1704, July 6th.-Ordered, that all the deeds and writings now in the custody of Mr. Knight be placed in the Corporation chest; and that Mr. Benjamin Hulke, Mr. Canning, Mr. Bletchynden, and Mr. Peter Stone receive the same and give an acknowledgment to Mr. Knight, and shall see them safely deposited in the said chest.

THE SAYINGS AND DOINGS OF THOMAS POWELL, MAYOR OF DEAL IN THE YEAR 1703-WRITTTN BY HIMSELF.

On Tuesday, the 3rd day of August, 1703, the freemen of the town and borough of Deal made choice of me for their Mayor; and, accordingly, the Bench were treated at my house with the Commonalty and the Freemen. I ordered half-a-barrel of beer at four several houses, viz., at Thomas Oakley's, Thomas Smith's, Widow Halloway's, and John Wastall's. On Wednesday, the 4th, I was sworn as usual at the Court Hall; but, before I was sworn, I caused the Queen's proclamation to be nailed up in the Court Hall. Some of the Bench was very inquisitive to know what that was so nailed up. I told them it was the Queen's proclamation to suppress vice and immorality, and that it was my purpose and resolution to put it into due execution. After I was sworn such an oppression and terror fell upon my spirits, that I feared I should have sunk under it. However, I made a sort of speech to the officers of the parish that were there present, and told them it should be my endeavour to do my duty in the office I was entrusted with; and I should punish all officers under me who did not do theirs. On the other hand I should join with them in everything that was or might be for the good of the Corporation. The same terror and amazement followed me several days, inasmuch that several persons questioned in themselves—as they have since told me whether I might not wholy have gone beside my senses. On Sunday morning, about six o'clock, I got up

dressed myself, and as I was going to my closet I stood at the head of my stairs and said to the two girls whom I kept, "Children, mind what I say to you: I charge, on my blessing, that you do not play on a Sunday, but read your books, learn your catechism, and go to church;" and to the maid I said, “I give you notice that you do not pretend to go anywhere else but to church on a Sunday; and if you want to see any of your family or friends, you shall have liberty any other day; for I am resolved on a reformation of manners in Deal, and, therefore, begin at home first." After which I went to my closet, where I spent some time in my devotions, and tears would flow from me very plentifully during the time of my affiicted spirit. When I came from my closet, I took a walk into the street with my staff in order to observe how far the town had complied with my order of the 6th instant, which was publicly cried by the common. crier on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, in the streets and Market Place :

"Deal, 6th August, 1703.

"These are to give notice to all persons that keep publichouses, or that sell wines, ales, beer, brandy, or coffee, or any other liquors whatsoever, that they do not presume upon the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, to suffer any person or persons to sit tippling in the said houses on the Lord's day. Also, to give notice to all shop-keepers, butchers, bakers, green-grocers, hucksters, barbers, shoemakers, tailors, and all other tradesmen whatsoever, and also all seafaring men who go off bumbing in boats, that they do not presume on the Lord's day to exercise any part of their trade by selling, or putting to sale, any of their goods on the Lord's day, upon their peril of being prosecuted to the utmost severity of the law.—“ Thomas Powell, Mayor."

But when I came into the streets I found the public-houses took no notice of my orders, but kept their doors open as formerly; upon which, I made them shut them—not their

inner doors only, but as many of them as had portals, these outward doors also, telling them at the same time it was the Lord's day, and that day should be kept holy and look like the Lord's day in Deal, as in other places. I also met with several shop-keepers, who had their doors half open, but I made them shut them. I said it was the Lord's day, and it should be no longer a market day in Deal. I met with some turbulent spirits, who opposed me and told me this was a new thing they did not understand-why could they not have liberty to do as they pleased in their own houses, and truly they would not shut up their doors to stifle themselves for want of air for any upstart-although the Mayor. I told them it was the Lord's cause I had taken in hand, and with His assistance I would go through it and punish men, women, and children that offended the laws; for I was resolved on a reformation in Deal. I charged the servants, and the seamen, when I met them, that they took care they did not swear, get drunk, nor be disorderly, as they had formerly been, for that this Rod in my hand should be a severe scourge to all manner of vice, profaneness, and immorality. Thus I went through the three streets proclaiming my intentions: I did not pass one door that was open till, by argument and by threatening, I made some of the household shut it. Some people said I was mad; but I answered them-it is not the voice of a madman, but the voice of the chief magistrate, and I said nothing but what I intended to perform.

The Saturday before, I took a seaman by the collar amidst all the people in the market-place, and caused him to be put in the stocks for profane swearing, and gave him a charge to tell his companions of it; and I bid the seamen that were standing round to take a warning, for that they should be served the same by me if they were caught in the like fact. I likewise gave notice to the market-people that I would

punish all disorders in all sorts of people, and, especially, any breaches of the peace committed in the market, of which I was then clerk. On the same day, about an hour after, I took up a common prostitute, whose conduct was very offensive, brought her to the whipping-post, being about mid-market, where was present some hundreds of people-I caused her to have twelve lashes; and at every third lash I parleyed with her and bid her tell all the women of the like calling wheresoever she came that the Mayor of Deal would serve them as he had served her, if they came to Deal and committed such wicked deeds as she had done. Said I to her, "Tell all the at London, Gravesend, Chatham, Canterbury, and elsewhere, or wherever you may go-tell all you may meet on the road not to come to Deal, lest they meet with the same fate as you;" and this I spoke so loud that the greater part of the multitude heard me and what I said. I told them, as she was being unloosened from the post, that if they would make known to me the whereabouts of such ill-conducted women as she was, I would soon bring them to punishment for that I was resolved to destroy root and branch of all such abominations among us. After which, I gave her a groat and sent her, by a constable, out of the town. On the following morning, no less, as I was informed, than five-and-twenty such like characters left the town, taking the road to Canterbury and Chatham, uttering the most fearful oaths and vowing vengeance on me for what I was doing, and declaring aloud that they would not come again to Deal till the present Mayor was dead and d— -d; -d; and then, whenever it should happen, they would come back and do as they like as before.

On Sunday morning, as I was walking my rounds, I met with one Robert Sutton using fearful oaths and making a disturbance in the streets. I had him put in the stocks, and there he continued till I had taken my rounds and then went

down to him, where were standing several gentlemanlylooking men, who had come on shore from some ships in the Downs, commiserating his position: some of them were pleased to say so loud that I might hear, that they thought it a great hardship to be so punished. I replied to them by saying, that the rod in my hand should be a scourge to all manner of vice, both in gentle and simple. Hearing this, they walked away. I told the man that, if he would go home, be peaceable with his family, and abandon the habit of swearing and live a sober life, I would release him. As Sutton was being taken to the stocks, I was followed by a multitude of people, chiefly women: I ordered them all to go home, to dress, and go to church, and continue no longer making such a hubbub in the streets; they did so, in so far as leaving me to myself, and the streets were quiet.

In the afternoon, the Jurats and the Common Council came to my house to go with me to church, as was the custom established in the first year of Captain Coppin's mayoralty. As I came by the "India Arms" Inn, I saw a coach making ready to start for Canterbury. I sent for the coachman, and told him, if he was not upon the King's business, he should not go till the next morning. He complied with my request and forbore putting his horses in; and stayed at home until the next day. All the way to St. Leonard's Church, which is a mile from Lower Deal, as I saw any doors of public-houses open, I stopped, called to the persons within, bid them shut their doors, told them it was the Lord's Day, and charged them that if they did not for the time to come observe that day and keep it holy, they should assuredly be punished as the law directs. When I came to church I observed the clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Gerrard, about to commence the service by reading the Common Prayers without his surplice; upon which, I sent my serjeant to him and gave him my service, desiring him to put on the surplice; when he whispered