1 The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut 15 (J. Hammond Trumbull ed., 1850) (enacted 1637)
Abstract
It is ordered that all prsons shall beare Armes that are aboue the age of sixteene yeeresm except they doe tender a sufficient excuse [to] the Corte & the Cort allowe the same
Summary
This law requires all men over age sixteen to bear arms unless excused by the court, while officials like commissioners and church officers are exempt from military duties. It also mandates that each settlement maintain a supply of gunpowder and lead for defense, and that every զինական man keep a minimum amount of powder, bullets, and equipment at home ready for use. Individuals and communities that fail to meet these requirements are subject to fines.
Law Text
Itm̃, it is ordered that all pʳsons shall beare Armes that are aboue the age of sixteene yeeres except they doe tender a suffi-cient excuse [to] the Corte & the Cort allowe the same. The Comʳˢ & Church officers for the present to bee exempted, as [8] alsoe for the tyme
Description
Categories
REQUIRED POSSESSION