vse {gap: damage} best endeauors by y[ou]r selues & others to informe y[ou]r selu{es} all [th]e persons, who by [th]e law, or by the Tenor of this Commission ought to make agree[men]t w[i]th vs for there fines in case of contempt, & of their estates lying aswell w[i]thin th{gap: damage} as any other Countyes of this Realme./

3. To [tha]t end you shall send for [th]e vnd[e]r sheriffe, Escheator & {s}{gap: damage} of [th]e County, for [th]e high Constables, & Bayliffs, petty Con{stables} & such others as in y[ou]r Iugdments, yee thinke fittest to giue true informaton herein. All w[hi]ch or as many of them as y{ou} shall send for, wee charge & Com[m]and to attend you accor{dingly} & giue there best assistance for this our seruice./

4. That besides these informations, yee shall instructe y[ou]r se{lves} by [th]e veiw of [th]e subsidy Roll, & booke of [th]e Free-hold{gap: damage} [th]e Countye, [th]e Muster Roll & [th]e booke for Collection f{gap: damage} poore in their seuerall p[a]rishes; all w[hi]ch wee com[m]and {gap: damage} brought & shewd vnto you when yee shall yee shall req{gap: damage} [th]e same./

5. In makinge y[ou]r Compositions w[i]th any yee shall not accept {gap: damage} sum[m]e und[e]r 10 l. & yee shall raise it to a greater proporti{on} according to [th]e ability of [th]e party Compounding, wherein {gap: damage} generall we direct. That hee [tha]t is sett at lands in [th]{e sub}sidy booke shall pay at least [th]e rate he is sett at twice {gap: damage} halfe, & hee [tha]t is assessed in goods to pay at [th]e least d{gap: damage} [th]e rate att w[hi]ch hee is assessed. Vid[elicit] if att xx l. lands {gap: damage} 50 l. & if att xx l. goods to pay forty pounds, & so in the proportion./

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6. If yee find any who hath a lesse proportion of reuenew in lands yet enough to charge him according to [th]e law, & hee hath a better estate in goods or other personall estate. yee shall then haue respect to his entire estate, both reall & personall, in making y[ou]r Composition. /

7. In makinge these Compositions yee may guide y[ou]r selues by the presidents w[hi]ch the Lords & others our Comissioners haue maide here aboue, [tha]t as nere as may bee theire bee an equallity w[i]th all, hauinge due respects to their estates & quallities: And w[i]th those [tha]t are in Com[mi]s[i]on for peace yee shall not make any Composition w[i]th any und[e]r xxv l. it being to bee presumed [tha]t they are all of good estate answerable their vnto./

8. For y[ou]r better directions w[i]th whome you are to deale in this case, yee are to take knowledge, [tha]t all Barronets whoe were not knighted att our Coronation or before, all knights who haue receiued [tha]t ord[e]r since [tha]t time, all who haue lands or rents to forty p[oun]ds yearly valew although held in soccage, or though held of a Com[m]on p[er]son or of vs by a meaner tenure all who haue but an estate of free-hold for life only are lyable to this fine./

9. If any shall refuse, or neglect to come before you or when they are come to make agree[men]t w[i]th you on our behalfe, you shall certefie their names, & places of habitation/.

10. If any shall alledge they haue already Compounded & payde & shall shew [th]e Tallye or Constat they are to be discharged, or if they shall alledge they are not yett returned by [th]e Shreiffs or shall make any other excuse, or giue any reason for theire discharge or refusall, you are to certefie [th]e same particularly w[i]th [th]e names of [th]e parties & their seuerall allegations to [th]e lords our Commissioners residinge here, [tha]t vpon consideration had thereof, such further course may be taken concerninge them, as shalbe agreeable to law & best for our seruice. /

11. When any doth Compound w[i]th you you shall eith[e]r receiue those monys in hand, or appoynt them a short day when to pay [th]e same, w[hi]ch shalbe w[i]thin 10 days after, to be payd to such of you as wee shall appoynt to be our Collector, & yee shall make a certificate thereof also particularly to our Lord Treasurer or to our Court of Exchequer vnd[e]r y[ou]r hands, or [th]e hands of two of you att [th]e least not being our Collector, & [th]e Acquittances of our Collector testifiing [th]e receipt thereof, shalbee theire discharge who pay [th]e same./

180r 12. The monys beinge receiued, y[ou]r Collector is to send [th]e s{gap: damage} vnto our receipt, w[i]thin 10 dayes after it is receiued for {gap: damage} Counties neere hand, for [th]e North & more remote Counti{es} Thirty days to be payd to [th]e hand of Edward Crane {E}{gap: damage} one of our Tellers their./

13. Yee shall certifie vs or [th]e Lords of our Councell, or {gap: damage} Lord Treasurer from tyme to tyme, of y[ou]r proceedinge {gap: damage} often as you shall haue cause & oportunity, but [th]e {gap: damage} it selfe to bee returned as is thereby directed./