Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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“Robert Annis was workman to the King’s plumber, and the alleged offence had taken place in December 1661: CSPD 1661-2, p. 190; cf. PRO, Adm. 20/3, p. 63. Pepys, in common with other Principal Officers, was a J.P. for the counties in which the royal dockyards were situated. An act of 1664 (renewed in 1666) simplified the procedure for prosecutions in cases of embezzlement, the Navy Board (or any two of them) being given some of the powers of the magistrates…. But filching persisted: for some of the evidence, see Cat., i. 186-7.” L&M, 13 July, 1662, n. 2.
See Magistrates/Justices of the Peace, to clarify the L&M note, esp. the annotation by David Quidnunc describing what a Magistrate could do [his county a little fiefdom]
http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/491.php#c8941