Mischiefs by Fire Act 1708
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1708 c. 17 |
| Year | 1708 |
(7 Ann.) C A P. XVII.
'W H E R E A S by an Act made in the last Session of Parliament, holden in the sixth Year of her Majesty's Reign, intituled, , it was amongst other Things enacted, That each and every Parish within the Cities ofLondon and Westminster , and weekly Bills of Mortality, shall from time to time, and at all Times have and keep in good Order and Repair, in some known and Publick Place within each Parish, a large Engine, and also a Hand Engine, to throw up Water for the extinguishing of Fires, and also provide, keep, and maintain one Leather Pipe and Socket of the same Size as the Plug or Fire Cock, to the Intent the Socket may be put into the Pipe to convey the Water clean, and without Loss, or Help of the Bucket, into the Engine; and for as much as several of the Parishes within the said City of London were, after the great Fire which happened in the Year one thousand six hundred sixty and six, united together, or to each other, and for that some Doubt hath arisen, whether each of the said Parishes so united is not obliged to have and keep two such Engines;' Therefore for explaining the same, and avoiding of any Dispute or Questionthat may arise touching the Construction thereof, Be it declared and enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That the said Parishes so united were intended to be, and shall (for the Purposes in the said Act mentioned) be esteemed and taken as one Parish only.
II The Rewards to the Turn Cock and other, how to be paid.
'II. And whereas by the said Act a Reward of ten Shillings is to be paid to the Turn Cock belonging to any Water Work, whose Water shall be found on, or first come into the Main or Pipe where the first Plug shall be opened at any Fire; thirty Shillings to the first Engine Keeper which brings in a Parish Engine to help to extinguish any Fire; twenty Shillings to the Keeper of the second Parish Engine that shall be next brought to a Fire; and to the third ten Shillings; by the Churchwardens of each Parish where such Fire shall happen;' Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That in all Cases where the said Rewards are claimed, by reason of any Fire happening within the said City ofLondon , or the Liberties thereof, the Churchwardens of the Parish where such Fire shall happen, shall not pay the said Rewards, or any of them, without the Approbation and Direction of the Aldermen of the Ward wherein such Parish is situate, or his Deputy, or two of the Common Councilmen of the same Ward for the Time being; and that the said several Rewards shall likewise be paid and payable in like Proportion, and in the same Manner, to the Keeper of any other large Engine, (though not a Parish Engine) who shall bring in such large Engine to help to extinguish any Fire, in good Order and compleat.
III The Vestries may order more Engines than one to be kept in a Parish.
III. Provided nevertheless, and it is further enacted, That in Case the Vestries of any of the said united Parishes, or of any other Parishes within the weekly Bills of Mortality, shall at any Time conceive it necessary for the said Parish, in respect of the Largeness thereof, to have more than one great Engine or Hand Engines, it shall and may be lawful for them to provide more great Engine or Engines, Hand Engine or Hand Engines, at the Charge of the Parish, by an Assessment to be made, as by the said former and this present Act is prescribed and provided; and that the same shall be under the like Regulations and Encouragements as the Engine or Engines respectively to be provided by the said former Act were and are to be.
IV A Key and Pipe to be left at the House where there is Notice of a Fire Plug.
IV. And to the End the said Act may be made more effectual for the Purposes the same was intended, It is further enacted, That there shall be left at the House, upon which there is a Notice of a Fire Plug, a Key to open the Stop Cock, and also a Pipe for the Water to come thereout, to be made Use of as Occasion shall require.
'V. And whereas there is no Provision made for raising Monies to defray the necessary Charges of providing and maintaining the said Engine or Engines, Stop Blocks and Fire Cocks, and Keys, and other Implements and Materials, and Payment of the Rewards or Gratuities...
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