Title: Orders conceived and published by the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of London, concerning the infection of the plague
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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                               CONCEIVED
                                  AND
                               PUBLISHED
                                   By
          The Lord _MAJOR_ and Aldermen of the City of LONDON,
                concerning the Infection of the Plague.

[Illustration: Publisher's logo]

         Printed by _James Flesher_, Printer to the Honourable

                            City of LONDON.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Illustration: Decorative panel]


 Conceived and published by the Lord MAJOR and Aldermen of the City of
           _London_, concerning the infection of the Plague.

Whereas in the first Year of the Reign of our late Sovereign King
_James_ of happy memory, an Act was made for the charitable relief and
ordering of Persons infected with the Plague: whereby Authority was
given to Justices of Peace, Majors, Bayliffs, and other Head-Officers to
appoint within their several Limits Examiners, Searchers, Watchmen,
Keepers, and Buriers for the Persons and Places infected, and to
minister unto them Oaths for the performance of their Offices. And the
same Statute did also authorize the giving of other Directions, as unto
them for the present necessity should seem good in their discretions. It
is now upon special consideration thought very expedient for preventing
and avoiding of infection of Sickness (if it shall so please Almighty
God) that these Officers following be appointed, and these Orders
hereafter duly observed.

              _Examiners to be appointed in every Parish._

First, it is thought requisite and so ordered, that in every Parish
there be one, two, or more persons of good sort and credit, chosen and
appointed by the Alderman, his Deputy, and Common-Councel of every Ward,
by the name of Examiners, to continue in that Office the space of two
Moneths at least: And if any fit Person so appointed, shall refuse to
undertake the same, the said parties so refusing, to be committed to
Prison until they shall conform themselves accordingly.

                        _The Examiners Office._

That these Examiners be sworn by the Alderman, to enquire and learn from
time to time what Houses in every Parish be visited, and what persons be
sick, and of what Diseases, as near as they can inform themselves; and
upon doubt in that case, to command restraint of access, until it appear
what the Disease shall prove: And if they finde any person sick of the
Infection, to give order to the Constable that the House be shut up; and
if the Constable shall be found remiss or negligent, to give present
notice thereof to the Alderman of the Ward.

                              _Watchmen._

That to every Infected House there be appointed two Watchmen, one for
the Day, and the other for the Night: And that these Watchmen have a
special care that no person goe in or out of such infected Houses,
whereof they have the Charge, upon pain of severe punishment. And the
said Watchmen to doe such further Offices as the sick House shall need
and require: And if the Watchman be sent upon any business, to lock up
the House and take the Key with him: and the Watchman by day to attend
until ten of the clock at night: and the Watchman by night until six in
the morning.

                              _Searchers._

That there be a special care, to appoint Women-Searchers in every
Parish, such as are of honest reputation, and of the best sort as can be
got in this kind: And these to be sworn to make due search and true
report, to the utmost of their knowledge, whether the Persons, whose
bodies they are appointed to Search, do die of the Infection, or of what
other Diseases, as near as they can. And that the Physicians who shall
be appointed for cure and prevention of the Infection, do call before
them the said Searchers who are or shall be appointed for the several
Parishes under their respective Cares, to the end they may consider
whether they are fitly qualified for that employment; and charge them
from time to time as they shall see cause, if they appear defective in
their duties.

That no Searcher during this time of Visitation, be permitted to use any
publick work or imployment, or keep any Shop or Stall, or be imployed as
a Landress, or in any other common imployment whatsoever.

                             _Chirurgions._

For better assistance of the Searchers, for as much as there hath been
heretofore great abuse in misreporting the Disease, to the further
spreading of the Infection: It is therefore ordered, that there be
chosen and appointed able and discreet Chirurgions, besides those that
doe already belong to the Pest-house: amongst whom, the City and
Liberties to be quartered as the places lie most apt and convenient: and
every of these to have one quarter for his Limit: and the said
Chirurgions in every of their Limits to joyn with the Searchers for the
view of the body, to the end there may be a true report made of the
Disease.

And further, that the said Chirurgions shall visit and search such like
persons as shall either send for them, or be named and directed unto
them, by the examiners of every Parish, and inform themselves of the
Disease of the said parties.

And for as much as the said Chirurgions are to be sequestred from all
other Cures, and kept onely to this Disease of the Infection; It is
ordered, that every of the said Chirurgions shall have twelve-pence a
Body searched by them, to be paid out of the goods of the party
searched, if he be able, or otherwise by the Parish.

                            _Nurse-keepers._

If any Nurse-keeper shall remove herself out of any infected House
before 28 daies after the decease of any person dying of the Infection,
the House to which the said Nurse-keeper doth so remove herself shall be
shut up until the said 28 daies be expired.

                       Orders concerning infected
                Houses, and Persons sick of the Plague.

                 _Notice to be given of the Sickness._

The Master of every House, as soon as any one in his House complaineth,
either of Botch or Purple, or Swelling in any part of his body, or
falleth otherwise dangerously sick, without apparent cause of some other
Disease, shall give knowledge thereof to the Examiner of Health within
two hours after the said sign shall appear.

                      _Sequestration of the Sick._

As soon as any man shall be found by this Examiner, Chirurgion or
Searcher to be sick of the Plague, he shall the same night be sequestred
in the same house. And in case he be so sequestred, then though he
afterwards die not, the House wherein he sickned shall be shut up for a
Moneth, after the use of due Preservatives taken by the rest.

                          _Airing the Stuff._

For sequestration of the goods and stuff of the infected, their Bedding,
and Apparel, and Hangings of Chambers, must be well aired with fire, and
such perfumes as are requisite within the infected House, before they be
taken again to use: this to be done by the appointment of the Examiner.

                      _Shutting up of the House._

If any person shall have visited any man, known to be Infected of the
Plague, or entred willingly into any known Infected House, being not
allowed: the House wherein he inhabiteth, shall be shut up for certain
daies by the Examiners direction.

         _None to be removed out of Infected Houses, but, &c._

Item, that none be removed out of the House where he falleth sick of the
Infection, into any other House in the City, (except it be to the
Pest-house or a Tent, or unto some such House, which the owner of the
said visited House holdeth in his own hands, and occupieth by his
servants) and so as security be given to the Parish whither such remove
is made, that the attendance and charge about the said visited persons
shall be observed and charged in all the particularities before
expressed, without any cost of that Parish, to which any such remove
shall happen to be made, and this remove to be done by night: And it
shall be lawful to any person that hath two Houses, to remove either his
sound or his infected people to his spare House at his choice, so as if
he send away first his sound, he may not after send thither the sick,
nor again unto the sick the sound. And that the same which he sendeth,
be for one week at the least shut up and secluded from company for fear
of some infection, at the first not appearing.

                         _Burial of the dead._

That the Burial of the dead by this Visitation be at most convenient
hours, alwaies either before Sun-rising, or after Sun-setting, with the
privity of the Churchwardens or Constables, and not otherwise; and that
no Neighbours nor Friends be suffered to accompany the Coarse to Church,
or to enter the house visited, upon pain of having his house shut up, or
be imprisoned.

And that no Corps dying of Infection shall be buried or remain in any
Church in time of Common-Prayer, Sermon, or Lecture. And that no
children be suffered at time of burial of any Corps in any Church,
Church-yard, or Burying-place to come near the Corps, Coffin, or Grave.
And that all the Graves shall be at least six foot deep.

And further, all publick Assemblies at other Burials are to be forborn
during the continuance of this Visitation.

                   _No infected Stuff to be uttered._

That no Clothes, Stuff, Bedding or Garments be suffered to be carried or
conveyed out of any infected Houses, and that the Criers and Carriers
abroad of Bedding or old Apparel to be sold or pawned, be utterly
prohibited and restrained, and no Brokers of Bedding or old Apparel be
permitted to make any outward Shew, or hang forth on their Stalls,
Shopboards or Windows toward any Street, Lane, Common-way or Passage,
any old Bedding or Apparel to be sold, upon pain of Imprisonment. And if
any Broker or other person shall buy any Bedding, Apparel, or other
Stuff out of any Infected house, within two Moneths after the Infection
hath been there, his house shall be shut up as Infected, and so shall
continue shut up twenty daies at the least.

         _No person to be conveyed out of any infected House._

If any person visited do fortune, by negligent looking unto, or by any
other means, to come, or be conveyed from a place infected, to any other
place, the Parish from whence such Party hath come or been conveyed,
upon notice thereof given, shall at their charge cause the said party so
visited and escaped, to be carried and brought back again by night, and
the parties in this case offending, to be punished at the direction of
the Alderman of the Ward, and the house of the receiver of such visited
person to be shut up for twenty daies.

                  _Every visited house to be marked._

That every House visited, be marked with a Red Cross of a foot long, in
the middle of the door, evident to be seen, and with these usual Printed
words, that is to say, _Lord have mercy upon us_, to be set close over
the same Cross, there to continue until lawful opening of the same
House.

                  _Every visited House to be watched._

That the Constables see every house shut up, and to be attended with
Watchmen, which may keep them in, and minister necessaries unto them at
their own charges (if they be able,) or at the common charge if they be
unable: the shutting up to be for the space of four Weeks after all be
whole.

That precise order be taken that the Searchers, Chirurgions, Keepers and
Buriers, are not to pass the streets without holding a red Rod or Wand
of three foot in length in their hands, open and evident to be seen, and
are not to goe into any other house then into their own, or into that
whereunto they are directed or sent for, but to forbear and abstain from
company, especially when they have been lately used in any such business
or attendance.

                               _Inmates._

That where several Inmates are in one and the same house, and any person
in that house happen to be infected; no other person or family of such
house shall be suffered to remove him or themselves without a
Certificate from the Examiners of Health of that Parish; or in default
thereof, the house whither he or they so remove, shall be shut up as in
case of Visitation.

                           _Hackney Coaches._

That care be taken of Hackney Coachmen, that they may not (as some of
them have been observed to doe) after carrying of infected persons to
the Pesthouse, and other places, be admitted to common use, till their
Coaches be well aired, and have stood unimployed by the space of five or
six daies after such service.

         Orders for cleansing and keeping of the Streets sweet.

                    _The Streets to be kept clean._

First, it is thought very necessary, and so ordered, that every
Householder do cause the street to be daily pared before his door, and
so to keep it clean swept all the Week long.

               _That Rakers take it from out the Houses._

That the sweeping and filth of houses be daily carried away by the
Rakers, and that the Raker shall give notice of his coming by the
blowing of a Horn as heretofore hath been done.

            _Laystalls to be made farre off from the City._

That the Laystalls be removed as farre as may be out of the City, and
common passages, and that no Nightman or other be suffered to empty a
Vault into any Garden near about the City.

   _Care to be had of unwholesome Fish or Flesh, and of musty Corn._

That special care be taken, that no stinking Fish, or unwholsome Flesh,
or musty Corn, or other corrupt fruits of what sort soever, be suffered
to be sold about the City or any part of the same.

That the Brewers and Tipling-houses be looked unto, for musty and
unwholsome Cask.

That no Hogs, Dogs, or Cats, or tame Pigeons, or Conies be suffered to
be kept within any part of the City, or any Swine to be, or stay in the
Streets or Lanes, but that such Swine be impounded by the Beadle or any
other Officer, and the Owner punished according to Act of
Common-Councel, and that the Dogs be killed by the Dog-killers appointed
for that purpose.

          Orders concerning loose Persons and idle Assemblies.

                               _Beggers._

Forasmuch as nothing is more complained of, then the multitude of Rogues
and wandering Beggers that swarm in every place about the City, being a
great cause of the spreading of the Infection, and will not be avoided,
notwithstanding any Order that hath been given to the contrary: It is
therefore now ordered, that such Constables, and others whom this matter
may any way concern, do take special care that no wandering Begger be
suffered in the Streets of this City, in any fashion or manner
whatsoever upon the penalty provided by the Law to be duly and severely
executed upon them.

                               _Playes._

That all Playes, Bear-baitings, Games, Singing of Ballads, Buckler-play,
or such like causes of Assemblies of people, be utterly prohibited, and
the parties offending, severely punished by every Alderman in his Ward.

                         _Feasting Prohibited._

That all publick Feasting, and particularly by the Companies of this
City; and Dinners at Taverns, Alehouses, and other places of common
entertainment be forborn till further order and allowance; and that the
money thereby spared, be preserved and imployed for the benefit and
relief of the poor visited with the infection.

                           _Tipling-houses._

That disorderly Tipling in Taverns, Alehouses, Coffee-houses and Cellars
be severely looked unto, as the common Sin of this time, and greatest
occasion of dispersing the Plague. And that no Company or person be
suffered to remain or come into any Tavern, Alehouse or Coffee-house to
drink after nine of the Clock in the Evening, according to the ancient
Law and custome of this City, upon the penalties ordained in that
behalf.

                  *       *       *       *       *

And for the better execution of these Orders, and such other Rules and
Directions as upon further consideration shall be found needful; It is
ordered and enjoyned that the Aldermen, Deputies, and Common-Councelmen
shall meet together Weekly, once, twice, thrice or oftner (as cause
shall require) at some one general place accustomed in their respective
Wards (being clear from infection of the Plague) to consult how the said
Orders may be duly put in execution; not intending that any dwelling in
or near places infected, shall come to the said meetings whiles their
coming may be doubtful: And the said Aldermen and Deputies and Common
Councelmen in their several Wards may put in execution any other good
Orders that by them at their said Meetings shall be conceived and
devised, for preservation of his Majesties Subjects from the Infection.

                                _FINIS._

------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         =Transcriber’s Notes:=

Some inconsistencies in spelling, hyphenation, and punctuation have been
retained.

This file uses _underscores_ to indicate italic text.




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