An Acte touching Cloth making in Corporate Townes and Market Townes (1554)
| Artifact Summary | |
|---|---|
| Artifact type | Statute |
| Creator/author | Parliament of England |
| Date | 1554 |
| Period | Tudor |
| City and country of origin | |
| Abstract | |
Entry
[Statutes of the Realm, Vol. IV (split volume, 1547-1624), Anno 1o MARIE; SESS. 3. A. D. 1554, CHAPTER VII.]
THERE the Citye of Worcester and divers other Cities Borowghes and Townes Corporate within the Realme of of long time have bene upholden repayred and onely maintayned by making of Broade Clothes called Long Clothes Short Clothes and Couloured Clothes, and the Citizens Freemen and thinhabitantes of the same Cities Townes and Borowes Corporate, have therby bene greatly enriched, and the poore people and handyecraftes men of the same and the Contreis adjoyning dayly sett a woorcke, as Weavers Walkers Fullers Fulling Mill-men Sheremen and Dyers Forcers of Wolles Casters of Wolles and Sorters of Wolies Spinners Carders and Spullars of Yarne, and have had their onely lyving therby; tyll nowe of late in the fifthe yere of the Rayne of our late Sovereyne Lorde King Edwarde the Syxthe, that an Estatute was made, that no Man shoulde occupye Clothe making, ne put any brode Clothe or Clothes to weaving or making, except he hath bene Aprentice to Clothe making by the space of seven yeres, or elles have occupyed and practised Clothe making by the space of seven yeres or more, under payne of forfeyture of great penaltyes in the same Estatute limited; By reason wherof dyvers and many good Clothiers dwelling in the said Cities and Townes Corporate, whiche hadd occupied and made Clothe by the space of fyve or syxe yeres, and some which have maried Clothiers Wyves whiche hadd occupied Clothe making by the space of twentye yeres before, by reason of the sarme Estatute have been enforced to leave off and clearly discontynewe their Clothe making, to their great Impoverishment and to the utter undoing of a great nomber of poore people and handycraftesmen whiche dayly hadd their lyving by the said Clothiers: And Forasmuche as the perfect and principall grounde of Clothmaking ys the true sorting of Wolles, and thexperience therof consistethe oncly in Women, as Clothiers Wives and their Women Servantes and not in Apprentices, they be therby verye lyke to bee utterlye undone for ever, oneles spedye remedy be therin provided: In consideration wherof, be it enacted established and ordeined by the Quenes most Excellent Mat, withe thassent of the Lordes Spirituall and Temporall and the Comons in this pnte Pliament assembled, and by thaucthorite of the same Pliament, That every persone or persones inhabiting in any of the sayd Cities Borowes or Townes Corporate, or in Market Townes within the Realme of Englande, where Clothe making at any tyme before the making of the sayd Acte hathe been used, shall or may from hensforthe lawfully make all maner of Brode Clothes aforesayd, and put them to weaving walking fulling dyeng and shearinge, without any Impediment, so that the same Clothes be substantially made, bearing lawful lengthe breadthe and waight, according to the Statute for goodd and trewe Clothe making made in the fifthe yere of the Raigne of our sayd late Soverayn Lorde King Edwarde the Sixthe; Any Article or Clause in the sayd former Estatute, or any other Estatute for Clothe making made to the contrarye in any wise notwithestanding
Recital of Statute SA 6 E. VI. c. 15. against ingrossing tananed Leather,
Inconvenienc theroof;
Curriers, &c. may buy tanned Leather in Fairs, &c. bet wot to be exported,
Recited Act repealed as to Carriers, ce
