They listed the poor in each parish community,
assessed rates for their maintenance, and appointed overseers to
administer the welfare system, deploying surplus funds to provide
houses of correction for vagrants. Raw materials such as wool,
flax, hemp, and iron were bought upon which the able-bodied
unemployed could be set to work at the parochial level. They
determined wages in their districts, with no statutory ceiling on
them, for all laborers, weavers, spinsters, workmen and workwomen
working by the day, week, month, or year, or taking any work at
any person's hand. There were about 50 Justices of the Peace per
county. All were unpaid. They performed these duties for the next
200 years.
The Justices of Assize rode on circuit twice a year to enforce the
criminal law and reported their assessment of the work of the
Justices of the Peace back to the Privy Council.
The duty to hear and determine felonies was taken from Justices of
the Peace by 1590. The Justices of Assize did this work. Accused
people could wait for years in gaol before their case was heard.
Felonies included breach of prison, hunting by night with painted
faces, taking horses to Scotland, stealing of hawks' eggs,
stealing cattle, highway robbery, robbing on the sea, robbing
houses, letting out of ponds, cutting of purses, deer-stealing at
night, conjuring and witchcraft, diminution of coin,
counterfeiting of coins, and impenitent roguery and idleness.
Pages:
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681