FOr amending of high waies being now bothe very noyſome and tedious to trauaile in, and daungerous to al paſſengers, and cariages. Be it enacted by thauctoritie of this preſente parliament, that the conſtables and church wardens of euery pariſhe within this realme, ſhall yerely vpon the tweſdaye or wedneſdaye in Eaſter weke, cal together a numbre of the parochians, and ſhall then elect and chuſe two honeſt perſons of the pariſhe, to be ſurueyours and orderers for one yere, of the workes for amendement of the high waies in their pariſhe, leading to any market towne, the which perſons ſhal haue aucthoritie by vertue hereof to order and directe the perſons and cariages that ſhalbe appointed for thoſe workes by their diſcretions, and the ſaid perſons ſo named ſhal take vpon them the execution of their ſaid offices vpon payne euery of them making defaulte to forfeyte twenty ſhillinges. And the ſaide conſtables and churchwardens ſhal then alſo name and appoint foure daies for thamendinge of the ſaide waies before the feaſte of the natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptiſt then next folowing. And ſhal openly in the church the next ſonday after Eaſter geue knowledge of the ſame foure daies, and vpon the ſaide daies the parochians ſhal endeuour them ſelues to the amendinge of the ſayde waies, and ſhalbe chargeable therevnto as foloweth, that is to ſay, euerye perſon for euery plowlande in tillage or paſture, that he or ſhe ſhal occupie in the ſame pariſhe, and euery other perſon kepinge there a draught, or plow, ſhal finde & ſende at euery day & place to be appointed for the amēding of the waies in that pariſhe as is aforeſaid, one wayne or cart furniſhed after the cuſtome of the coūtrey, with oxen, horſes, or other cattell, and all other neceſſaries mete to cary thinges conuenient for that purpoſe, and alſo able men with the ſame, vpon paine of euery draught makinge defaulte ten ſhillinges, and euery other houſholder, & alſo euery cottiger & labourer, of that pariſhe able to labour & being no hyred ſeruaunte by the yere, ſhall by thēſelues, or one ſufficient labourer for euery of them vpon euery of the ſaid foure daies, worke & trauel in thamendement of the ſayd highwaies vpon paine of euery perſon making default to loſe for euery daye .xii. pence. And if the cariages of the pariſhe or any of them ſhal not be thought nedefull by the ſuperuiſours to be occupied vpon any of the ſayd daies, that then euery ſuch perſon that ſhould haue ſent any ſuche cariage, ſhal ſend to the ſayd worke for euery cariage ſo ſpared, two able men, there to labour for that day, vpon paine to loſe for euery man not ſo ſent to the ſaid worke, xii. pence. And euery perſon and cariage aboue ſaide, ſhal haue and bring with them ſuch ſhouels, ſpades, pickes, mattockes, and other toles, and inſtrumentes, as they do make theyr owne diches and fences withal, and ſuch as be neceſſary for their ſaid worke. And al the ſayd perſons and cariages ſhal do and kepe theyr worke, as they ſhalbe appoynted by the ſayd ſuperuiſours, or one of them, eyght houres of euery of the ſayde dayes, onles they ſhalbe otherwyſe lycenſed by the ſayde ſuperuiſours, or one of them.

And be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforeſayde, that the Stewarde, and Stewardes of euery lete and lawdaye, ſhall therein haue full power and aucthoritie, to enquyre by the othes of the ſuters of all and euery thoffences that ſhalbe committed within the lete or lawdaye, agaynſt euery poynte, and article of this eſtatute, and to aſſeſſe ſuche reaſonable fynes, and amerciamentes for the ſame, as ſhalbe thought mete by the ſayde Stewarde. And in default of ſuche enquyre, or preſentment, the iuſtices of peace of euery place or county, ſhal haue auctorytye to enquyre of the ſame offences, which ſhalbe commytted within the lymyttes of their commiſſion at euery their quarter ſeſſions, and to aſſeſſe ſuch fines therfore, as they or two of them, wherof one to be of the Quorum, ſhal thinke mete. And the ſtuward of euery lete & lawday ſhal make eſtreates endented of al the fines, forfeytures, and amerciamentes, for the defaultes preſented before him, & ſhall deliuer thone parte therof, ſealed and ſigned by him to the bailife or high conſtable of euery hundred rape, lath, or wapentake, wherin the defaultes ſhal be preſented, and thother halfe to the conſtable and churchwardēs of the pariſhe, wherin the defaultes was made, the ſame to be yerelye deliuered within ſixe wekes after the feaſt of S. Michell tharchangell, and the clarke of the peace ſhall make the like eſtreates endented of the fines, forfeytures, and amerciamentes for the defaultes preſented before the Iuſtices of peace and ſhal ſeale, ſubſcribe and deliuer the ſame, in like ſort as is aforeſayde, the which eſtreates & euery of thē, ſhalbe a ſufficient warrant to the ſaid bailife or chiefe conſtable, to leuie the ſaid amerciamentes, fines, and forfeytures, by way of diſtreſſe. And if no ſufficient diſtreſſe can be founde by the ſaid bailife or head conſtable, or if the ſayde offender ſhal obſtinatly refuſe to pay the ſaid amerciament, fine, or forfeyture, and do not pay the ſame within twenty daies after a lawful demaunde of the ſame by the ſayde officer, that then euery ſuche perſon to forfeyte the doble ſomme that he ſhould before haue payde.

And be it further enacted, that euery of the ſaid bailifes & head conſtables ſhall at the leaſte once euery yere betwixte the firſt day of Marche & the laſt day of Aprill, make a true accompt and paiment of al ſuch ſommes of money (to the conſtable & churchwardens of euery pariſhe wherin the offences was cōmitted or to two of them) as he ſhal haue collected vpon any of the aforeſaid eſtreates, vpon paine to forfeyte for euery time he ſhall not ſo do .xl. ſhillinges.

And be it enacted by thaucthoritie aforeſaide, that al fines, amerciamentes, and forfeytures, which ſhalbe dew for any offence againſt the puruey of this eſtatute, ſhalbe to the churchwardens of euery pariſhe wherin thoffēces ſhalbe cōmitted, to be beſtowed of the highwaies in the ſaide pariſhes, and the ſayde churchwardens ſhal haue aucthoritie to call the ſaide baylife and headconſtable to accompt before the Iuſtices of peace or two of them, whereof one to be of the Quorū, by bil, infourmation or otherwiſe. The which Iuſtices ſhal haue auctoritie to take the ſayde accompt, and to commit the ſaide baillife or headconſtable to priſon there to remayne vntil he ſhal pay al ſuch arrerages as ſhalbe adiudged by the ſaid Iuſtices, and euerye of the ſaid bailifes & headconſtables vpon their accomptes ſhal haue allowed for euery pound he ſhal collect and pay, viii. pence for his owne paines, and .xii. pence for the fees of the clarke of the peace or ſtewarde of the lete for theſtreates endented of euery ſeuerall pariſhe that they ſhal deliuer as is aforeſaid, & the ſucceſſours of euery churchwardens ſhal haue the like action of accompt againſt their predeceſſours as is before appoynted agaynſt the bailifes. This act to continue for ſeuen yeres next after the beginning of this parliament. And to the ende of the next parliament then next folowynge.