Of LETTERS of LICENCE and COMPOSITION. T HESE instruments though diftinguished by the above titles, as declaratory of their address and purport, are in effect no other than agreements between the debtor and his creditors, relative to the subject matter of the contract; and are, in respect to their legal operation, entirely referable to that head. A letter of licence from creditors to a debtor. To all people to whom these presents shall come, we who have hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our feals, creditors of M. B. of, &c. fend greeting. Whereas the faid M. B. on the day of the date hereof, is indebted unto us the several creditors hereunder named in divers fums of money, which at present he is not able to pay or fatisfy without respite and time to be given him for the payment thereof: Know ye therefore, that we the said several creditors, and each and every of us, Have given and granted, and by virtue of these our present letters, Do give and grant unto the faid M. B. full and free liberty, licence, power and autho. rity to go about, attend, follow and negociate any affairs, business, matters and things what foever, to or at any place or places whatsoever, without any let, fuit, trouble, arrest, attachment, or other impediment, to be offered or done unto him the said M. B. his wares, goods, monies, or other merchandize whatsoever, or any of them, or any part of them, by us or by any of us, or by the heirs, executors, administrators, partners or affigns of us or any of us, or by our or any of our means and procurement to be fought, attempted or procured to be done, for and during (So long) next and immediately enfuing the day of the date hereof: And further, we the faid creditors hereunder subscribed Do, and each of us Doth covenant and grant for ourselves, our heirs, executors, administrators and affigns refpectively, and not jointly one for another, nor for the heirs, executors, administrators or affigns of one another, to and with the faid M. B. that we, or each or any of us, our heirs, executors, administrators and affigns, or any of them, fhall not nor will during the time aforesaid fue, arrest, attach or profecute the faid M. B. for or upon account of our refpective debts or any part thereof, or any of them; And that if any hurt, trouble, wrong, damage or hindrance be done unto the faid M. B. either in body, goods or chattels, or any of them, within the aforesaid term of next enfuing the date hereof, by us or any of us the faid creditors, or by any perfon or perfons, by or through the procurement, confent or knowledge of us, contrary to the true intent and meaning of these presents; that then the faid M. B. by virtue hereof shall be difcharged and acquitted for ever against such of us the faid creditors, his and their heirs, executors, adminiftrators or affigns, by whom and by whose will, means or procurement, he shall be arrested, attached, imprisoned, grieved or damnified, of all manner of actions, fuits, quarrels, dues, debts, charges, fum or fums of moncy, claims and demands whatsoever, from the beginning of the world to the day of the date hereof. In witness, &c. Letter of composition for debts. TO all, &c. We 7. F. and F. J. creditors of R. C. and C. R. fend greeting. Whereas the faid R. C. and C. R. are and do ftand jointly indebted unto us the faid creditors in divers fums of money, which they are willing to fatisfy and pay as far as they are able : Now know ye, That we the faid creditors who have hereto fubfcribed our names and affixed our feals, finding they the faid R. C. and C. R. are by loffes and otherwise disabled to pay our full debts, Do feverally and respectively agree and bind ourselves, our heirs, &c. to the faid R. C. and C. R. by these presents, to accept and take of them the said R. and C. their, &c. after the rate of in the pound, in full fatisfaction of all fuch debts and fums of money, as they do jointly owe to us and every of us respectively, the fame to be paid at four equal payments, the first payment, &c. fo as the faid R. and C. (for the more fure and better payment of the feveral fums of money aforefaid, in recompence and fatisfaction of our and every of our feveral debts, after the rate of --- in the pound as aforesaid) their executors or administrators, do before the -- become jointly and severally bound, with fufficient furēties, unto us and every of us refpectively, by obligation and with double penalties in due form of law to be made, sealed and delivered to us and each of us, or to our and each of our uses, by the appointments of us and each of us. Provided always That neither these presents, nor any thing herein contained, shall bind us or either or any of us, who have hereunto fubfcribed our names and put our feals, until all and every of the creditors aforesaid shall have fealed and subscribed the fame, on Of MEMORIALS. PREVIOUS to the forms we shall after wards introduce of Memorials, it will be proper to give some short account of the feveral statutes which require the enrollment of deeds of which the memorial is only a minute or memorandum. By 27 Hen. 8. c. 16. it is provided, that no land shall pass by bargain and fale, unless such bargain and sale be enrolled in one of the courts at Westminster, or within the county where the lands lie, such enrollment to be made within fix months (of 28 days each) after the date of the indenture. And by 7 Ann. c. 20. the like is required of all deeds, wills, and conveyances affecting any honors, manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments in the county of Middlesex; and by 8 Geo. 2. c. 6. this provision is extended to Yorkshire. And by 3 Geo. 1. c. 18. it is further extended, in respect of papists, to every county in England. And by 17 Geo. 3. c. 26. a memorial is required to be enrolled in the court of chancery, of all deeds, bonds, or other instruments 5 |