on the tenth

oath.

And that the same Portreeve, after he shall be so named and chosen as aforesaid, before he shall be permitted to execute the said office of Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, To be sworn shall take a corporal oath on the tenth day next following day after Elecafter the nomination and election aforesaid, unless the tion. same shall happen to be upon a Sunday, and if it shall be on a Sunday, then the day next following such Sunday, before the Portreeve then being, his last predecessor, or in the absence of the said Portreeve then being his last predecessor, before the Surveyors of the Fen aforesaid, two or one of them, well, truly, and faithfully, to execute and Portreeve's perform the said office in all things touching the same: And that after such oath thus taken, he shall and lawfully may hold, execute, and continue in the said office of Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, in manner and form abovementioned: And that the said three Surveyors of the Fen aforesaid, after they shall be so nominated and elected as aforesaid, before they shall be permitted to execute the same office, shall each of them take a corporal oath, on the said tenth day after their election, so that it be not on a Sunday, and if it be on a Sunday, then on the day next after such Sunday, before the Portreeve then being, the last predecessor of the said Portreeve named and elected, or in the absence of the Portreeve the predecessor of the last, then before the Surveyors of the said Fen then being, the last predecessors of the said new-elected Surveyors, or before two or one of them, well and truly and faithfully Surveyor's to execute the said office, and to aid and assist the Port- oath. reeve of the said Fen, during his said office, in all things touching or concerning the said office, and according to the best of their ability: And that they shall and may lawfully hold, execute, and continue in such office, in form as is above-mentioned and appointed, with respect to the said office of Portreeve.

And moreover, we will, and by these presents, do grant, for us, our heirs, and successors, to the aforesaid Portreeve, Surveyors, and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, and to their successors, that if the Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, after he shall be chosen and sworn as aforesaid into that New Electioffice, shall happen to die, or be displaced from, or turned ons, in case of death, &c. to out of the same office during the time which he should have be within continued therein, according to the tenor of these presents; twelve days. that then, and so often as the case shall so happen, it shall

and to be

four days.

and may be lawful for the residue of the said company, of the number of twelve, and for the said order, company, or class, of twenty-four inhabitants of the said town, or the major part of both the said orders or classes aforesaid, within twelve days next following after the death or removal of such Portreeve, to nominate and choose one other of the aforesaid first class, order, and company, into the office of Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid; and that he who shall be so elected and chosen into that office, shall hold and execute the same during the will and pleasure of the Common Council aforesaid, or the major part of them, he first taking a corporal oath in form aforesaid, within four sworn within days next following such nomination; and the like as often as the case shall so happens and further, we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do grant to the said Portreeve, Surveyors, and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, and to their successors, that if it shall happen that the Surveyors of the Fen aforesaid, or any one or more of them, shall die, or be displaced or removed from his office, at any time during the appointed continuance of his office, that then, and so often, as well the said first company and class, of the number of twelve, or the major part of them, in their council-house assembled, as the said second company, class, or order, of twenty-four inhabitants of the town aforesaid, the Common Council of the said Fen, for the time being, or the major part of the same twenty-four inhabitants, in their council-house assembled, shall and may, from time to time, for ever here after, (respect being had to the intent of these our letters patent) have full power and authority, by virtue of these presents, within twelve days next following such death, displacing, or removal of the said Surveyor, or at any other time, at the will and pleasure of them, or the major part of them, to nominate and elect one or more Surveyor or Surveyors of the Fen aforesaid, to fill up the said number of three Surveyors, out of the said several classes and orders of the inhabitants of the town aforesaid, so that there may always be one Surveyor of the first order or class of the inhabitants aforesaid, and two others of the aforesaid second order or class of twenty-four; and the like as often as the case shall so happen: and that he or they, so chosen and elected, shall have and exercise the same, according to the form and intent of these presents, first taking the

corporal oath appointed to be taken, by the Surveyors of the said Fen, in form aforesaid.

Vacancies

And further, we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do grant to the said Portreeve, Sur- from death,expulsion, removeyors and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, and to their val, or absence successors, that whenever any one, or more of the said first for ten months order, company, and class of twelve, for the time being, to be suppl supplied shall happen to die, or be turned out of his or their place Class; or places, or shall dwell out of the town of Beccles for the space of ten months, that then, and so often it shall and may be lawful for the Portreeve, Surveyors, and others, of the same first order and class then surviving and remaining in the said town, or the major part of them, within twenty days next after the death, turning out, removal, or departure for the space aforesaid, of such one or more of the said first class, to nominate, choose, and elect one or more of the other order or class, of twenty-four inhabitants of the town aforesaid, being of the Common Council of the Fen aforesaid, for the time being, into the place or places of him or them, of the said first order, so happening to die, depart, be turned out, or removed, to fill up and complete the aforesaid number of twelve, of the first order and class of the inhabitants aforesaid: and that he or they so elected and chosen, before he or they shall be admitted into the first order and number of twelve, shall take a corporal oath, before the Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, well and faithfully to execute such office or offices as shall belong to the said first order, of the number of twelve; and the like as often as the case shall so happen.

And moreover, we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do grant to the said Portreeve, Surveyors, and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, that whenever any of the said second order, class, or company of twenty-four inhabitants of the town aforesaid, for the time being, shall happen to die, or be turned out of his or their places, in the said second order or class, or shall dwell out of the town aforesaid during the space of ten months, that then, and so often, it shall and may be lawful, within twenty days next after the death, departure for the space aforesaid, or expulsion of any such, for the Portreeve, Surveyors, and the residue of the said first order, or company of twelve persons before-mentioned, for the time being, or the major part of them, in their councilhouse assembled, and also for such and so many of the

in the second

Class.

Powerto elect a Common

Clerk or Prothonotary

CommonClerk

said second company of the said twenty-four inhabitants, as shall remain and dwell in the said town, and shall not be turned out or displaced, to nominate, choose, and elect, one or more other of the inhabitants of the said town, into the place or places of him or them of the said company of twenty-four, so happening to die, depart, or be turned out, to supply and make up the said number of twenty-four inhabitants in the second order or class aforesaid: and that he or they so nominated and chosen, before he or they shall be admitted into that office, and into the Common Council of the Fen aforesaid, shall take an oath before the Portreeve of the said Fen, for the time being, well and faithfully to execute the said office of the said second order and number of the said twenty-four inhabitants, and of the Common Council of the Fen aforesaid, and this as often as the case shall so happen,

And moreover, of our abundant grace we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do grant to the said Portreeve, Surveyors, and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, and to their successors, that they and their successors, shall and may have, for ever hereafter, in the town aforesaid, one honest and discreet man, in form heretofore expressed, to be chosen and named, who shall be called the Common Clerk and Prothonotary of the Court of the said Fen; and that the Portreeve, Surveyors, and residue of the first class or order of the twelve, or the major part of them, (whereof the Portreeve, for the time being, always to be one) shall and may, from time to time, choose, elect, and name one honest and discreet man, from time to time, to be the Common Clerk of the Court of the Fen aforesaid: And that he, who shall be so elected, nominated, and chosen to be Common Clerk of the Court of the said Fen, shall, and may have full power and authority, by himself or his sufficient deputy or deputies, to hold, exercise and enjoy the office of Common Clerk of the Court of the said Fen, at the will and pleasure of the Portreeve, Surveyors, and residue of the said first order or number of twelve, or the major part of them, for the time being:

Appointment And moreover, we do by there presents, ordain, nomiof the first nate, constitute, and appoint, our well-beloved William Downinge, gentleman, to be the Common Clerk and Prothonotary of the Court of the Fen aforesaid, during his

for life.

natural life, to exercise and execute upon his oath, all and every such things as to the office of Common Clerk and Prothonotary of the said Fen do belong or appertain, either by himself or his sufficient deputy or deputies: And the said William Downinge to be common Clerk and Prothonotary of the Court of the Fen aforesaid, during the term aforesaid, we do ordain, constitute, and appoint by these presents:

chosen annu

And moreover, we will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do grant to the said Portreeve, Surveyors, and Commonalty of the Fen aforesaid, and to their successors, that from henceforth there shall and may be, in the town and fen aforesaid, two officers or servants, Two Serwho shall be called Sergeants at Mace, for the executing in geants at the fen and town aforesaid, and in either of them, such Mace; precepts and other businesses, concerning the said fen, as shall from time to time be necessary to be executed and performed; which Serjeants at Mace, or one of them, shall from time to time be attendant on the Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, for the time being, whenever required so to be, upon or concerning any causes, matters or things, relating to the said fen: And which said two Sergeants at Mace how to be shall, for ever hereafter, be nominated and chosen in man- ally, ner and form following: (viz.) one of the said Sergeants at Mace shall be nominated and chosen by the new elected Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, and the other of them shall be nominated and chosen, for the present, by the new elected Portreeve and the Surveyors of the Fen aforesaid, or the major part of the said Surveyors, and shall be continued in the same office or offices, until other Serjeants at Mace shall be chosen, sworn, and admitted into the same office or offices, according to the ordinances and provisions in these presents expressed and declared. And that they, the same Sergeants at Mace, shall for ever hereafter, be nominated and elected as aforesaid, annually, on the Monday next after the feast of the annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary, in manner and form following: (viz.) one of the said Sergeants by the Portreeve of the Fen aforesaid, then newly elected, for the time being; and the other, by the Portreeve then newly elected, for the time being, and by the Surveyors of the said Fen then newly elected, or the major part of them; and in the said office or offices shall remain and continue until other Sergeants at Mace shall be