The regulations concerning vagrants are severe, more severe than in any other Act except the slavery statute of 1547. For a first offence, a vagabond was to be whipped and bored through the ear, unless someone would become surety for him and keep him in service for a year. For a second offence, he was to be adjudged a felon, unless he could find a surety who would take him into his service for two years; and for a third offence the vagrant was to be adjudged a felon without clergy and might be punished with death[132]. [132] This Act of 1572 was at certain times rigorously enforced. Thus at Middlesex Sessions held June, 17 Eliz. Thomas Maynerde, Oswald Thompson and John Barres were brought before the magistrates. On the 18 March in the same year they had been whipped and burnt through the ear at the Old Bailey; they were now accused of "being over 18 years old and fit for labour, but masterless and without any lawful means of livelihood." They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to be hung. Also on the 6 Feb. 18 Eliz. a woman was tried for vagrancy and committed for two years to a surety who was her husband, to be his servant. She was again found wandering, and in October of the same year was sentenced to be hung. In the ten weeks between 6 Oct. 32 Eliz. and 14 Dec. 33 Eliz. seventy-one persons were sentenced at Middlesex Sessions to be whipped and branded for vagrancy. Middlesex Sessions Roll, ed. T. C. Jeaffreson, pp. 94 and 191. Special regulations refer to some of the pauper immigrants of the time. In the days of Elizabeth these came chiefly, not from the Continent, but from Ireland and the Isle of Man. The unfortunate people were to be punished as sturdy vagrants and sent home again, while the people who brought them over were to be fined twenty shillings for each immigrant. But "forasmuche as Charitye would that poore, aged and impotent persons should as necessarylye be provided for, as the said Roges, Vacabondes and Sturdye beggars repressed" the clauses of the enactment deal with relief as well as with repression. The justices of the peace were to make a register of the names of the poor in every parish and habitations were to be found for them. Every month the mayor and high constable were to make search for the strange poor and were to send them back to their own neighbourhood. When the poor had been thus settled the justices in the country and mayors in the towns were to estimate how much it would cost to maintain them. They were then "by their good discretions" to "taxe and assesse all and every the Inhabitauntes," dwelling in their divisions, "to suche weekely charge as they and everye of them shall weekely contribute towardes the Releef of the said poore People." The mayors and justices were also to appoint collectors and overseers, and the "obstinate person" who refused to contribute was to be brought before two justices and sent to gaol unless he became obedient.