Drafts of Acts of Parliament and copies of legal papers collected and bound by Sir...

As follows:

Creation of Richard, son of Prince Edward, as Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester, 1376 (ff.1-6).

Perambulations of forests in Gloucestershire, 13th-16th cents., copied in 1634 (ff.7-51).

Letters patent fixing the fees and allowances of judges, 8 August 1660 (ff.52-5).

Charter of incorporation of the Vintners' Company, [1569] (ff.56-61).

Letters patent licensing freemen of the city of London to keep taverns, 12 October 1577 (ff.62-8).

Inspeximus of charter confirming the liberties of Waterford, [2 Richard III] (ff.69-76).

'The Answeare of Sir Edward Herbert, Knight, his Majesty's attorney-generall to the Impeachment exhibited against him by the honourable House of Commons in this present Parliament', [1642] (ff.77-84).

Letters patent abolishing the court of First Fruits and Tenths and annexing it to the Exchequer, 25 January 1554 (ff.85-92).

Lease under the Privy Seal to Sir George Goring and others of the excise of wine in England and Wales, except in Devon and Cornwall, for 21 years, 21 December 1627 (ff.93-106).

Charter of the Company of Vintners, 2 February 1612 (ff.107-19).

Inspeximus of letters patent of Eliz.I regulating the cursiters of Chancery, 23 July 1604 (ff.120-6).

List of the previous items in this volume (f.127).

'An Acte to make Ministers and other spirituall persons capable of Leases of Landes for the behoofe of their wives and children', 1624 (f.128).

Endorsed, 'L[ectio] 1a lunae 15o Martis 21 Jas. L[ectio] 2a 22 Martis committed'. No statute was made in this session.

'An Act for the Suppressinge of sturdy and wandringe Rogues, Vagabonds and Beggars, and Orderinge of Persons convicted for Theft or Petite Larceny', temp. Chas.II, with emendations by Hale. Transportation to Virginia and Jamaica mentioned. See Commons Journals 19 February 1663 (ff.129-49).

'An act for more credit to be required in wills of landes' (f.150).

Endorsed by Hale and the old number '272'.

'An Act for ye releife of such persons as have or shall purchase any estate of a Bankrupt before a Commission be sued out against him', temp. Chas.II (f.151).

[An Act] 'for the Avoideinge of the great hindreances and inconveniences happeneinge by the arrestinge and reversinge of judgements'. Perhaps a draft of An Act to prevent arrests of judgement and superseding execution (16 & 17 Chas.II cap.8) (ff.153-8).

'An Act to retayne the Kinges Majesties subjects in their due obedience'. Perhaps a draft of An Acte for the due execution of the statutes againste Jesuits seminarie preistes recusants & c (1 Jas.I cap.4) (ff.159-60).

Corrected draft of an Act requiring collectors of revenues due to the crown to sue for debts in the courts, temp. Chas.I. See Common Journals 23 February 1626 (ff.161-5).

'An Act for the abolishing and putting downe of certaine ecclesiasticall courtes kept every three weekes by the Archdeacons and their officials and certaine commissaries and their registers', [1597] (ff.166-7).

Endorsed perhaps by Archbishop Whitgift.

'An Acte that the abilitie of a clerke presented to a benefice shalle not be tried by lay persons', 1607. See Lords Journals, II, 508 (ff.168-70).

Endorsed, '99'.

Incomplete draft by Hale of 'An Act for the recovery of possessions wrongfully detained', temp. Chas.II (f.171).

Draft Act for establishing a land registry, [1670] (ff.172-81).

'An Act for the avoiding of great expences and troubles of the king's subjects in proving of willes in the Prerogative courte and other courts ecclesiasticall', [3 Jas.I]. See Lords Journals, II, 371 (ff.182-5).

Endorsed, '128'.

Draft by Hale of 'An Act for Recovery in an ejectione firmae' (f.186).

Draft by Hale of 'An act for the preservation of goods of merchants wrecked or [lost, crossed out] either in the sea or upon the shore' (ff.187-90).

Endorsed, '297'.

Four drafts by Hale perhaps relating to the legal reform Bill, 1652: (a) 'An Act for costs for defendants acquitted in personal or mixt actions'; (b) 'An Act for costs for the defendant in an attachment upon a prohibition'; (c) 'An Act to enable persons at whose suit any person shal bee in execution for debt or damages to procure the enlargement of such persons without descharge of his judgement'; (d) 'An Act for enablinge officers etc to plead the generall issue in certain actions and to give the speciall matter in evidence' (f.191).

Draft Bills drawn up by Hale perhaps as a member of the commission for legal reform, 1652 (ff.192-282). They are:

'An act for avoiding delays in judicial proceedings' (ff.192-9).

Endorsed, 'no.29'.

'An act for the redresse of malitious and vexatious suits' (f.200).

Endorsed, 'no.24'.

[An act] 'touchinge the entringe of records and writts' (f.201).

Endorsed, 'no.23'.

'An act touchinge executors and administrators' (ff.202-3).

Endorsed, 'no.22'.

'An act for a speedy proces in ejeccione firme' (f.204).

'An Act concerninge actions or executions against infants that are in by descent', and 'An Act for the more speedy process in writts of partition' (ff.205-6).

Endorsed, 'no.21'.

'An Act for the preventinge of extinguishment of rents or commons [and extents, crossed out] (f.207).

Endorsed, 'no.20'.

'An Act for the supplyinge of atturnement', and 'An Act for the recovery of the arrerages of any rents [of freehold or for years, crossed out] (f.208).

Endorsed, 'no.19'.

'An act concerninge colleterall promises' (f.209).

Endorsed, 'no.18'.

'An act for the reformation of the county court' (ff.210-11).

Endorsed, 'no.17'.

'An act concerninge juries and theyr sufficiency and for the direction of the sherif concerninge county court' and the punishment of his miscarriage therin' (ff.212-14).

Endorsed, 'no.16'.

'An act for the execution of trusts into possession [tear]' (ff.215-20).

Endorsed, 'no.15'.

'An Act concerninge forfeites repleders writtes of error and supersedeas' (ff.221-4).

Endorsed, 'no.14'.

'An act touchinge enrolments [of deeds]' (ff.225-8).

Endorsed, 'no.13'.

'An Act for the avoidinge of delayes happeninge by the inconvenience and length of the common days given in real personall and mixt actions' (ff.229-30).

Endorsed, 'no.12'.

'An act wherby estates per autre vie are to descend to the heyr and bee devisable' (f.231).

Endorsed, 'no.11'.

An Act concerning ecclesiastical dilapidations (ff.232-3).

Endorsed, 'Read' and 'no.10'.

An Act for the recovery of possessions by right of entry (ff.234-6).

Endorsed, 'Read' and 'no.8'.

'An act for the reformation of pleadinge' (ff.237-9).

Endorsed, 'no.9'.

For 'no.7' see below ff.331-4.

'An act for the preventinge of suits in equity and of excessive exactions upon penall bonds and for the just satisfaction of damages and costs' (ff.240-3).

Endorsed, 'Read' and 'no.6'.

Two drafts of 'An act for the recovery of costs and damages in divers cases' (ff.244-7).

Endorsed, 'no.5'.

Comments by Hale on draft Acts concerning minors (f.249r-v).

'An Act for the reinforcing and more effectuall execution of certaine statutes made against the takeing away and marrying weomen, maidens and weomen children' (ff.250-2).

Endorsed, 'no.4'.

'An act for the better settling of the probate of wills' (ff.253-75).

Endorsed, 'no.3'.

An Act for the more effectual suppressing of popery (ff.276-82).

Endorsed, 'no.1'.

List by Hale of 'Acts propounded' under the heads: 'For settinge the poore in worke', 'in criminals', 'in civills', inferior courts, new courts (ff.283-4).

Draft Act annotated by Hale for regulating the tenure of judges (f.285).

Notes by Hale of 'Thinges that may seeme fitt to bee provided for by act of Parliament in cases capitall' (ff.287-9).

Draft by Hale of an address by both Houses of Parliament to Charles II, [1660] (ff.290-1).

Drafts by Hale or corrected by him of An Act for confirmation of judiciall proceedings (12 Chas.II cap.12) (ff.293-308).

Memo. by Hale on the state of the nation, c.1660 (ff.309-12).

Index by Hale of Acts and Orders relating to Ireland, c.1663 (ff.313-20).

Draft by Hale of a Bill for erecting perpetual vicarages, [1660] (ff.321-4).

Draft by Hale of part of An Act for confirmation of leases and grants from colledges and hospitalls (12 Chas.II cap.31) (ff.325-8).

'Notes for Bills in Parliament', consisting of a numbered list of 5 bills in criminal cases, 21 in civil, and two in equity. In the hand of Edward Stephens (ff.329-30).

Fragment of a draft by Hale of an Act for preventing delays and uncertainties in judgements (ff.331-4).

Endorsed, 'no.7'.

334 ff.