the first day of April next coming fhall fell or put to sale within the faid county, or convey or carry, or caufe to be conveyed and carried, out of the faid county of Lancaster, any kind of clothes, cottons, frizes or rugs, hereafter to be made within the faid county palatine of Lancaster, to be fold, before fuch time that the owner or maker of every fuch cloth, cotton, frize or rug, fhall fix and put to, or caufe to be fixed and put to, every such cloth, frize, cotton or rug, one feal of lead, having the mark of every fuch owner or clothier engraved on the one fide thereof, and the true length of every fuch cloth, frize, cotton or rug, as it is found, being wet, to be engraved on the other fide of the faid feal: (2) And alfo the Queen's highness aulneger of the faid county palatine for the time being, upon trial of the weight of every such cotton, frize and rug, fhall fix and put, or cause to be fixed and put, to every fuch cotton, frize or rug, the Queen's highness feal of lead, having the portcullis crowned engraved on the one fide thereof, and the true weight of every fuch cotton, frize or rug, to be engraved on the other fide of the fame feal; (3) upon pain of forfeiture of all and every fuch clothes, cottons, frizes and rugs, conveyed, carried, fent, fold and put to sale, or to the intent to be fold, being unfealed, contrary to the meaning of this present act; the one moiety thereof to be to the use of the Queen's highness, her heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety thereof to fuch perfon or perfons that fhall feise the same cloth, cotton, frize or rug, or will fue for the fame, to be recovered in any of the Queen's highness courts of record, by bill, plaint, information or otherwife; wherein no effoin, protection or wager of law fhall be allowed for the defendant. wherein the III. And be it further enacted by the authority of this prefent Certain towns parliament, That the faid aulneger, after the faid first day of in the county April, fhall appoint and have his lawful deputy within every of of Lancaster, the feveral towns of Manchester, Rachdale, Bolton, Blackborn and aulneger shall Bery, in the faid county, where the faid aulneger hath been ac- have his depucustomed to have his deputy heretofore, (2) there to be ready ties. upon lawful request unto him made, without delay, to weigh every of the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, as fhall be brought unto every fuch deputy, and fealed with the feal of the owner or maker of every of the fame clothes, in form aforefaid; (3) and to fix and set to every of the faid clothes, cottons, frizes and rugs, the Queen's highness feal beforefaid, to be engraven in manner and form before-mentioned; (4) upon pain of forfeiture of twenty fhillings for every pack of cottons, frizes or rugs fealed by the faid aulneger, or any of his faid deputies, before the fame be weighed in form aforefaid; the one moiety whereof to be to the use of the Queen's highness, her heirs and fucceffors, and the other moiety thereof to him or them that will fue for the fame in any of the Queen's majesty's courts of record, by bill, plaint, information, action of debt or otherwife; wherein no wager of law, protection or effoin fhall be allowed. IV. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority a- How much the forefaid, That it fhall be lawful for the faid aulneger, or his de- aulneger may puty, V. 11 & 12 W. 3. C. 20, take for feal- puty, to have and take of the owner or maker of every of the ing of clothes. faid clothes, cottons, frizes or rugs, for the weighing and fealing of every pack of the faid clothes, cottons, frizes or rugs, three-pence, (2) and for every piece of fuch coarse clothes, cottons, frizes and rugs, not amounting to a whole pack, one half-penny, (3) and the fame to be paid by the owner or bringer of the faid clothes at the weighing and fealing of the fame; any custom, use or prescription to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. The weight, length and breadth of cottons, V. And forafmuch as fuch perfons as commonly do ufe to utter and fell the faid feveral kinds of cottons, frizes and rugs, have been and are daily molefted, vexed and troubled, to their great lofs and hinderance, by means of the cruelty of informers and fearchers, seeking continually their own private gain by finding of the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, at no time made according to fuch form of weight, lengths and breadths, as by the former ftatutes of this realm, lately made for the true making of woolen cloth is limited and appointed; (2) and for that the fame perfons do alledge, That the makers of the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, can by no means be reduced to obferve the faid weights, lengths and breadths, in making of the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, according to the form of the faid former eftatutes, without the utter undoing of great numbers of poor people that are commonly the makers of fuch kind of clothes; and that by means hereof, the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, fithence the making of the jaid eftatutes, have been and are more fearce and dearer than they were before the making of the faid eftatutes, and in nothing at all amended in fubftance or form of making: VI. For reformation whereof, be it enacted, That from and after the first day of April next coming every of the faid cottons, being fufficiently milled or thicked, clean fcoured, well wrought and fully dried, fhall weigh twenty-one pounds at the leaft, and fhall contain in length twenty-one goads, or twenty goads at the leaft, and in breadth at the most three quarters of the yard, or within one nail of three quarters of the yard at the frizes or rugs. leaft: (2) And that every of the faid frizes or rugs being thicked and fully dried fhall weigh forty-four pounds at the least, and fhall contain in length betwixt thirty-five yards and thirty-feven yards, and fhall contain in breadth at the moft three quarters of the yard, or within one nail of three quarters at the least, and not to be strained upon the tentors above one nail in breadth : (3) and alfo if any of the faid cottons, frizes or rugs, shall be of any greater length than is before severally expreffed, that then every goad or yard fo exceeding the faid feveral lengths, fhall weigh after fuch rate as every goad or yard of fuch cottons, frizes or rugs, containing the faid feveral lengths, fhall or ought to weigh, (4) upon pain of forfeiture for every goad or yard not weighing after fuch rate, twelve-pence. VII. And alfo if any of the faid cottons, frizes and rugs, fhall be of lefs weight than is before feverally limited and appointed, that then all and every such person and persons that fhall fo fell, or offer to be fold, any fuch cotton, frize or rug,. fhall fhall forfeit for every pound lacking under three pounds, twelvepence; (2) and for every pound weight lacking above three pounds, five fhillings. (3) The one half of which forfeitures fhall be to our fovereign lady the Queen's highness, her heirs and fucceffors, and the other half thereof to fuch perfon or perfons that shall fue for the fame by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, in any of the Queen's majefty's courts of record, wherein no effoin, protection or wager of law shall be admitted or allowed for the defendant. cottons, frizes VIII. And further be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, All acts made That all and every branch, clause, fentence and article, fpeci- for the fealing fied and contained in any other acts of parliament before this and making of time made, concerning the fealing and making of the faid cot- and rugs, fhall tons, frizes and rugs, fhall be from henceforth utterly repealed, be void. void and of none effect; any thing in the faid act contained to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. IX. Provided always, That this act shall not in any wife ex- The liberties tend to be prejudicial or hurtful unto any charter or liberty of of towns corany borough or corporate town within the faid county palatine porate in Lanof Lancaster, concerning the making and putting to fale of any woolen cloth; any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. CAP. XIII. An alt concerning fea-marks and mariners. cashire faved. time to time HEREAS the mafter, wardens, and affiftants of the The mafter, Trinity-house of Deptford-Strond, being a company of the wardens and chiefest and most expert mafters and governors of Ships, incorporate affiftants of within themselves, charged with the conduction of the Queen's majesty's houfe at Deptthe Trinitynavy royal, are bound to forefee the good increase and maintenance of ford-Strond, Ships, and of all kind of men traded and brought up by water craft, may at their moft meet for her Majefty's marine fervice. And forafmuch as by the colts from destroying and taking away of certain fteeples, woods and other marks, erect fuch and ftanding upon the main fhores, adjoining to the fea coafts of this realm to many beaof England and Wales, being as beacons and marks of ancient time cons, marks accustomed for feafaring men, to fave and keep them and the hips and figns for in their charge from fundry dangers thereto incident: Divers ships the fea, in fuch with their goods and merchandizes, in failing from foreign parts to- fea-fhores and places of the wards this realm of England and Wales, and especially to the port uplands near and river of Thames, have by the lack of fuch marks of late years to the feabeen mifcarried, perished and loft in the fea, to the great detriment coafts, only for and hurt of the common weal, and the perishing of no fmall number as to them of people. the fea-marks, fhall feem re be continued II. For remedy wherein to be had, be it enacted, established quifite: And and ordained by the Queen's moft excellent majefty, by the the fame thail confents of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and the commons, and renewed in this prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the at their cofts. fame, That the forefaid mafter, wardens and affiftants of the See 4 Anna, Trinity-houfe at Deptford-Strond aforefaid, being a company in- c. 30. corporated as before, fhall and may lawfully by virtue of this act act from time to time hereafter, at their wills and pleasures, and at their cofts, make, erect and fet up fuch and fo many beacons, marks and figns for the fea, in fuch place or places of the fea fhores, and uplands near the fea cofts, or forelands of the fea, only for fea marks, as to them shall seem moft meet, needful and requifite, whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped, and ships the better come unto their ports without peril. III. And that all fuch beacons, marks and figns fo to be by them or their affigns erected, made and set up, at the costs and charges of the faid master, wardens and affiftants, shall and may be continued, renewed and maintained from time to time, at the costs and charges of the faid master, wardens, and assistants; any thing to the contrary hereof notwithstanding. IV. And be it further ordained and enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no fteeples, trees or other things now standing as beacons or marks for the fea, whereof to the owner or occupier of the place where the fame doth grow or stand, before the first day of March_next coming notice fhall be given by the Queen's majesty's letters under her fignet, fhall at any time hereafter be taken down, felled or otherwife cut down, upon pain that every perfon by whofe procurement or confent fuch offence fhall be committed, fhall forfeit the fum of one hundred pounds, whereof the one moiety to the Queen's majesty, and the other moiety to be to the mafter, wardens and affiftants of the faid Trinity-houfe. And if the faid perfon or perfons fo offending be not of the value of one hundred pounds, then the fame perfon and perfons to be deemed convict of outlawry ipfo facto, to all constructions and purposes. V. And further, be it enacted by authority aforefaid, That Mariners li- all mariners and fea-faring men dwelling about the faid river of cenced by the Thames, being thereto licenced by the faid mafter, wardens and Trinity-house may apply as affiftants, and having fufficient certificate of fuch licence from water-men on the said mafter and wardens, as well between their voyages as at the Thames. other times, at their wills and pleasures, by force hereof, the better to keep and refrain themselves from folly, idleness and lewd company, and for the relief of them, their wives and children, thall and may freely and quietly exercise and row in their own wherries or any other mens wherries by them to be hired, or wherein they fhall be hired to work, up and down the faid river of Thames, to apply and follow the ordinary paffing and carrying of the Queen's majesty's people to and fro as other watermen, commonly called Wherrimen, of the fame river use and accuftom to do, without impeachment, hinderance or let to the contrary. And that fuch fea-faring men fhall not thereby be drawn under any other government, than under the said mafter, wardens and affiftants as they were before; any act, ftatute, provifion, proclamation, ordinance or custom heretofore against the premiffes ordained or made in any wife notwithstanding. CAP. CAP. XIV. An act touching the transporting of tawed leather, made of Orafmuch as in one act made in the first feffion of this prefent parliament, intituled, An act against the carrying of sheepskins and pelts over the fea, not being staple-ware, there is contained one branch against the making of any pelts by any person, other than fuch as are permitted to make the fame by the faid ftatute: (2) 5. Eliz. c. 22. The execution of which branch hath been put in fufpenfe, by reason that fome other parts of the fame ftatute are fuppofed to be against the intercourfe of the Low-Countries of the King of Spain: II. Be it therefore declared and enacted by the authority of this prefent parliament, That the faid first branch of the faid ftatute, being not against the said intercourse, shall from henceforth be put in due execution: (2) And forafmuch as great multitudes of the Queen's majefty's liege people have been set on work, by converting of fheep-fkins and lamb-skins into tawed leather and parchment here within this realm, which by one other branch of the said statute is prohibited to be transported out of the realm in leather: (3) And where the converting of such A repeal of fo skins into leather and parchment hath been great maintenance much only of of many thousands of the fubjects of this realm, and greater the ftatute of daily will be, to the great benefit of this realm, if the faid first 5 Ec. 22. as branch concerning making of pelts be duly put in execution, transporting where otherwise if the faid pelts should be transported into other of tawed learealms, the fame would be an occafion of the impoverishing of ther of theepmany of the natural English people of this realm: (4) Be lamb-fkins, it therefore enacted by authority of this prefent parliament, That fo much of the said ftatute as concerneth the transporting of tawed leather to be made of fheep-fkins and lamb-skins, shall from henceforth, as touching only the tranfporting of fuch tawed leather, be repealed and void; any thing in the said statute to the contrary notwithstanding. 13 & 14 Car. 2. c. 7.. CAP. XV. That branch only of the statute of 24 H. 8. c. 10. fhall be revived, which concerneth the provifion, use and maintenance of nets and fhrops for the deftruction of crows, &c. And all the rest of that statute shall be repealed. Several rewards affigned for the taking and bringing of the heads and eggs of divers ravenous birds and vermin. EXP. CAP. XVI. An act that in divers counties there fhall be but one sheriff of one county. HEREAS in the counties and fhires of Surrey and Suf toucheth the fkins and 14 El. c. 11. The fheriff fex, Effex and Hertford, Somerfet and Dorfet, War- wick of fevewick and Leicester, Nottingham and Derby, Oxon and Barks, ral counties of long time have had but one sheriff to ferve for two of the divided unto Jaid counties; that is to fay, one for Surrey and Suffex, and to heriffs, one other for Effex and Hertford, and one other for Somerfet and had but one. Dorfet, and one other for Warwick and Leicester, and one other for The reafons Nottingham and Derby, and one other for Oxon and Barks; (2) the for both, occafion which before |