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the same to be laid out in the repairs of the said buildings.

Every rector, vicar, and curate, or their executors or administrators, shall be accountable for such books as are, or shall be given to the several parishes, or the full value of the same. And every rector, vicar, or cu→ rate shall immediately after his induction or licence, make a new catalogue of all the books belonging to their respective churches, and shall deliver the same to the episcopal register, to the end that they may be accounted for as aforesaid *.

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Commons.

No person shall hold any of the lord's wastes or commons of this land unrented, but that whosoever holdeth the same and it unrented, he shall pay the va lue thereof.

It is ordered that no person go to the mountains or commons of this isle, after the hour of five o'clock in the afternoon, or before day in the morning, for the carrying of any turf or ling, for that complaint is made that some do carry away their neighbour's turf and ling át such unseasonable times. Wherein if Wherein if any offend in future, they shall be severely fined and punished as by the court shall be thought fit.

Confirmation.

WHEN any rector, vicar, or curate, shall have any number of persons under twenty years

of age

in his pa.

rish fit to be confirmed, he shall give the bishop notice

* A. T. 1734.

thereof, and a list of their names, and shall suffer none to offer themselves to be confirmed, but such as he has before instructed to answer in the necessary part of the Christian knowledge.

And no person shall be admitted to the sacrament till he has first been confirmed by the bishop, or in case of his lordship's indisposition, to bring a certificate from the archdeacon or vicar-general, that he is qualified to be confirmed *.

Convocation.

A convocation of the bishop and clergy of this diocese, shall be held yearly, at the bishop's chapel, on Thursday in Whitsun-week, if his lordship be in the island, or as soon as convenient after his return f.

Corbs.

THERE ought to be corbs pertaining to a man, as if his father have a pan, the son to have it, or else his best jack and sallett. bow, and arrows, sword and buckler, his best board and best stool, his coulter and rackentree, his best cup, if it be wood and bound with silver, and gilt, his best chest.

For a woman, the best wheel and cards, rackentree, a sack, or else a Manks spade, the best bead of jet or amber, the best broach, the best cross, the best pot or

pan.

In case of forfeiture of goods for felony, the corbs

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These are commuted by statute 1748, for the modern wea, pons of war.-See Arms.

which should pertain to the heir, the coroner is to

have.

In case any do bequeath a corb or heir loom for a legacy, the same shall not be given, but the value there. of at discretion *.

No cotterels or artificers shall be liable to pay corbs; but they shall be all bequeathable as other goods t.

Coroner.

IN points of treason, felony, or for surety of the peace, with many other things that belong to his office, he ought to arrest, and do those by virtue of his office, without warrant t

At the next court after midsummer, the coroners to be appointed, and their names entered in the rolls of the court, with the sum that they take to serve §.

nd forasmuch as coroners, against the law, stand in office two or three years together, which puts them to great value, to the destruction of the commonality, it is ordained that the coroners stand in office but one year, and that they take no inquest but twice in the year, by the commandment of the lieutenant, in open court, by inquest sworn before the deemster, and there to be recorded, and that they arrest no man without a warrant, save for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.

The coroner ought to have no customs of any man, but of him that beareth rent to the lord, and if it be a penny rent, he shall pay the coroner his duty, (the moar to be free of all manner of customs.) Fourpence shall be paid yearly out of every quarterland to the coroner, and whoever holds no quarterland, but only cottages and intacks, shall pay a penny if he hold but three

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shillings and fourpence rent, and above three shillings and fourpence rent, twopence and no more.

No coroner shall fight or take quarrel in hand, nor be advocate in any place during his office, but in the lord's causes

*

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It is ordered that the ancient law for continuing coroners in office but one year, be revived †.

Costs.

WITNESSES shall have costs allowed them, (save in the lord's causes) in manner following:-Every person of the degree of a gentleman or gentlewoman, that shall be charged as a witness before any court, magistrate, or minister of justice, shall, upon his or her appearance, be allowed sixpence for every parish through which he or she shall be obliged to travel, so as that the same do not exceed two shillings and sixpence in the whole. Every person of the degree of a tradesman, shall, upon appearance as aforesaid, be allowed for loss of time eightpence, besides twopence for every parish he shall be obliged to go through, so as that the whole does not exceed one shilling and sixpence; and every woman in the same degree to be allowed twopence a parish as aforesaid. Every labouring man shall be allowed fourpence for loss of time, and a penny a parish; and every woman in the same degree twopence a parish. Degrees or denominations of the witnesses to be regulated at the discretion of the court before whom the cause depends, and the charges to be paid by the person at whose suit they are charged, by immediate execution from the said court by way of pawn, according to the due course of law, or by order of commitment, where the nature of the process by the † A. T. 1629.

* A. T. 1442.

rules of the court doth so require it. And whenever a defendant shall be cast in a cause, it shall be lawful for the court to award execution to the plaintiff against the defender for the witnesses charges aforesaid, as well as for the fees of tokens and presentments, along with the subject-matter in litigation, or otherwise, as the case may require. Or if the defendant shall incur a presentment for not appearing, it shall subject him to the plaintiff for the witnesses charges thereby occasioned. And if any default shall fall out by the non-appearance of a juror or witness, whereby the cause cannot that day proceed to a determination, then such juror or witness, unless some lawful cause be shewn to stop a presentment against him, shall be obliged by the like immediate execution, to pay the parties jury, inquest, and other witnesses, all their charges occasioned by such contempt, to be regulated as in the case of witnesses, at the discretion of the magistrate, in manner aforesaid. And if a plaintiff shall charge a defendant, juror, or witness, before any court, and not appear to prosecute, it shall be lawful for such court, upon the production of a certificate of the charge, (which the officer concerned shall give any person on paying the fee of twopence,) to grant immediate execution to such defendant, juror, or witness, to levy their costs of the plaintiff in the same proportion and degrees aforesaid, together with the said fee of twopence *.

It shall be lawful for the governor, upon any trial where he shall judicially preside, and for all other courts, as well spiritual as temporal, upon the full hearing of any cause, to award such costs, charges, damages, and expences, to any injured party, whether plaintiff or defendant, against such other party as shall appear upon such hearing, to have brought a vexatious suit, or litigiously defended the same, as such court shall think proper; and to grant immediate execution to any

*A. T. 1753.

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