by force and virtue of the fame, all regal power, dignity, honour, authority, prerogative, preheminence and jurifdictions doth appertain, and of right ought to appertain and belong unto her highness, as unto the fovereign fupream governor and Queen of this realm, and of the dominions thereof, in as full, large and ample manner, as it hath done heretofore to any other her most noble progenitors, Kings of this realm: (3) nevertheless, the most ancient ftatutes of this realm, be- Several caufes ing made by Kings then reigning, do not only attribute and refer why this ftaall prerogative, preheminence, power and jurisdiction royal unto the tute was made, name of King, but also do give, affign and appoint the correction and punishment of all offenders against the regality and dignity of the crown, and the laws of this realm, unto the King; (4) by occafion whereof, the malicious and ignorant perfons may be hereafter induced and perfuaded unto this error and folly, to think that her highness could ne fhould have, enjoy and ufe fuch like royal authority, power, preheminence, prerogative and jurifdiction, nor do ne execute and ufe all things concerning the faid ftatutes, and take the benefit and privilege of the fame, nor correct and punish offenders against her most royal perfon, and the regality and dignity of the crown of this realm and the dominions thereof, as the Kings of this realm her most noble progenitors have heretofore done, enjoyed, used and exercised: II. For the avoiding and clear extinguishment of which faid error or doubt, and for a plain declaration of the laws of this realm in that behalf, King, III. Be it declared and enacted by the authority of this prefent The royal parliament, That the law of this realm is, and ever hath been power of this realm, and and ought to be understood, that the kingly or regal office of all the dignithis realm, and all dignities, prerogative royal, power, pre- ties of the eminences, privileges, authorities and jurifdictions thereunto fame, shall be annexed, united or belonging, being invefted either in male or as well in a female, are and be, and ought to be, as fully, wholly, abfolute- Queen as in a ly and entirely deemed, adjudged, accepted, invefted and taken in the one as in the other; (2) fo that what or whenfoever ftatute or law doth limit and appoint, that the King of this realm may or shall have, execute or do any thing as King, or doth give any profit or commodity to the King, or doth limit or appoint any pains or punishment for the correction of offenders or tranfgreffors against the regality and dignity of the King or of the crown; the fame the Queen (being fupream governess, poffeffor and inheretrix to the imperial crown of this realm, as our faid fovereign lady the Queen moft justly presently is) may by the fame authority and power likewife have, exercise, execute, punish, correct, and do, to all intents, conftructions and purposes, without doubt ambiguity, fcruple or question; any custom, ufe or fcruple, or any other thing whatsoever to be made to the contrary notwithstanding. CAP. II. The articles of marriage between Philip prince of Spain and the Queen rehearsed and confirmed. The Queen fhall and may only, and as a fole Queen, use and enjoy the crown and fovereignty over her dominions and fubjects, with all the prerogatives, jurisdictions, manors, lands, Ca &C, &c. belonging to the fame, in fuch only eftate, and in fuch large manner in all degrees, after the folemnization of the faid marriage, as fhe now hath and enjoyeth the fame, without any right, claim or demand to be given, come or grow unto the faid prince, as tenant by the curtfey of this realm, or by any other means. All gifts, grants, letters patents, leafes and other writings, which during the faid marriage, hall pafs and be made of benefices, offices, lands, revenues and fruits, fhall be intituled and made in the names of the faid Prince and the Queen, and fhall be figned with the fign manual of the Queen, and fhall be bestowed upon natural-born fubjects of this realm. And thofe grants, letters patents and writings, which shall not be figned with the fign manual, fhall be void. CAP. III. A repeal of one ftatute (not printed) made 7 Ed. 6. whereby the bishoprick of Durham was diffolved, and all the lands and poffeffions thereof were given to the King; and of one other statute made 7 Ed. 6. c. 10. whereby the town of Gatefide, &c. was fevered from the faid bishoprick of Durham, and annexed to the town of Newcastle; and Cuthbert Tunftal restored to the fame bishoprick, and to all the poffeffions and franchises thereof, (faving to a capital mansion house in Thames-ftreet in London, and five tenements thereunto belonging) and to the faid town of Gatefide, &c, CAP. IV. A repeal of the ftatute of 32 H. 8. c. 39. made touching the erection of the office and authority of the great master of the King's houfe, and the re-establishing of the name, office and authority of the lord fteward of the Queen's house. CAP. V. The caufey paved with ftone in the counties of Dorfet, and Somerfet between Shaftsbury and Shirburn, fhall from time to time, during ten years, be made and amended by the owners and farmers of the lands lying nigh unto the faid caufey on either fide of the fame, and by the inhabitants of Shaftsbury and Shirburn, and by the owners and farmers of lands, and by the inhabitants within the forest of Gillingham, and liberties of Gillingham and Alcetter, and the hundreds of Kedlane and Shirburn in the county of Dorfet, and of the hundred of Horethorne, in the county of Somerfet; and the juftices of peace of the counties of Dorfet and Somerset fhall affefs the faid owners, farmers and inhabitants, towards the faid repair. And if the said juftices fhall refufe to put this act in execution, the lord chancellor or lord keeper, &c. fhall upon request make a commiffion to certain difcreet perfons to put this act in execution. 3 Car. I. c. 4. continued until the end of the first feffion of next parliament. And farther continued by 16 Car. I. C. 4. CAP. VI. The inhabitants of the city of Gloucester, and Bristol, within several liberties, and of the hundreds of Barton next Bristol, Grombal, Ash, Barkley, Whitstone, Thornbury and Henbury in the county of Gloucefter, for their feveral limits and hundreds, fhall be charged with the reparation of the way between Bristol and Gloucefter. САР. CAP. VII. An act touching cloth-making in corporate towns and market towns. ftatute of 5 c. 8. WHERE the city of Worcester, and divers other cities, Making of boroughs and towns corporate within this realm of England, cloth ufed of long time have been upholden, repaired and only maintained by 5&6 Ed. 6. in cities, bo making of broad cloths called long clothes, fhort clothes and coloured roughs, corcloths, and the citizens, freemen and inhabitants of the fame cities, porate towns towns and boroughs corporate, have thereby been greatly enriched, and or marketthe poor people and handicraftsmen of the fame and the counties ad- towns, may be continued, joining daily fet a work, as weavers, walkers, fullers, fulling mill- &c. men, fpeer-men and dyers, forcers of wools, cafters of wools and forters The inconveof wools, fpinners, carders and fpullers of yarn, and have had their niencies enonly living thereby, till now of late, in the fifth year of the reign of fuing the our late fovereign lord King Edward the Sixth, that an eftatute was made, That no man should occupy cloth-making ne put any broad cloth or clothes to weaving or making, except he hath been apprentice to cloth-making by the space of feven years, or else have occupied and practifed cloth-making by the space of feven years or more, under pain of forfeiture of great penalties in the fame eftatute limited; (2) by reafon whereof divers and many good clothiers, dwelling in the faid cities and towns corporate, which had occupied and made cloth by the Space of five or fix years, and fome which have married clothiers wives, which had occupied cloth-making by the space of twenty years before, by reafon of the fame eftatute have been enforced to leave off and clearly difcontinue their cloth-making, to their great impoverishment, and to the utter undoing of a great number of poor people and handicraftsmen, which daily had their living by the faid clothiers; (3) and forafmuch as the perfect and principal ground of cloth-making is the true forting of wools, and the experience thereof confifteth only in women, as clothiers wives, and their women fervants, and not in apprentices, they be thereby very like utterly to be undone for ever, unless Speedy remedy be therein provided: II. In confideration whereof be it enacted, established and or- Certain per dained by the Queen's most excellent majefty, with the affent fons not reof the lords fpiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this ftrained of prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame making of broad clothes, parliament, That every person or perfons inhabiting in any of the notwithstand faid cities, boroughs or towns corporate, or in market-towns, ing the stat. of within the realm of England, where cloth-making at any time 5 & 6 Ed. 6. before the making of the faid act hath been used, shall or may c. 6. from henceforth lawfully make all manner of broad-clothes the inhabitaforefaid, and put them to weaving, walking, fulling, dying ants of North and sheering, without any impediment, so that the fame clothes Wales, &c. by be fubftantially made, bearing lawful length, breadth and weight, 4 & 5 Ph. & according to the ftatute for good and true cloth-making made M. c. 5. f. 36, in the fifth year of the reign of our faid late fovereign lord King Edward the fixth; any article or claufe in the faid former efta C3 tute, Extended to Curriers as well as other artificers may & 6 Ed. 6. C. 15. tute, or any other eftatute for cloth-making, made to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. CAP. VIII. An act touching the buying and currying of leather. WHERE 7HERE at the parliament holden at Westminster upon prorogation the xv. day of April in the fixth year of the reign of buy leather. our late fovereign lord King Edward the Sixth, it was amongst other A rehearsal things enacted, That no perfon or perfons of what eftate, degree or of a branch of condition foever he or they be, fhould buy or engross, or caufe to be the ftat. of 5 bought or engrossed, any kind of tanned leather to fell the fame again, faving only fadlers, girdlers, cordwainers and certain other artificers as by the fame act more plainly may appear: (2) Sithence the making whereof, forafmuch as many poor artificers, as fhoemakers and coblers, who afore that might buy from time to time their stuff of the currier ready provided and wrought fufficiently, and to buy the fame at a price reasonable, and now being very poor men, and not able to buy two or three hides or backs of leather at one time, nor to pay ready money for the fame, are enforced to give up their occupations in great number, to The inconve- their utter impoverishment and undoing; (3) and forafmuch alfo as niencies of the fithence the making of the faid eftatute all kind of stuff made of leafame branch. ther is more flenderly and deceitfully wrought and made than ever it Curriers, fhoemakers, &c. may buy leato convey beyond fea. ther, but not was, and nevertheless as dear, or dearer; whereby it may appear that the faid former act was procured for the fingular commodity of a few rich fhoemakers and other artificers that are now common regrators and ingroffers of leather, who without respect of perfect workmanship, either of the common-wealth, which is well perceived both in men's purfes, and alfo in their fhoes: (4) The experience is well proved, they having the only trade of buying of leather, ftuff and tallow in their bands, and notwithstanding do deliver to the currier fo little stuff and tallow, whereby the leather cannot be fufficiently wrought: (5) and forafmuch as the curriers are by divers laws bound to the fufficient workmanship and currying of leather upon divers pains where they may buy no leather, nor the shoemaker will not allow them fufficiently to do the fame. II. Be it therefore enacted, That from henceforth it shall be lawful as well for the currier, fhoemaker, girdler, fadler, budgetmaker, and all other artificers occupying the craft or mystery of leather-buying, lawfully to buy all kinds of tanned leather in fairs and markets within all places of this realm accustomed to be fold, it being lawfully tanned and dreffed, (2) fo that the faid curriers, fhoemakers and girdlers, nor any perfon for them, or for their ufe, fhall buy any kind of tanned leather to fell again to any merchant or other stranger, to be conveyed over the fea, ne fhall fend or convey any leather beyond the fea, upon the forfeiting of all fuch leather fo bought, the one half of the fame to be to the Queen's highness, and the other half to him that presenteth the fame: (3) and further, the aforefaid act from henceforth to be repealed, made void and of none effect, concerning the curriers, fhoemakers, fadlers, budget-makers, girdlers, and 6 Ed. 6. c. 15. all other artificers occupying the mystery of leather-buying, cur A repeal of the aforefaid branch of 5 & ried and dreffed. III. And the fuburbs III. And be it further enacted, That from henceforth no per- The curriers fon or perfons (occupying the feat or mystery of currying of of London and tanned leather) within the city of London, or the fuburbs of the thereof shall fame, fhall occupy about the currying of the fame leather any ufe their own other ftuff or tallow brought unto him by any other perfon or ftuff. perfons, but such as fhall be his own, upon pain of forfeiture of all fuch leather fo curried, contrary to the true meaning thereof. the curriers IV. And furthermore, That no currier fhall curry any hides How the leafor any shoemaker, to make shoes or boots of, from the feast of ther shall be St. James the apoftle unto the xxv. day of March, but fuch as ordered that shall be sufficiently dipped twice in the pan, for the true and juft fhall drefs. workmanship thereof, upon pain of forfeiture of all such leather as fhall be wrought to the contrary, the one half of the fame to the Queen's highness, and the other moiety to him that shall find and prefent the fame; all the fame penalties to be recovered in form aforefaid, by him or them that will fue for the same, by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, in any court of record, wherein no effoin, protection, or wager of law fhall be admitted or allowed for the defendant. V. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority afore- Within what faid, That when and as often as any shoemaker or his deputy time leather doth bring any leather fufficiently tanned to any currier to be fhall be cur curried, delivering fufficient liquor for well dreffing of the fame, ried. the fame shall be by every fuch currier well and fufficiently curried, and made ready for the fhoemaker, within the space of five days in fummer, that is to fay, from the first day of March to the last day of September, and also in like manner within the space of ten days in winter, that is to fay, from the first day of October unto the last day of February, (2) upon pain to forfeit to the party grieved, for every hide not curried and dreffed in manner and form aforefaid, the fum of ten fhillings. VI. Provided further, That this provifo fhall not extend to bind any currier to drefs any leather, which he doing his best is not able to dress within every of the times aforesaid, but shall extend to all fuch leather as he conveniently may dress after the common rate of dreffing. 1 El. c. 8. 5 El. c. 8. 1 Fac. I, 4. 22. CAP. IX. The Queen during her life fhall have authority, by writing to be fealed with the great feal of England, to make and prescribe to all those churches cathedral and collegiate, that were erected and established by King Henry the Eighth, and to the deans, prebendaries and ministers of the fame, and to their fucceffors, fuch ftatutes and orders for the good governance of every of them, and of the lands and poffeffions of every of the fame churches, as fhall feem good to her; and to alter change, augment or diminish the fame as occafion fhall ferve; and to ordain and establish ftatutes, ordinances and foundations for the government of fuch grammar-schools as were erected by King H. 8. or by King Ed. 6. and of the minifters and scholars of the fame; and to alter and tranfpofe other ftatutes and ordinances there heretofore made. See 6 Annæ, c. 23, |