Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543
COUNTIES OF MEATH AND WESTMEATH ACT 1543 | ||
CHAP. I. | ||
An Act for the Division of Methe in two Shires. | ||
Meath divided into two shires. | ||
Causes for making this act. | ||
The baronies which shall compose Meath. | ||
All officers as usual therein. | ||
FORASMUCH as the shire of Methe is great and large in circuit, and the west part thereof laid about and beset with diverse of the King’s rebells, and that in several partes thereof the King’s writs for lacke of ministration of justiee, have not of late beene obeyed, ne his Grace’s lawes put in due exercise. And that the said sheriffe of the said shire, for the said shire, for the time being, most commonly hath beene one of the inhabitants of the English pale, within the said shire, and is not able to execute the King’s processe and precepts, and other things belonging to his office, throughout and by all the said shire, and in speciall in diverse places of the west part of the same, by which diverse of the inhabitors of the same, whose auncestors and predecessors hath beene obedient to the King’s highnesse, and his moft noble progenitors, of their duetie of obedience, and allegeance unto the king’s highnesse, and his lawes, for and by default of due execution of his said lawes: in consideration whereof it is thought meet, that the said shire should be devided, and made two shires, and one of them shall be named and called the countie of Methe, and the other shall bee called the countie of Westmethe, and there shall bee two sherifes, and other officers convenient, within the said shires, and that the King’s subjectes thereby should greatly en crease, in obedience unto the King’s highnesse and his lawes. Wherefore be it enacted, ordayned, and established by the authoritie of this present Parliament, that the baronies or hundreds of Duleke, Scryne, Slaue, Margallen, Nouan, Kenles, the halfe barony of Fower, next unto Kenles, having and conteyning in the same the paroches of killalou, Demore, Cloue, Moylagh, Logherne, Oldecastell, and Luyn, Moyseuragh, Deese, Rathtouh, and Donboyne, shall be in the countie of Methe. And all and singular honours, lordships, castells, mannours, landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes, lying or being within the compasse of the said baronies or hundreds, whatsoever they bee or shall bee, shall stand and bee from the feast of Saint Catherine, the virgin and martyr, which shall bee in the yeare of our Lord God a thousand five hundred fortie and two reputed, accepted, deemed, and taken within the said countie of Methe; and that within the same countie there shall be made, ordeyned, elected, and deputed a sheriffe, two coreners, one escheator and clerke of the market, justices of peace and gaole deliverie, knightes of the shire, and all others officers and ministers, according as in the said shire of Methe before this time hath beene used and accustomed, as ost as need shall require; which sheriffe, coronors, escheators, clerke of the market, justices of peace and gaole deliverie, officers, and ministers, so to be made, ordeyned, elected, and deputed, and every of them, shall have the same and like authoritie, power, prechminence, priviledge, and profites within the said baronies, precinctes, limites, and boundes, now by this act made in the said countie of Methe, as the like officers in times passed had within the same shire of Methe, and in none other limitte or place within the said whole shire. |