Proclamation Prohibiting Private Exchange Business and Establishing A Public Exchange Office
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| Date | 1576 |
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Entry
[Harl. MSS., No. 38, Art. 29, ff. 228-29.]
September xxvij Anno xviij Regina Elizabethe. The Orders appoynted for the gouernment and order of the Eschaunge, that the same maie be vsed and kept according to the lawes and statutes of the Realme, which are now ordeyned to be obserued by the Queenes majestes proclamacion. First, all Marchauntes, English and Strangers, and all other her Majestes subiectes are to vnderstand that by the lawes and or rechaunge of money, but such as her Majestie shall authorise, or their leeful deputies, to keepe, make, and answere for such eschaunges and rechaunges, vpon paines conteyned in the same statutes of this Realme no man ought to make anie eschaunge Statutes. And to the intent the same maie be vsed for the necessarie vses of leeful eschaunge and rechaunge in cases requisite, it is att this present time ordered for the vsage thereof that Edmond Calthrop, Thomas Maston, of the citie of London, Haberdashers, and John Wantonof the same citie, Grocer, men well acquainted with the manner of eschaunges and rechaunges from and to the Citie of London and to and from forraigne partes, shall and maie make and giue sufficient warrant to all persons for eschaunge and reeschaunge, in such sort as shalbe agreable to the obseruacion of the lawes for that purpose ordeyned. And therefore from henceforth all billes of eschange or rechaunge endorsed or subscribed with the name and handwriting of them, or anie one of them, shalbe sufficient warrant both for the deliuerer and taker. And whensoeuer anie others shalbe appointed to occupie and exercise the same roomes, for the keeping of the same eschaunge, there shalbe thereof from time to time notice publiquelie giuen in places thereto requisite.
Item, it is to be regarded that none goe about by anie fraudulent colour or device to alter or to discontinue the auntient manner of deliuering or taking of money by eschaunge, whereby either the intention of the lawes provided therefore, or her Majesties prerogative for her fines andduties answereable for the same, be abused or defrauded. Item, though there hath bine alwaies answered in former times to her Majestes progenitours and to the Masters and Keepers of the eschaunge from time to time, as by many recordes is very manifest to be seene, vpon euerie English Noble of the deliuerer one penny, and the like of the taker, which was vpon euerie pound Sixe pence ; yet for the more ease and lesse burden of such as shall have necessarie cause to deliuer or take by eschaunge, there shall not be for this time, nor vntill greater cause shall moue for her Majestes service, anie more be taken but one farthing of the said Noble or the value thereof for the deliuerer, and one other farthing of the taker, which shalbe vpon the pound but penny halfpenny. Item, yt is to be considered that the eschaunge and reeschaunge shalbe so ordered, that as neare as possiblie maie be, and as times of trade maie suffer, the moneys of this Realme maie not be deliuered vnder the iust values of their standerd, neither that anie eschaunges of money be vsed but for the vse of knowne Marchauntes, or for such as otherwise by the Queenes Majestes licence, or leefullie by the lawes and vsages of the Realme, CREDIT AND MONEY LENDING haue or hereafter shall haue for their needfull businesse to make their eschaunges of the moneys of this Realme for moneys in forraigne places. Finally, yf there shall hereafter appeare anie further matter needeful to be ordeyned or declared for the better and more perfect vsage of the eschaunge, or for the avoyding or explanyng of anie doubtes that maie aryse, the same shalbe with advise of wise and expert men in the trade of marchandize and of eschange notified in like tables from time to time, to be seene and read in this place. God Saue the Queene.
