A. D. r 529. Anno vlcefimo primo Henrici VIII. C. 16. 149 Sta of Parliament have been publftbed, - one in tl l rd the Thi made in the ] I the.Reign oj b] Memory, Henry the Seventh, late King of this our Realm, and in the Four! Fifteenth Year of our Reign, concerning the Strange and Handicraftfmen, Obeifance, ufing and g Handicrafts within thi - 11 f.,r there! ing of the execflive Numbei and unreafonable Behaviour "i the fame Strangers Artificers born out ol .nee, which continual Refort and Repair into this our (aid Realm . trim eat of our own natural Subjects, Artificers of the fame Handi id of other fun- dry Inconv i i by fion that divers of the i. , I He— alfo for the Reformation of fundry Deceits and Falfhoods practiicd by the faid Strangers / tifii in their faid Handii rafi , to the great Damage and Lois of us, and of all our faid natural Subjects : (2) The faid Strangers Artificers nothing pondering or dreading the faid Statutes, ne the Penalties in the fame contained and expreffed, ceafe not contemptuoufly, as well to abufe the faid Statutes, as moft Pari in- tirely to infringe and break the fame, and to accumulate from time to time more Offences and Enormi- ties, as well againft our Prero ;ative, as to the Detriment of the Common Wealth of this our Realm, and our loving Subjects of the fame ; (3) for when any Search fhall be made in every Handicraft within any City, Town, or Borough Corporate within our faid Realm, by our Subjects the faid Wardens, and others- ordained by the faid laft Act of Handicraftsmen within any City, Town, or Borough Corporate, and one Houfholder Stranger born out of our Obeifance, inhabiting within our faid City, Town, or Borough Corporate, ufing any Handicraft, be he Denizen or not Denizen ; the faid Stranger being a Houfholder, as before is faid, being lawfully warned and required thereunto, according to the laid Act, either will rc- fufc to do his Duty therein, or clfe he will give fecret Warning thereof to his Brethren of the faid Crafts, whereby they have not only conveyed and hid all their unlawful, untrue, fubtil, and deceitful Wares, which they untruly, fubtilly, unfubttantially, and deceitfully have made, and daily make, and utter to our Subjects at execflive and unreafonable Prices, to the great Detriment and Damages of our faid Sub- jects ; but alfo their Servants and Apprentices they have hid from the Knowledge of the faid Wardens, when any fuch Search hath happened to be made, and fo they defraud the fame good and honourable Sta- tute and Act; fo that thereof no lawful Punifhment could, can, might, or may enfue, according to the Tenor, Purport, and Effect of the faid Statute ; (4) but they contemn, defpife, and fet at nought the The manifold fame, whereby, and by the other unlawful Means aforefaid, and others, as fubtilly fending and con- 3nd i«cr..l veying over the Sea, Bacon, Cheefe, Powdered Beef, Mutton, and other Commodities within this our ^ Vro:l E s »J>ieh Realm, not only within, and out of the faid Cities, Towns, and Boroughs Corporate, but alfo within, tbifwholc" ' and out of other Places throughout our Realm, by them the faid Strangers practifed and executed, where- Realm, and to by they daily increafe in great Riches, and in great Multitude in Numbers of Strangers Handicraftfmen manj 1 1 born out of our Obeifance ; (;) and when they have gathered much Riches and Money, they againft thereof, our Laws convey the fame Money over the Sea ; and then they alfo go over the Sea into their Coun- tries, and there purchafe them Lands and Tenements with Part thereof, and with the Refidue of the fame they live thereby, and fometime they convert Part thereof to the Ufe of our Enemies in thofe Parts ; (6) and fo as well our poor Subjects Cordwainers, and alfo our Subjects Handicraftfmen, born within our Obeifance, by the Means aforefaid, be fore impoverifhed, miniihed, and almoft utterly decayed and deftroyed, and many of them, for lack of Occupation in the faid Handicrafts, be conftrained to live in Idlenefs, by Occafion whereof they do continually fall to Theft, Murder, and other great Offences, and confequently in great Numbers be put to Death by our Laws, as we be informed ; (7) and alfo the greal Scarcity of Grain and Victual at this prefent Time throughout this our Realm, to be the more enforced and caufed, by Reafon of the great Multitude, and continual Recourfe of the faid Strangers Handicraftf- men, which confume a great Portion of Corn and Victual, grown and bred within this our Realm ; (8) the Premiffes considered, to the Intent to be thereof more perfectly and truly inftructed, for the Cha- ritable Zeal that we have to the Common Weal of our Realm, and our faid Subjects of the fame, and for the Quietnefs of the faid Strangers, we have afligned, and given in Commandment to our Lords, and others of our Council, indifferently to examine the Premiffes, and as well to hear the faid Complain- ants as the faid Defendants, and their Allegations and Sayings of, in, and to the Premiffes, and to every Part thereof, and the fame by them heard, examined, and by good deliberate Advice underftood, to ordain, adjudge, and decree the fame, after their Wifdoms and Learning; whereupon as well the faid Bill of Complaint, the Anfwer of the faid Defendants thereiinto made, the Replication of the faid Com- plainants to the faid Anfwer alfo made, and all other Allegations and Sayings of both the laid Parties, by mature and deliberate Advice, by our faid Council ripely examined, heard, and underftood : ' XII. It is ordained, adjudged, and decreed, the x. Day February, in this prefent Term of St. Hillary, The Decree in the xx. Year of our Reign, in our Star-Chamber, by tlu- moft Reverend Father in God Thomas Lord made by tl Cardinal Legate de latere of the Apoftolick See, Archbilhop of York, Primate and Chancellor cf £«£&»/; ko r ds of the and by our Nobles and others of our faid Council, and by the mutual Affents of the Complainants and : u 'rh e starf Defendants then there being, in Manner and Form following ; that is to fay, That according to the Act chamber touch.
- " P.* lament made the faid xiv. and xv. Year of our Reign, That no Stranger Artificer born out of during Strangers
.nee, inhabiting within any City, .Town, or Borough, or anv otherPlace within thisi our Realm Artificers; 01 "mgl/md, from thenceforth fhall keep in his or their Houfe or Houfes, any Manner of Servants Stran-4 fi Str * n S"i. Ar * gers born out of our Obeifance, but only Two Strangers Servants, and no more at One Time ; (2) and: n "j^ nl u { e (,",'- as m..ny of the Strangers Artificers now inhabiting within any City, Town, or Borough Corporate,' Two Strangers ! ty otherPlace within our Realm, that will be Apprentices or Servants to or with any of our Sub- boro. Artificers born within our Obeifance, exerciling new or old Stuff, inhabiting within our Realm, fuffered fo to abide and dwell with them without Interruption, as long as they will fo continue ide v, ith them, and can agree together, 3 VT >'-
