<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-01-23</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B120711.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A74378">
<STC T="T">E1060_99</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99867774</BIBNO>
<VID>169048</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN ACT For &s;uppre&s;sing The Dete&s;table SINS OF Ince&s;t, Adultery and Fornication.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>blazon of the Commonwealth</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Die Veneris, Decimo Maii, 1650.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act be forthwith printed and publi&s;hed.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>Edward Husband</HI> and <HI>Iohn Field,</HI> Prin|ters to the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> 1650.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="827" REF="2">
<HEAD>AN ACT For Suppre&s;sing The dete&s;table Sins OF Ince&s;t, Adultery and Fornication.</HEAD>
<P>_FOr the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of the abominable and crying &s;ins of Ince&s;t, Adultery and Fornica|tion, wherewith this Land is much defiled, and Almighty God highly di&s;plea&s;ed; Be it Enacted by the Au|thority of this pre&s;ent Parliament, That if any per&s;on or per&s;ons what&s;oever, &s;hall from and after the Four and twentieth day of <HI>June,</HI> in the year of our Lord One thou&s;and &s;ix hundred and fifty, Marry, or have the carnal knowledge of the Body of his or her Grandfather or Grand|mother, Father or Mother, Brother or Si&s;ter, Son or Daughter, or Grandchilde, Fathers Brother or Si&s;ter, Mothers Brother or Si&s;ter, Fathers Wife, Mothers Husband, Sons Wife, Daughters Husband, Wives Mother or Daugh|ter, Husbands Father or Son; all and every &s;uch Offences are hereby adjudged and declared Ince&s;t: And every &s;uch Offence &s;hall be, and is hereby adjudged Felony; and every per&s;on offending therein, and confe&s;&s;ing the &s;ame, or
<PB N="828" REF="3"> being thereof convicted by verdict upon Indict|ment or Pre&s;entment, before any Iudge or Iu|&s;tices at the A&s;&s;ize or Se&s;&s;ions of the Peace, &s;hall &s;uffer death as in ca&s;e of Felony, without benefit of Clergy: And all and every &s;uch Mar|riage and Marriages are hereby declared and ad|judged to be void in Law, to all intents and pur|po&s;es; and the Children begotten between &s;uch per&s;ons, notwith&s;tanding any contract or &s;o|lemnization of Marriage, to be illegitimate, and altogether di&s;abled to claim or inherit any Lands or Inheritance what&s;oever, by way of de&s;cent from, or to receive or challenge any Childes Portion in any Goods or Chattels of their &s;aid Parents, or any other Ance&s;tors of &s;uch Parents. And be it further Enacted by the authority afore&s;aid, That in ca&s;e any mar|ried woman &s;hall from and after the Four and twentieth day of <HI>June</HI> afore&s;aid, be carnally known by any man (other then her Husband) (except in Ca&s;e of Ravi&s;hment) and of &s;uch of|fence or offences &s;hall be convicted as afore&s;aid by confe&s;&s;ion or otherwi&s;e, every &s;uch Offence and Offences &s;hall be and is hereby adjudged Felony; and every per&s;on, as well the man as the woman offending therein, and confe&s;&s;ing the &s;ame, or being thereof convicted by verdict up|on Indictment or Pre&s;entment as afore&s;aid, &s;hall &s;uffer death as in ca&s;e of Felony, without benefit of Clergy. Provided, That this &s;hall not extend to any man who at the time of &s;uch offence committed, is not knowing that &s;uch woman with whom &s;uch Offence is com|mitted is then marryed. Provided al&s;o, That the &s;aid penalty in the ca&s;e of Adultery afore&s;aid, &s;hall not extend to any woman who&s;e Husband &s;hall be continually remaining beyond the Seas
<PB N="829" REF="3"> by the &s;pace of three years, or &s;hall by common fame be reputed to be dead; nor to any woman who&s;e husband &s;hall ab&s;ent him&s;elf from his &s;aid wife by the &s;pace of three years together, in any parts or places what&s;oever, &s;o as the &s;aid wife &s;hall not know her &s;aid husband to be living within that time. And be it further Enacted by the authority afore&s;aid, That if any man &s;hall from and after the Four and twentieth day of <HI>June</HI> afore&s;aid, have the carnal knowledge of the body of any Virgin, unmar|ried woman or widow, every &s;uch man &s;o offend|ing, and confe&s;&s;ing the &s;ame, or being thereof con|victed by verdict upon Indictment or Pre&s;ent|ment, as al&s;o every &s;uch woman &s;o offending, and confe&s;sing the &s;ame, or being thereof convict as afore&s;aid, &s;hall for every &s;uch offence be com|mitted to the common Goal, without Bail or Mainprize, there to continue for the &s;pace of three Moneths; and until he and &s;he re&s;pectively &s;hall give &s;ecurity, to be taken by one or more Iu&s;tice or Iu&s;tices of the Peace before whom &s;uch Confe&s;sion or Conviction &s;hall be had, to be of the good behavior for the &s;pace of one whole year then next en&s;uing. And be it fur|ther Enacted by the authority afore&s;aid, That all and every per&s;on and per&s;ons who &s;hall from and after the Four and twentieth day of <HI>June</HI> afore&s;aid, be convicted as afore&s;aid, by Confe&s;|&s;ion or otherwi&s;e, for being a common Bawd, be it man or woman, or wittingly keeping a common Brothel or Bawdy-hou&s;e, &s;hall for his or her fir&s;t offence be openly whipped and &s;et in the Pillory, and there marked with a hot Iron in the forehead with the Letter <HI>B.</HI> and after|wards committed to Pri&s;on or the Hou&s;e of Cor|rection, there to work for his or her living for
<PB N="830" REF="4"> the &s;pace of three years, without Bail or Main|prize, and until he or &s;he &s;hall put in &s;ufficient Sureties for his or her good behavior during his or her life: And if any per&s;on by confe&s;sion or otherwi&s;e &s;hall be convicted of committing, after &s;uch Conviction, any of the &s;aid la&s;t re|cited offences, every &s;uch &s;econd offence &s;hall be, and is hereby adjudged Felony; and the per&s;on and per&s;ons &s;o offending &s;hall &s;uffer death, as in ca&s;e of Felony, without benefit of Clergy. And be it further Enacted by the authority afore&s;aid, That the Iu&s;tices of A&s;&s;ize in their re&s;pective Circuits, and the Iu&s;tices of Peace in every county, at their u&s;ual and General Se&s;&s;ions, are hereby authorized and required to give in charge to the Grand Iury to enquire of all and every the Crimes afore&s;aid: And the &s;aid Iu&s;tices of A&s;&s;ize, Iu&s;tices of the Peace in their General Se&s;&s;ions, and all and every Major and Iu&s;tices of Peace of any City, Borough or Town Corporate, that have power to hear and determine Felonies at their u&s;ual Se&s;&s;ions, &s;hall have full power and au|thority to enquire by verdict of twelve or more good and lawful men, within the &s;aid re&s;pective Counties and places afore&s;aid, of all and every the crimes and offences afore&s;aid; and upon Indictment or Pre&s;entment, to hear and de|termine the &s;ame, as in other ca&s;es of Felony or Tre&s;pa&s;s, Any Law, V&s;age or Cu&s;tom to the contrary notwith&s;tanding. Provided, That no Attainder for any offence made Felony by this Act, &s;hall make or work any corruption of Blood, lo&s;s of Dower, forfeiture of Goods, di&s;inheri&s;on of Heir or Heirs. Provided al&s;o, That no per&s;on or per&s;ons &s;hall incur any of the penalties in this Act mentioned, unle&s;s the
<PB N="831" REF="4"> &s;aid per&s;on or per&s;ons be thereof indicted within twelve Moneths after the offence committed. Provided al&s;o, That it &s;hall be lawful for any per&s;on or per&s;ons who &s;hall be indicted for any the offences afore&s;aid, to produce at their re|&s;pective Tryals any witne&s;s or witne&s;&s;es, for the clearing of them&s;elves from the &s;aid offences whereof they &s;hall be &s;o indicted: And the Iu&s;tices before whom &s;uch Tryal &s;hall be &s;o had, &s;hall have power, and are hereby autho|rized to examine the &s;aid witne&s;&s;es upon Oath. Provided, That no parties confe&s;sion &s;hall be taken as Evidence within this Act again&s;t any other, but onely again&s;t &s;uch party &s;o confe&s;|&s;ing; nor the husband &s;hall be taken as a wit|ne&s;s again&s;t his wife, nor the wife again&s;t her husband, for any offence puni&s;hable by this Act.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Die Veneris, decimo Maii, 1650.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>ORdered by the Parliament, That this Act be forthwith printed and publi&s;hed.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliamenti.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
