Gaols Act 1503
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1503 c. 10 |
| Year | 1503 |
(19 Hen. 7) C A P. X.
BE it ordained, established, and enacted by the King our Sovereign Lord, by the Advice and Assent of his Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by Authorityof the same, That every Sheriff within every County within this Realm ofEngland have the Custody, Rule, Keeping, and Charge, from the Quindecim Pasche next coming, of every of the King's common Gaols, Prisons, and Prisoners in the same, in every of the said Counties where he is Sheriff, during the Time of his Office, except all Gaols whereof any Person or Persons Spiritual or Temporal, or Body Corporate, have the keeping of Estate of Inheritance, or by Succession; (2)and from the sameQuindecim of Pasche next coming, that all Letters Patents made to any Person or Persons for Term of Life or Lives, or for Term of Years, of the keeping of the said Goals, and of any Constableship of any Castle, wherein any such common Gaol is, by the King our Sovereign Lord, or any other Kings of this Land, and every Thing in the said Letters Patents contained, be from henceforth repealed, adnulled, void, and of no Force ne Effect in the Law: (3) And that every such Sheriff, from the said Quindecim of Pasche , be charged and chargeable with the said Gaols, Prisons, and the Prisoners remaining in the same. '(4) And over that, where divers and many Persons, for Treason, Murder, Robberies, and other Felonies, before this Time have been taken, some for Suspection of the same Deeds, and some upon Indictments, and thereupon brought unto the same Gaols and Prisons, and sometime remained in the keeping of the Persons that so arrested them for the said Causes, and by Colour of Negligence, subtilly and craftily, and oftentimes for Favour, Mede, Affection, or Corruption, suffered the said Offenders to escape, as if it had been by Negligence, to the overt and express Impediment of Justice, and Execution of the King's Laws ordered for the Punishment of such Offenders; (5) and when such Escapes have been found before the Justices having Authority to inquire thereof, and thereupon the Parties convicted, or else yielded themselves to make Fine for the same, small Fines have been used to be set in those Causes, to the little Dread and Fear, and great emboldening of the said Offenders and Misdoers; by Mean whereof great and errant Felons, and hainous Murderers, oftentimes have by...
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