A. D. 1716. Anno tertio Georgii Regis. C. 13. 145 C A*I XIII. An Aft for the better regaining of Pilots for concluding of Ships and Veflels from Dover., Deal and the Ifle of Thanet, up the Rivers of Thames and Medway. ' !• XZHEREAS there hath been Time out of Mind, and now is, a very ufeful and well regulated'* 8 '** 3: *■ *3« W Society or Fellowfhip of Pilots of the Trinity- Houfe of Dover, D.-al and the Ifle of Thanet, ' ,;• * & c who have always had the fole Piloting and Lo d-manage of all Ships and Veffels from the fai.l Places up- ',/. c ,V ' the Rivers of Thames and Medivay : And whereas by the Ufagc and good Rules and Orders of the faid u a, r . 2. <-. r8. ' Society every Perfon muft appear at a Court of Load-manag -, and be publickly examined by fome of the"- 2 3 Car.%, ' elder and more experienced lYlembers of the faid Society and Fellowfhip, touching his Skill and Abilities '/ "' „ » ' in Pilotage, before he is to be admitted a Member of the faid Society or Fellowfhip, or ought to uadet- ' e e ' take the conducting and piloting any Ship or Veffel from the before-mentioned Places up the faid lovers, 1 Ann. c. 37. ' whereby ignorant and dang-rous Perfons have been prevented from undertaking fuch Pilotage; and there 8 /ir.n. <-. 1-. ' hath been from 'f 'ime to Time a fufficient Number of fafe and able Pilots for the faid Rivers maintained IO An "' "• '> ' and kept up : And whereas notwithstanding the many and great Advantages of the faid Society or Fel- ' lowfhip to the Publick, feveral unqualified "Perfons have of late taken upon them the piloting and con- ' ducting Ships and Veflels by and from the Places before-mentioned up the faid Rivers of Thames and
- Midway, who have not been admitted into the faid Society or Fellowfhip, or undergone any Examina-
' tion of their Abilities for fuch Service, whereby the faid ufeful Society or Fellowfhip hath been 11 ucli ' difcouraged, and feveral Ships and Veflels, with their Cargo and Mariners, have been loft or in the ' utmoft Danger and Hazard .' For Remedy whereof, Be it therefore enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That if any Perfon or Perfons fhall, from After Aug. t, and after the firft Day of Augu.lt one thoufand feven hundred and feventeen, take upon him or themfelves to '"J, 7 '.? Per(o14 conduct or pilot any Ship or Veffel by or from Dover, Deal or the Ifle of Thanet to any Place or Places in shipfromDover or upon the faid Rivers ox' Thames and Medivay, before he or they fhall be firft examined, as has been ufurd, & c .' unlets he ' by the Mafter and Wardens of the faid Society or Fellowfhip for the Time being, touching his or their have been exa- Abilities, and fhall be approved and admitted into the faid Society. or Fellowfhip at a Court of Load-manage mined; &c by by the Lord Warden of the Cinque-poris for the Time being or his Deputy, and the faid Mafter and ^^H^' &c - Wardens for the Time being, every fuch Perfon or Perfons fhall for the firft Offence forfeit cen Pounds, HcufeTand be for the fecond twenty Pounds, and for every other Offence forty Pounds, to be fued for and recovered a d mi tied int > with full Cofts of Suit, by any Perfon or Perfons, by Suit or Action to be brought in the Court of Admi- that S sciety. ralty for the Cinque-ports, in cafe fuch Offender fhall live and be found within the Jurifdidtion of the faid^ irfl O ften = el ° Court, or elfe by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information in any of his Majefty's Courts" of Record at ,f v °" ^ er ' 4 o1. IFeJlminjhr, wherein no Eflbin, Privilege, Protection or Wager of Law fhall be allowed, and no more than one Imparlance ; which faid Sum or Sums of Money fo to be forfeited and recovered, fhall go and be, ? ,', v , thePe ' r,;, ' lt '[ as to one Moiety thereof, to the Informer, and as to the other Moiety thereof, to be paid to and received *'j £1"^°/^ by the Mafter and Wardens of the faid Society for the Time being, to be by them diftributed to and" amongft fuch fuperannuated Pilots, and the Widows of Pilot-; of the faid Society, in like Manner and Proportion as the faid Mafter and Wardens for the Time being fhall think fit and appoint, and as hereto- fore hath been ufed and practifed by the faid Society. _ - II. Provided always, That this Act fhall not extend to prevent or hinder the Mafter or Mate of any MSfati, jfce. re- Ship or Veflel, or Part-owner refiding at Dover, Deal or the Ifle of Thanet, from conducting or piloting & c ' n ^! y p^.'"'" his own Ship or Veflel from any of the Places aforefaid up the faid Puvers ; nor fubject any Perfon or Per- their own S'fljos, fons (though not of the faid Society or Fellowfhip) to the Penalties aforefaid, who fhall be hired by any if none 6f tie" Mafter to conduct or pilot his Ship or Veflel from the faid Places, provided no one of the faid Society or Society be ready Fellowfhip fhall, within the Space of one Hour af.er fuch Ship or Veiled {hall arrive at any of the faid fo tOL '°- Places, be ready to conduct and pilot the fame. III. Provided always, That all Mafters of Merehant-fhiDS fhall have Liberty to make choice of fuch Mafi-ers of Mer- Pilot of the faid Society or Fellowfhip as he fhall think fit ;' and that no Perfon' {hall continue in the faM^£^™y Society or Fellowfhip, who fhall not conduct or pilot a Ship at leaft twice in any one Year (unlefs pre-j c(s . ir $ Rein- vented by Sicknefs) to and from the Places above-mentioned. bcrsof the So- IV. And for preventing any exorbitant Demands from any Pilot or Pilots of the faid Society for the.ciety fbpll p ; ioc conducting and pi'oting any Ships or Veflels from Dover, Deal or the Ifle of Thanet to any Places ijvor Ships twice a upon the faid Rivers of Thames and Medway, That the following and no greater or other Prices fhall be p^ ofl ,; lo .. taken or demanded than what is or are herein after mentioned, viz. For every Ship or Veflel drawing (even j ng- Foot Water, the Sum of three Pounds ten Shillings : For every Ship or Veffel drawing eight Foot Water, the Sum of four Pounds: For every Ship or Veflel drawing nine Foot Water, the Sum of four Pounds ten Shillings: For every Ship or Veflel drawing ten Foot Water, the Sum of five Pounds: For every Ship or Veffel drawing eleven Foot Water, the Sum of five Pounds ten Shillings : For every Ship or Veff 1 drawing twelve Foot Water, the Sum of fix Pounds: For every Ship or Veflel drawing thirteen Foot Water, the Sum of fix Pounds ten Shillings : For every Ship or Veffel drawing fourteen Foot Water, the Sum of kveix Pounds: For every Ship or Veffel drawing fifteen Foot Water, the Sum of feven Pounds ten Shillings : For every Ship or Veflel drawing fixteen Foot Water, the Sum of eight Pounds : And for every Ship or Veffel drawing Ceventeen Foot Water, the Sum of eight Pounds ten Shillings ; and no Allowance to be made for •odd Inches. Vol, V. U V„
