?3 B C. 15. Anno decimo fexto Caroli I. A. D. 1640, Ed. I. Clurter. Explained 50 Ed. 3. S. R. 2. The tike Charter in Tinners in Cnrnw.ill. Peciaration. Ahufe of Liber. IKS. The farmer t>e. cUrationB con- CAP. XV. An Aft againft divers Incroachments and Oppreffions in the Stannary Courts. HERE AS King £rfi(w-^ the Firft, of famous Memory, did for the Amendment of the Stanna- ries in the County of XJ^-w/.', grant divers Franchifes and Liberties to the Tinners there: (2) ' And whereas in the Parliament in the fiftieth Year of King Edward the Third, upon the Petition of the ' Commons of the County of Devon, certain Branches and Articles of the faid Charter were explained in- ' Manner following, that is to fay, Whereas one Article of the faid Charter is in thefe Words following,' " viz. Sciatis nos ad emendationem Stannariarum noftrarum in Com. Devon, ad tranquillitatem & utili- " tatem Stannatorum noflrorum prsediftorum earundem, Conceffiffe pro nobis & haredibus noftris, Quod " omnes Stannatores praedidti operantes in Stannariis ilhs quae funt Dominia noftra, dum operantur in- " eifdem Stannariis, liberi fint & quieti de placitis nativorum, & de omnibus placitis & querelis Curiam " noftram & hferedum nofirorum qualitercuixque tang^n', Ita quod non refpondeant coram aliquibus " Jufticiariis vel Minillris nollris feu ha:redum noftrorum de aliquo placito feu querela infra pradidtas " Stannarias emergen, nifi coram Cuftode no/iro Stannariarum noftrarum praedictarum, qui pro tempore
- ' fuerit (except, placitis terr', vitai & niembrorum) nee recedant ab operationibus fuis per jfummonitio-
•' nem alicujus Miniftronim noftrorum, feu hasredum noftrorum, nifi per fummonitionem communem " di6ti Cuftodis noftri ; & quod quieti fint de omnibus tallag,' Theolon. ftallag. auxiliis & aliis cuftumis " quibufcunque in villis, pbrtubus, feriis, & mercatis infra Com. praedicSt. de bonis fuis propriis, &c." (3)
- Whereupon the faid Commons prayed a Declaration, as followeth,' " Requefte, Sur quoi plefe declarer
- ' fi auters perfons que les Efteynors overantz in les Efteineryes averont& enjoyeront la franchife grante
" per la dite Chartre du Roy deficome la dite Chartre vpet. Quod omnes Stannatores praedifti operantes " in Stannariis illis, fint liberi, &c. Et autres perfons que les oyerours ceftafl^avoir leurs Maiftres que les-
- ' louent & leurs fervants & auters ciayment mefme la Franchife. Et auxint plefe declarer fi les dites over-
" ours y averont les Franchifes que in autres temps a quant ils averont in mefme Lefteinery deficome la " Chartre voet ; Dum operantur in eifdem Stannariis fint liberi, &c." (4) ' Upon which Requeft, An- ' fwer was made as followeth :' " R^fponf. En droit de les dites paroles, operantes in Stannariis illis, & " dum operantur in eifdem Stannariis, Solent clerement entenduz de operariis laborantibus duntaxat in " Stannariis illis fine fraude & dolo, & non de aliis, nee alibi laborantibus." (5) ' And whereas the faid ' Commons prayed a farther Declaration, as followeth :' " Requefte, Item foit declarez, fi le Gardein de
- ' Lefteinery puifle tenir plee inter Eftyeinor & Forreyn de querele fourdante aillours que en les lieux on
" ils font overantz deficome la Chartre voet. Quod Cuftos nofter prasdidlus, vel ejus Locum-tenens " teneat omnia placita inter Stannatores prsedidtos emergen. &etiam inter ipfps & alios forinfecosde om- " nibus tranfgrelfionibus, querelis, & contra6tibusfa(5tis in locis in quibus operantur infra Stannarias pra;- " didlas fimiliter emergen. &c. Qiiare il tient plee des tieux quereles fourdantz in chefcune parte deins " le dit Counte." (6) ' Upon which, Anfwer was in thefe Words,' " viz. Refp. Et en droit de cefte Ar- " tide, fe ent extende la Jurifdidfion cleremente folonc' les paroles del dit Chartre, Ceftafiavoir j in locis " ubi iidem operarii operantur, & nemy aillours ne en autre manere." {7) ' Which Charter fo declaredj • was repeated again J and in the eighth Year of the Reign of King i^zV/i^yn^ the Second, commanded to be ' put in Execution : ' IL And whereas the faid King Edward the Firfl: made the like Charter to the Tirmers in the Courtty ' of Cor?nva!l, which Charter was in the forefaid Parliament, upon, the Requeft of the Commons of the ' County of Cornwall, declared in the fame Manner and Words : ' III. And whereas the Tinners of the Counties oi Devon and Cornwall h.ze by Virtue of the faid Char- ters enjoyed divers and great Liberties, and are quit from all Tolls, Tallages, Aids and other Cuftoms intheVills, Ports, Fairs and Markets within the faid Counties refpedively ; (zj Which great Liberties ■ do of Right belong to the working Tinner, working without Fraud or Deceit in the Stannaries aforefaid, ■ and not to any other nor elfewhere working, and were granted to the faid Tiniiers for their Incourage-
- ment in their Works : (3) And whereas of late Years ftindry Inhabitants within the faid Counties, and
- others, to entitle themfelves to the faid Liberties, have by Fraud and Covin, for final] or no Confidera-
' tions, bought and acquired, and do buy and acquire to themfelves decayed Tin-works, and fmall and ' inconfiderable Parts in the fame and other Tin-works ; which Abufes are done principally to inable the ' faid falfe and fained Tinners to vex and fue their Neighbours in the Stannary Courts, where for the ' moft part the Defendant is unjuftly debarred his Cofts, although the Caufe be adjudged with him ; (4) ' and the Jurifdiftion of the faid Stannaries hath, contrary to antient Right and Ufage, and the faid ' Charters, been endeavoured to be extended out of the Places where the Tinners do woi k, through the ' whole Counties oi Devon and Cormvall refpedtively, which is no Way for the Benefit of his Majefty, but
- for the fingular Lucre of fome private Perfons: (5) And whereas by the faid Abufes great Inconveni-
- encies do follow, (that is to fay) the Inhabitants of the faid Counties are miferably vexed, opprefled and
- imprifoned, his Majefty defrauded of his Aids and Cuftoms, and the Lords and Owners of Fairs, Mar-
- kets and other Franchifes, of their Tolls and Duties, and the Government of the Country exceedingly
' confounded and eluded, the faid falfe and feigned Tinners claiming when they lift to be Tinners, and
- when they lift to be Foreigners ; befides, that if timely Provifion be not made, the certain Decay of his
- Majefty's Profit inthe Tin-works will enfue, for that the fame being divided into fo many Hands aiid
' Parts, cannot conveniently be fet on work, nor Contribution rai fed for the working of the fame :' IV. Be it therefore enabled by his Majefty, and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Com- mons, in this prefent Parliament alTembled, That the faid Declarations be henceforth held and duly ob- fervedj
