
Privately stealing or aiding to steal in Shop, &c. Goods of the Value of 5s. or more whether any other Person be present or not,
debarred of Clergy.Whereas the Crimes of Burglary and breaking open of Houses in a felonious manner and the Crime of
stealing Goods privately out of Shops and Warehouses commonly called Shop-lifting and the stealing of
Horses are of late Yeares much increased to the great Detriment and unspeakable Loss of many of Your Majesties
good Subjects occasioned for want of due Prosecution and Punishment of Offenders therein and for want of
Incouragement to such as shall vigorously endeavour the apprehending of such Malefactors for preventing whereof
Be it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall
and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That all and
every Person and Persons that shall at any time or times by Night or in the Day time from and after the Twentieth
Day of May which shall be in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety nine in any Shop Ware-house
Coach-house or Stable privately and feloniously steal any Goods Wares or Merchandizes being of the Value of Five
Shillings or more (although such Shop Ware-house Coach-house or Stable be not actually broke open by such
Offender or Offenders and although the Owners of such Goods or any other Person or Persons be or be not in
such Shop Ware-house Coach-house or Stable to be put in Feare) or shall assist hire or command any Person or				
Persons to commit such Offence being thereof convicted or attainted by Verdict or Confession or being indicted
thereof shall stand mute or will not directly answer to the Indictment or shall peremptorily challenge above the
Number of Three and twenty Persons returned to be of the Jury shall by virtue of this Act be absolutely debarred
and excluded of and from the Benefit of the Clergy
II. 
In case of Dispute in respect of Right to Certificate, the same may be decided by Judge, &c. making such Certificate; Certificate may be assigned once; Proprietor of Certificate discharged of Parish and Ward Offices, as herein mentioned; Certificate inrolled; Fee.
And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That from and after the said Twentieth Day of May One thousand
six hundred ninety nine all and every Person and Persons who shall apprehend and take any Person guilty of
any the Felonies before mentioned and prosecute him her or them so apprehended and taken untill he she or they
be convicted of any the aforesaid Felonies such Apprehenders and Takers for his her or their Reward upon every
such Conviction without any Fee or Reward to be paid for the same shall have forthwith after every such Conviction
a Certificate which shall be under the Hand or Hands of the Judge Justice or Justices before whom every such
Conviction shall be had certifying such Conviction and alsoe within what Parish or Place the Felony was committed
whereof any such Person or Persons was or were convicted as aforesaid and alsoe that such Felon or Felons was
or were discovered and taken or discovered or taken by the Person or Persons soe discovering or apprehending
any the said Felon or Felons And in case any Dispute shall happen to arise between any of the Persons so
discovering or apprehending any the said Felon or Felons soe convict as aforesaid touching their Right or Title to
the said Certificate that then the said Judge Justice or Justices or the major part of them so respectively makeing
such Certificate as aforesaid shall in and by his or their Certificate direct and appoint the said Certificate into so
many Shares to be divided amongst the Persons therein concerned as to the said Judge Justice or Justices or the
major part of them shall seeme just and reasonable which Certificate shall and may be once assigned over and no
more and the originall Proprietor of such Certificate or the Assignee of the same whomsoever of them shall have
the Interest therein by virtue thereof and of this present Act shall and may be discharged of and from all and
all manner of Parish and Ward Offices within the Parish or Ward wherein such Felony or Felonies shall be
committed and such Party or Assignee is hereby declared to be discharged therefrom which said Certificate shall
be inrolled by the Clerke of the Peace of the County in which the same shall be granted for which Inrollment
the said Clerke of the Peace of the County or City in which the same shall be granted shall have for his Fee the
Sum of One Shilling and no more
III. 
Provided nevertheless That if any Person having such Certificate shall at any time make use of the said
Certificate to exempt him from any Parish or Ward Office such Person soe makeing use of the said Certificate or any
other Person or Persons claiming any Interest therein shall not assigne over the said Certificate to any Person or
Persons whatsoever
IV. 
And be it further enacted That in case any Person or Persons shall happen to be slaine by any such House-Breakers
Horse-Stealers or other Felon aforesaid by endeavouring to apprehend or in making pursuit after him her or them
or any of them that then the Executors or Administrators of such Person or Persons so slaine to whom the Right
of Administration of the Personall Estate of every Person so slaine shall belong shall have the said Certificate in
manner as aforesaid without Fee or Reward as aforesaid
V. 
And be it further enacted That if any Person or Persons from and after the said Twentieth Day of May in the
said Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety and nine shall commit any Burglary House-breaking or
Felony in stealing of any Horse or Horses or any Money Wares or Goods from whom the Benefit of the Clergy
is by this Act taken away and being out of Prison shall discover Two or more Person or Persons who already
hath or hereafter shall commit any such Burglary Horse-stealing or Felony as aforesaid and shall be convicted
thereof or cause to be discovered and apprehended Two Persons or more who shall be convicted as aforesaid every
such discoverer shall have and is hereby intituled to His Majesties most Gracious Pardon for the Burglaries
House-breakings Horse-stealings or Felonies as aforesaid which he she or they shall have committed at any time
or times before such Discovery made which Pardon shall be likewise a good Barr to any Appeal brought or to be
brought for any such Burglary House-breaking Horse-stealing or Felony
VI. 
Offenders entitled to Benefit of Clergy, to be burnt in the Cheek instead of the Hand, in open Court.
And forasmuch as many Evil-disposed Persons might be deterred from offending should the Punishment by
Law to be inflicted on such Persons be made more visible Be it further enacted That from and after the said
Twentieth Day of May One thousand six hundred ninety nine all and every Person and Persons who shall be
convicted of or for any Theft or Larceny and shall have the Benefit of the Clergy allowed thereupon or ought
to be burnt in the Hand for such Offence instead of being burnt in the Hand shall with the usuall Mark wherewith
such Offenders according to the Laws now in force ought to be burnt in the Hand be burnt in the most visible
Part of the Left Cheek nearest the Nose which Punishment shall be inflicted in Open Court in the Presence of
the Judge who is hereby directed and required to see the same strictly and effectually executed Any former Law
or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding
VII. 
Fees to Officers by Persons bound to appear to give
Evidence against Traitors or Felons, &c; Taking greater Fee; Penalty £5 and Costs.
And whereas the great Fees that are often demanded and received by Clerks of Assize of Persons that appeare
as Witnesses against Felons tend very much to the discourageing their Conviction to the great Damage of His
Majesties good Subjects to remedy the same for the future Be it enacted That no Clerke of Assize Clerke of
the Peace or other Person whatsoever shall demand take or receive any Fee or Reward of any Person whatsoever		
that shall be bound by any Justice of the Peace to appeare to give Evidence against any Traytor or Felon for
the Discharge of any Recognizance for such Appearance nor shall demand or receive more than Two Shillings
for the drawing any Bill of Indictment against any such Felon upon the Paine of forfeiting to the Person agrieved;
for every such Offence the Sum of Five Pounds with full Costs of Suite
VIII. 
Penalty £5 and Costs.
And whereas it oftens happens that Clerks of Assize Clerks of the Crowne Clerks of the Peace Clerks of the
Indictments or other proper Officers their Clerks or Deputies do draw Bills defective Be it enacted That if any
Clerke of Assize Clerke of the Crowne Clerke of the Peace Clerke of the Indictments or other proper Officer or
their Clerks or Deputies shall draw any Bill defective they shall draw new Bills without demanding any Fee or
Reward whatsoever or forfeite the Sum of Five Pounds with full Costs of Suite and that all the Forfeitures
aforesaid shall be recovered by him her or them that will sue for the same by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or
Information in any of His Majesties Courts of Record wherein no Essoigne Protection or Wager of Law shall be
allowed.