The weight and length of rudge faid county of Devon, or any other county next adjoining thereunto, being raw, unfcoured, untucked and unwet, as it cometh from the weaver's beam, and being made of clean and perfect stuff, that is to wit, of wool fhorn, cleanfed and throughly washed or fcoured after the fhearing, and before the weaving, without any fraud, deceit, policy or device, or any stuff thereunto deceitfully or unlawfully added in the working or after the working thereof, for increase of the weight, fhall weigh in the market fifteen pounds or upwards. III. And that from and after the faid first day of July every raw Devonshire kerfie or dozen from thenceforth to be woven and made in the faid county of Devon, or any of the other counties adjoining, being a rudge-wash kerfie, that is to fay, being made of fleece wool washed only on the sheeps backs, and the wool not being cleansed, washed and fcoured after it is fhorn and before it is woven, fhall (without any fraud, deceit, policy, device or addition of stuff whatsoever, to increase the weight thereof) weigh in the market seventeen pounds at the leaft, being raw as it cometh of the weaver's beam; (2) and each and every of the fame Devonshire kerfies or dozens, fo being raw, and as it cometh forth off the weaver's loom (without racking, stretching, ftraining or other device to encrease 4 Jac. 1. c. 2. the length thereof) fhall contain in length between fifteen and fixteen yards by the measure of yard and inch by the rule, (3) without which obfervation of weight being raw, they cannot fall out (after they be well fcoured, thicked and fully dried) to contain the length and weight expreffed and limited in the ftatute of the fourth and fifth year of Philip and Mary, viz. twelve yards in length, and twelve pounds in weight, as hath been fufficiently made known and teftified to your Highness faid privy council, before the faid proclamation. IV. And if any weaver fhall work or make any of the said kinds of kerfies of lefs weight or measure than is before mentioned after their kind, every fuch offender fhall forfeit for The forfeiture every quarter of a pound in weight, which any of the faid raw of theoffender. kerfies or dozens which thall be brought to any market, or fold or offered to be fold, fhall want of their weight aforefaid, twelve-pence: (2) and for every quarter of a yard which shall be wanting in length of either fort of the faid kerfies, likewife beThe weavers ing fold or offered to be fold, twelve pence: (3) and that each duty in weav- fort of the faid kerfies or dozens fhall be fewantly woven throughing of dozens. out of well and like forted yarn: (4) and that no weaver shall use A weaver's fhop-mark. any diversity in the bignefs or goodness of his yarn in any part of the faid kerfies, faving only in the lifts, nor ufe any other practice in edging or weaving of any the fame kerfies or dozens, to make the fame feem finer near the edge or lifts, than in any other part of the fame cloth. V. And that it may be further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That each weaver shall weave his fhop-mark of some coloured yarn in the end of every kerfie which he shall hereafter weave or or make, and shall also at each end of every the fame kerfies A purrel at weave one purrel likewife of coloured yarn, of the breadth of each end. three quarters of any inch at the least, whereby the deceitful cutting and diminishing of fuch clothes by tuckers or fullers heretofore used, may henceforth be prevented: (2) and if any weaver shall use any deceit in mingling his yarn, or shall omit his shop-mark, or fhall not weave in every kerfie two purrels, according to the tenor of this act, he fhall forfeit and lose for every offence to the contrary, ten fhillings. be viewed, VI. And to the end that the weight and goodness of all the Dozens fhall faid kerfies called dozens, being raw, may be the better and weighed and more certainly known, it may further be enacted, That no marked. weaver, nor any other perfon whatsoever, fhall offer or put to fale any of the fame raw kerfies, called dozens, before the fame have been viewed, weighed and marked in fome city, town corporate or market-town, and allowed by fuch officer, and marked with fuch marks as shall be there in fuch city or town used and appointed for that purpofe; (2) upon pain to forfeit and lose for every cloth fold or offered to be fold to the contrary, ten fhillings: (3) the one half of all which forfeitures fhall be to the use of your Highness, your heirs and fucceffors, and the other half to the principal officer or magiftrate of the city, town corporate or market-town next adjoining to the dwelling or working place of fuch weavers as shall offend in any of the premiffes, if he the fame officer or magistrate shall first make seizure thereof: (4) or else to the principal officer of that city, town corporate or market-town, where the same shall be fold, or offered to be fold; (5) to be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, with cofts, in any court of record, wherein no protection, wager of law or effoin fhall be allowed. their duties. VII. And for the better discovery of the offences aforefaid, Searchers of and the more perfect accomplishing of the premiffes, it may Devonshire be alfo enacted, That the principal officer or magiftrate for kerfies, and the time being in every city, town corporate or market-town of the faid county, or of any other of the counties adjoining, where any fuch kerfies called Devonshire kerfies or dozens now are or hereafter fhall be woven, made, offered or put to fale, shall every year from henceforth appoint and have in readiness at all times needful, two or more difcreet perfons, which fhall be special and known officers and fearchers, (2) which fhall attend, and shall be at his or their entry into his or their faid office fworn, during his or their continuance in the faid office truly to view, weigh and mark each kerfie called a dozen, in fuch city or town, or any of them made, fold or offered to be fold, or put to fale, and to present each offence or defect which fhall there fall out contrary to the true meaning of this ftatute: (3) every which fearcher or officer fo to be hereafter appointed for this purpose in any fuch city, town corporate or markettown, fhall by force of this act have power and authority to enter What shall be ant. enter in the day-time into all fhops, ware-houses, work-houses, and other places convenient of the fame city or town where he or they shall be so appointed, there to view, fearch and fee whether any kerfie or dozen be made, fold or offered to be fold, contrary to the true meaning of this act, and also to see what pains, penalties and forfeitures fhall be grown due to her Majefty by any weaver, feller or buyer, within the liberties and precincts of the fame town, taking only of and for the weighing and marking of every kerfie, a farthing for his pains, and fo according to the number, and no more; which farthing upon every kerfie is to be paid by the feller of the same kerfie. VIII. And if fuch fearchers and officers fhall not be yearly forfeited, and appointed, and attendant at all times reasonable and conveby whom, if nient, or shall neglect his or their duties in the true search, searchers be not appointed weighing and marking of the faid kerfies or any of them, or or not attend- fhall mark any one kerfie which wants of his weight as is aforefaid; That then, and in every fuch cafe, the chief magiftrate of every fuch city and town fhall forfeit and lose for every such offence of their fearcher or fearchers, twenty fhillings; and for every market-day they fhall want two, or one at the least of fuch searchers, the fum of forty fhillings, to be levied as hereafter is expreffed. No dozen fhall be bought or dreffed before it be tried. The length of a dozen fhall not be dimi. nished. 'The forfei tures and who fhall have them. IX. And that it may further be enacted, That from and after the said first day of July no manner of person or persons whatfoever fhall buy any fuch raw kerfie called Devonshire kerfie or dozen, in any market or elsewhere, unless the same fhall be first tried, weighed and marked by the officers of the fame city, town corporate or market-town, as is aforefaid: (2) and that no weaver, tucker, fuller, or other whatfoever, fhall dress or caufe to be dreffed, any of the said raw clothes called Devonshire kerfies or dozens, unless the same be first tried, weighed and marked in fome one market-town by the searcher or fearchers there in that behalf appointed; (3) upon pain of forfeiture of every fuch kerfie fo bought dreffed or put to dreffing, which fhall not before be tried and marked as is afore-mentioned. X. And for the avoiding of deceit of tuckers or fullers, that it may also be enacted, That no clothier, tucker, fuller or other perfon whatsoever, fhall at any time from henceforth cut or diminish the length of any kerfie called a Devonshire kerfie or dozen, and after offer or put the fame to fale as a whole kerfie or dozen, upon pain of forfeiture of twenty fhillings for every of the fame kerfies or dozens fo cut or diminished; (2) the one half of all and every which forfeitures, not before limited and appointed, fhall be to our fovereign lady the Queen, and the other half to him or them that will fue for the fame, by action debt, bill, plaint or information, in any court of record, wherein the plaintiff is to recover his cofts: alfo wherein no protection, wager of law or effoin fhall be allowed. (3). This act 3 act to endure till the end of the next parliament. 3 Car. I. . 4. Continued until the end of the first feffion of the next parliament, and farther continued by 16 Car. I. c. 4. CAP. XI. fhall be An alt for the bringing in clap-board from the parts beyond the feas, and the restraining of transporting of wine-cafks, for the fparing and preferving of timber within the realm. WHEREAS of late years timber is greatly decayed and confumed A quantity of within this realm, the want thereof is greatly to be feared, clap board and speedily to be provided for, and forafmuch as there is great brought into accafion of Spending and confuming thereof, by felling of great quan- this realm for tities of timber, and converting the fame into cloven-board for the beer or fish making of cafk, which is ufually transported out of the realm into the tranfported. parts beyond the feas: (2) and forafmuch alfo as wine-cafk brought into this realm, is very ferviceable, as well for her Majesty's houfhold and navy, in time of her Highness fervice, for victualling of her Highness fhips, and alfo for victualling of merchants Ships, and a great caufe of fparing timber within this realm: purposes. II. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most excellent ma- Wine-cask jefty, the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this fhall not be prefent parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, transported That all and every perfon and perfons, which shall after the but for certain feast of the nativity of St. John Baptift next enfuing, fhip, carry or transport any beer into the parts beyond the feas, to be fold or exchanged for other merchandize, fhall (if he be a ftranger, then) before the fame transporting, (if he be a fubject born, then) either before the fame transporting, or within four months after, bring or caufe to be brought into this realm, from the parts beyond the feas, for every fix tuns of beer, two hundred of clap-board fit for to make cafk of, to contain in length three foot and two inches at the least, or else the same cask again, or fo much other good and fweet cafk in quantity, and the fame to be entred at the custom-house without any colouring; (2) or if the fame tranfporting fhall be into the realm of Ireland, then to bring in, in manner and form as aforefaid, fo much of the fhaffold-board in quantity as the faid clap-board amounteth unto. III. And also be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no ftranger born fhall after the laft day of June, which fhall be in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred ninety-four, fhip, carry or transport beyond the feas, any pilchers or other fish in cafk, unless the fame perfon have before fuch fhipping, brought or caufed to be brought, into this realm, from the parts beyond the feas, for every fix tuns of pilchers or other fish, according to the rate and manner aforefaid, of clapboard fit for caík, or elfe of cafk as aforefaid; (2) upon pain of forfeiture of the faid beer, pilchers and cafk, that thall be fhipped or laden to be tranfported into the parts beyond the feas. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, In what cafes That it fhall not be lawful for any perfon or perfons, after the only winefaid cask may be transported. faid feaft of St. John the baptift next enfuing, to transport or V. Provided always, That this act, or any thing therein con- A confirmation of two fubfidies of four fhillings in the pound, to be paid CAP. XIII. A confirmation of three fubfidies and fix fifteenths and tenths granted to CAP. XIV. A confirmation of the Queen's general and free pardon, except, &c. EXP. The END of the Sixth VOLUME. |