DHC, DD61784

Note: In 1610 the mayor was compelled to instruct the churchwardens and overseers of the poor to seize the goods of ninety-eight parishioners who refused to pay the poor rate.

Clifton, Dartmoth Hardnes Townstall

Thomas Holland Maior of the Boroughe aforesaid and Thomas Paige the laste or next predent Maior of the same, Twoo of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace aswell within the said Boroughe as also in the said pishe ot Townstall whereof one is of the Quorom, to the Churchwardens of the pishe and Church of Saviours in Dartmoth and unto John Newbye, William Neale & John Jefferye and others beinge inhabitants wthin the said pishe nominated overseers of the poore of the said pishe according to the statue in such case made and pvided in the three and fortieth yeere of the Raigne of Elizabeth late queene of England of famous memorye for a tyme not yet expired and to every of them greeting whereas you have according to the statute wth the consent of two Justices of the peace of the said Boroughe and pishe whereof one of them is of the Quorum, taxed sundrye psones inhabiting wthin the said pishe and divers not dwelline wthin yet occupiers of lande wthin the said pishe to paye certaine somes of money towards the relieffe of the lame, impotent, olde, blinde and other good Charitable deeds in the same acte expressed wch psones being taxed have refused and yet doe refuse to contribute according as they are taxed or assessed, wee the Justices by force of the said statute doe hereby give you the said Churchwardens and overssers and every of your warrant to levye by severall distresses of the goodes of every psone in this schedule hereunto annexed specified and expressed, and by you as aforesaid is taxed for the said purposes and hath refused and doth refuse to paye the same, such somes of money as by you on that psone whose goodes you shall distraine shall fortune to be unpaid rendering to the ptye the overplus, In witness whereof we have hereunto see our hands and seales, yeoven the sixth daye of Marche in the Seaventh yeere of the Raigne of our soveraigne Lord James by the grace of god of England,