A. D. 1533. Anno viccfimoquinto IIrnrici VIII. 0.18,19. l %9 c A P. XVIII. An Acl for Clothiers in IVorccJlcrfo'rc.
- rllKWKTU unto the King our Sovereign Lord, and to the Lord; Spiritual and Temporal, and to .-, f.i. 4. >. 1.
' ^ the Commons, in this prefeni Parliament aflembled, the Citizens, Burgeflea and Inhabitants of the •*!>'■•>
- Ci:y of tPorce/ler, and of the Towns of Eve/ham* Droitwich, Kedermin/ler, and limmifejcve, within the
,/r, That where the (aid City, Boroughs and Towns have been in limes pail well
- and lubftantially inhabited, occupied, maintained and upholden by reafon of making of Woollen Cloths,
I Long Cloths, Short Cloths and other Cloths, as well Whites, Blues and Brown-blues, and the poor ' People of the fame City, Boroughs and Towns, andjof the Country adjoining to them, daily fit a Work, I ' in (pinning, carding, breaking and foiling of Woolls, and the Handicrafts there inhabiting, as Weavers,
- Fuller::, Shearmen and Dyers, have been well fet a work, and had fufficicnt Living by the fame, until
4 now within few Years palled, that divers Perfons inhabiting and dwelling in the Hamlets, Thorps and 'joining to the ("aid City, Boroughs and Towns within the laid Shire, for their private Wealths,
- fiiigulai Advantages and Commodities, nothing regarding the Maintenance and upholding of the faid
' City, Boroughs and Towns, ne the common Wealth 0? the faid Handicrafts inhabiting and dwelling ' within die (aid City, Boroughs and Towns, nc the poor People which had living by the lame, have not ' only ingroflud and taken into their Hands divers and fundry Farms, and become Farmers, Graficrs and
- Hulbamlmen, but alfo do excrcife, ufe and occupy the Myftcrics of Cloth-making, Weaving, Fuilingand
- Shearing within their laid Houfes, and do make all manner of Cloths, as well Broad Cloths, Whites and
- plain Cloths within their laid Houfes in the Countries abroad, to the great Decay,. Depopulation and
- Ruinc of the faid City, Towns and Boroughs :'
II. For Remedy whereof, and for the Amendment and good Advancement of the faid City, Borouglrs What Town and Towns, be it enafted by Authority of this prefent Parliament, That after the laft Day of Scj/tinwer, only in Wor- which ihall be in the Year of our Lord God 1536. no manner of Perfon ne Perfons, of what Degree or "fterflwe ftiLr Condition foever he or they be of, (hall make or caufe to be made within the faid Shire of IVorceJler, any m °' " manner of Woollen Cloths to be fold, except only fuch Perfon or Perfons as after the faid laft Day of Sep- tember (hall be dwelling and inhabiting within the faid City of Worccjler, the Boroughs and Towns of . Evejham, Droitwicb, Kederminjier and hromif^rove within the faid County of Worcefter, or in any one of them, upon Fain of Forfeiture for every fuch Broad Cloth made after the faid Day by any Perfon or Perfons contrary to the true Meaning of this Aft, xl. s. HI. And further it is provided by the Authority aforcfaid, That the Lords and Owners of the Meafes, The Rents of Tenements or Cottages within the faid City, or any of the Towns and Boroughs aforefaid, fhall at no the Houfes ir. Time hereafter dimit, fet or let any Meafe,' Tenement or Cottage fufficiently repaired within the faid City, '- ho(: Towns Boroughs or Towns before limited, to any Perfon or Perfons, that hereafter (hall inhabit in the faid City, ""!' , not b * Boroughs or Towns, and exerciling any of the faid Myfteries or Crafts, at any higher Rent, Impofition or rL^i Tac. n Charge than was given for the fame at any Time within twenty Years next before the making of this Aft c . 28. only except. IV. Provided alway, That this Aft be not hurtful ne prejudicial to any Perfon or Perfons for making any Promio for Cloths for their own Wearing, their Children or Servants Wearing. Cloths not for- V. Alfo provided, That in the faid City, and every Town and Borough aforefaid, there (hall be due Sj ' Search made of every fuch Cloth beforefaid there made, and that they be meted both Length and Breadth, f^ 01 ^,./^ being wet from the Mill, and before they be fet upon the wrack and dried ; (2) and that they (hall be fjalcd in the fealed with the Seal of the Searcher of the fame City, Town or Borough, which Seal fhall have a Stamp forefaid Towns. containing the true Numbers for the Length and Breadth of the fame Cloth being wet, on Pain of forfeit- 17 H. 8. c. 12. ing for every Cloth put to Sale, not having the faid Seal of the Searcher, xx, s. (3) and the Sealer to for- J^p- 5& 6Ea; - fcit for every Cloth by him fearched and fealed contrary to the true Meaning of this Aft, vi. s. viij. d. the y a l'.^ !r tlJriJeJ one Half of the faid Forfeits to be to the King our Sovereign Lord, and the other Half to the Party that p r ,-,. 'm. fix- will fue for the fame in any of the Kino's Courts, by Writ of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in which 3. <-.>. 2^3 Aftions or Aftion the Defendants or Defendant (hall not wage their Law, ne any Elfoin or Proteftion P-&&- f - ICi (hall be allowed : (4) And the Searcher (hall have for the (earching and fealing of every Cloth a Peny, 4 ^ 5 p '-r and not above. 14 > %E: . c6< 7.&'i2. IT El. c. 17 & 18. 35 El. c. 9 Sf 10. 39 EI. c. 20. 43.E/.CIO. 1 Jac. I. r. a;. 3 yat. 1. c. 161 4 Jac. I. c. 2, 7 Jj:. I. c. to. z Ja:. I«. <:■ 1% & i%. IzCar. 2. c. 22. 22 & 23 Car. 2. c. 8- nW.3,1.20. 6 Ann. c. 8 & 9. 7. Am, t.j 3. 10 Ant:, c. 16.. 1 Cta. I. c. 15 Sf 41. u Cm. Ii e. 24, 7 Ccq. 2. c. 25. 11 Get. 2. c. 28. and 14 Geo, *. c. 35. CAP. XIX. The SubmiUlon of the Clergy, and Rcftraint of Appeals. ' X7 HERE the King's humble and obedient Subjefts, the Clergy of this Realm of England, have not ' VV only knowledged according to the Truth, that the Convocations of the fame Clergy, is, always ' .hath been, and ought to be affembled only by the King's Writ, but alio fubmitting themfelves to the
- King's Majefty, have promifed in Verba Sqcerdotil, that they will never from henceforth- prefume to at-
tempt, alledge, claim or put in ure, or enaft, promulge or execute any new Canons, Conftitutions, Or- dinance Provincial, or other, or by whatfoever other Name they fhall be called,- in the Convocation, un- lefs the King's moft Royal Allent and Licence may to them be had, to make, promulge and execute the ' fame ; and that his Majefty do give his moft Royal Aflent and Authority in that Behalf: (2) And where Sevsni c-.rsrr.;
- divers Conftitutions, Ordinances and Canons Provincial or Synodal, 'which heretofore have been enafted, ^. e . b f ih .fl^
1 ' . , iad;;iji :o the and-
