[I.]

Laws to be established in Wales, viz. Wales divided into Twelve Counties, Eight ancient, and Four under Stat. 1535 c. 26.

Our Soveraigne Lorde the Kinges Majestie of his tendre zeale and affection, that he beareth towardes his loving and obedient subjects of his Dominion Principalitie and Countrie of Wales, for good rule and ordere to be from henseforthe kepte and mainteyned within the same, wherby his saide subjects may growe and ryse to more wealthe and prosperytie, hath devysed and made divers soondrye good and necessarye ordinances, which his Majestie of his moste habundaunte goodnes, at the humble sute ( X2 ) of his saide subjects of Wales, is pleased and contented to be enacted by thassent of the Lordes Puall and temporall, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by thauthorytie of the same, in maner and forme, as hereafter ensueth. First that his Graces said Dominion Principalitie and Countreye of Wales be from henseforthe devided into twelve Shires, of the whiche eight have been Shyres of long and auncient time, that is to saie: the Shyres of Glamorgon Carmerthin Pembroke Cardigan Flinte Caernarvan Anglesey and Meryoneth, and foure of the saide twelve Shyres be newlie made and ordeyned to be Shyres, by an Act made at the Parliament holden at Westminster, the xxviith yere of our saide Soveraigne Lords moste noble reigne, that is to saie, the Shyres of Radnor Brecknoke Mountgomerye and Denbighe, over and besydes the Shyre of Monmoth, and divers other Domynions Lordeshipps and Manoures unyted and annexed to the Shyres of Salopp Hereforde and Gloucestre, as by the saide late Acte more plainllie appearethe.

II.

Bounds of the Hundreds, ascertained by Commission, confirmed.

Item, That the lymitations of the Hundreds, of late made within the saide Shyres by vertue of his Graces Commission directed out of his Heighnes Courte of Chauncerye and againe returned into the same, shall stande in full strengthe force and effecte according to the saide lymitation, except suche of the same as sithe that tyme have been altered or [X3 chaunced] by vertue of any Acte or Actes of Parliament alreadye made, or that shalbe altered or chaunged by any Acte or Actes in this present Session to be made.

III—VIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

IX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

XI.–XX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

XXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

XXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

XXIII.–XXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7

XXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

XXVI.–XXXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9

XXXIII.

Hamlet of Abbertannadde annexed to the Hundred of Oswestre in Shropshire.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10 Item, that the Towne or Hamlet of Abbertannadde and all the grounde and the soyle within the same, whiche afore this tyme hath been taken reputed and used as parcell of the said Countie of Meryoneth, shall by vertue of this Acte be united annexed and made parcell of the saide Countie of Salopp, and so to be reputed taken and used for ever, and not to be of any other Shyre or Countie of Wales; And that the same Towne or Hamlet and all the grounde and soyle within the same Towne or Hamlet, be accepted and taken as parte and parcell of the Hundred of Oswester; and that thinhabytaunts therof shalbe attendaunte and doo every thing and thinges, with thinhabytaunts of the said Hundred of Oswestre, as the same inhabytaunts doo or bee bounde to doo; any Lawes or Customes to the contrarye thereof notwithstanding.

XXXIV, XXXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

XXXVI.

All Lands in Wales shall descend according to the common Law of England;[And see§LXIV.]Extended to Monmouth and all Lands annexed to English Counties by 27 H. VIII. c. 26.

Item, That all manoures lands tenements mesuages and other hereditaments, and all rightes and tytles to the same, in any of the saide Shyres of Wales, descended to any maner persone or persones, or that hereafter shall discende be taken enjoyed used and holden as Englishe Tenure to all intents according to the common lawes of this Realme of Englande, and not to be partable among heyres males after the custome of Gavelkinde, as heretoforein divers parties of Wales hath been used and accustomed; And that the same lawe, be used taken and exercysed in the saide Countie of Monmouth, and in all suche Lordeshipps and other places as by vertue of the saide Acte made in the said xxviith yere, or by any other Acte or Actes made or to be made, weere and shalbe annexed unyted and knyt to any of the Shyres of Salopp Herford Glouc or other Shyre: any lawes usages or custoomes heretofore had or used to the contrarye therof notwithstanding.

XXXVII.

Mortgages of Lands in Wales shall be subjectlig to English Law.

Item, That no Mortgages of lands tenements or hereditaments made or had, or that hereafter shalbe had or made within any of the said Shyres or places, shalbe hereafter allowed or admitted, otherwyse thenne after the course of the common Lawes and Statutes of the Realme of Englande: any usage or custome heretofore had to the contrarye therof notwithstanding.

XXXVIII.

All Lands may be aliened, as in England.

Item, It shalbe lawfull to all persones to alien sell or otherwyse put awaie theyr lands tenements and hereditaments within the saide [X4 Countie] or Domynion of Wales, the Countie of Monmoth and other places annexed to any of the Shyres of Englande, from them and theyre heyres, to any persone or persones in fee simple or fee tayle for terme of life or for terme of yeres, after the maner and according as is used by the Lawes of the Realme of Englande: any Welshe lawe or custome heretofore used in the saide Countrey or Domynion of Wales to the contrarye notwithstanding.

XXXIX.

Lands in Wales bound by Recognizances, &c. in England.

Item, If any persone or persones, having lands or tenements within the sayde Domynion of Wales, been or hereafter shalbe bounde within the Realme of Englande by obligation upon the Statute of the Staple or by recognisaunce, and paie not the debte as shall apperteigne, that thenne . . . F12 , Processe shalbe made to the Shiriefs of Wales . . . F12 , after the forme as is used to be made upon Statutes and Recognisaunces by the course of the Lawes of Englande for due levyeng and paying of the saide debte. . . . F12

XL—XLVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

XLVII.

Stolen Goods; No Sale in Market shall change the Property; Sale of Cattle out of Market;

Item, That if any goodes or catalles be stollen by any persone or persones and solde in any Faire or Merket within the saide Domynion of Wales, that no suche sale shall change the propertie therof from the owner of the same, but that he maie lawfully cease take and have the same againe upon profe therof made, the said sale notwithstanding. . . . F14

XLVIII, XLIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15

L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16

LI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

LII.

Goods of Felons, Waifs, Strays, &c. to the King.

Item, That the Kings Majestie shall have all . . . F18 goods of persones outlawed [X5 waif] straies and all other forfaictures and eschetes whatsoever they be, aunswered therof by thandes of the Shirieffs; Saving alwaies the rights and interests of everye of his subjects having lawfull tytle to the same.

LIII—LV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19

LVI.

Bewdley shall be Part of Worcestershire.

Item, That the Towne of Bewdeley, wiche is within the Parish of Ribbesforde in the Countie of Wigorn, and all the ground and soyle of the same Towne, shalbe from henseforth annexed and made parcell of the Countie of Wigorn, and be within the Hundred of Dodingtre; . . . F20 Saving allwaies to the Burgesses and Inhabytaunts of the saide Towne of Bewdeley, all suche Liberties and Frauncheses as they lawfullye had and exercysed within the same Towne before the making of this Acte, in lyke maner and forme as thoughe this Acte had never been had or made.

LVII.

Lanstiffan, &c. shall be part of Caermarthenshire.

Item, that the Lordeshipp of Llanstiffan Usterloys and Langham and the membres of the same, and all Manoures lands tenements and other hereditaments in the same Lordeshipp and the membres of the same, be from hensforthe unyted annexed joyned named accepted and taken as parte and parcell of the Countie of Carmarthin, and reputed joyned unyted named accepted and taken as parte and parcell of the Hundred of Derles in the saide Countie of Carmarthin. . . . F21

LVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22

LIX, LX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23

LXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

LXII–LXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25

LXVI.

Proviso for the Liberties of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Provided allwaies that all Liberties Frauncheses & Priviledges of the Duchie of Lancastre or in any wise apperteyning to the same, shalbe of the same force plight qualytie goodnes and condition, and maie be used in as lardge and ample maner as they weere before the making of this Acte, and as if this Acte hadde never been hadde nor made; any thing in this Acte to the contrarye therof notwithstanding.