Statute made at Westminster, Anno 17 Edw. IV. and Anno Dom. 1477,
CAP. V.
An alteration of part of the Statute of 4 Ed. 4. c. 1.
ITEM, Whereas by an Act made in the Parliament of our said Lord the King, holden at Westminster in the fourth year of his Reign, it was ordained, established and enacted among other things, that all Woollen Clothes, half Cloths, Streits, and Kersies, of a certain length and breadth specified Woollen clothes. in the same Act, and being of all perfectness of making, also comprised in the same Act, should be, clothes. from the Feast called S. Peter ad vincula, which was in the year of our Lord God 1465. sealed with a Seals.double print in Lead, to be devised and ordained by the Treasurer of England for the time being, testifying of the true length and breadth, and lawful making. Also by the same Act it was ordained, among , other things,Treasurer England that the Treasurer of England for the time being, should have power and authority to make such and as many keepers of the same Seals, as he shall think necessary ; So that no Grangers born should be made any of the same keepers : And that every of the said keepers so to be made, shall yearly accompt of the revenues of their said offices in the King's Eschequer before the Treasurer of England and the Barons there for the time being, shewing in the same accompts the number of all the Cloths, half Clothes, Streits and Kersies sealed by them, with the names of the owners thereof; Every of the said keepers to be rewarded yearly at his said accompt for his labour and diligence had in this behalf, at the receipt of the said Eschequer, by the discretion of the said Treasurer and Barons, without payment of any thing in the said Eschequer for the making of his said accompt, as in the said Act thereof made is more largely contained : The King certainly perceiving, that sithence the making of the same Act, he hath had yearly greater loss by the approvement of the Subsidy and Aulnage of Cloths, than he had at any time before the faid Act of approvement made ; For the same and for divers other great Causes moving him, by the assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same Parliament hath ordained, established, and enacted, that from the Feast of Easter next coming, all the Woollen Clothes, half Clothes, Streits, and Kersies, being of good and perfect making, of length and breadth according to the form of the said Act, made in the said fourth year, shall be sealed with Wax at boih ends, taking no more for the same both seals, than before was taken for the sealing of an whole Cloth, half Cloth, Streit, or Kerfie : LondonExcept only, that in the City of London, and in the Town of Bristol Bristow, all the Cloths that ought to be sealed, shall be sealed with Lead, as hath been there accustomed. Moreover, it is ordained, enacted, and established by the authority aforesaid, That the said Treasurer of England for the time being, shall have power and authority to let to ferm the subfidy and aulnage of Clothes which ought to be sealed, unto persons willing to have the same to ferm, by sufficient surety in the form as was used and done before the said Statute made in the said fourth Year ; The fermors to have the one half of the forfeiture of all the Clothes and pieces of Clothes to be set to sale, not sealed with the said Seals, to their own use, paying therefore and for the said Subsidy and Aulnage to our Lord the King Aulnage. at his Eschequer such yearly sums of money as shall be agreed betwixt the Treasurer of England and them, and to be accomptants to the King of the other half of the said forfeiture at the said Eschequer, the said Statute made in the said fourth year notwithstanding.
