Aliens Act 1540
(32 Hen. 8) C A P. XVI.
'THE King our most dread Sovereign Lord, calling unto his blessed Remembrance the infinite Number of Strangers and Aliens of foreign Countries and Nations, which daily do increase and multiply within his Grace's Realm and Dominions, in excessive Numbers, to the great Detriment, Hindrance, Loss and Impoverishment of his Grace's natural true Lieges and Subjects of this his Realm, and to the great Decay of the same; (2) remembering also the manifold good Acts and Statutes which have been heretofore made, as well by his most noble Progenitors, as by his own most Royal Majesty, for Reformation of the same in divers and sundry Parliaments, that is to wit: First, in the first Yearof the Reign of KingRichard the Third, where it was enacted, That no Person, not born under the same King's Obeisance, nor made Denizen, taking upon him to be an Artificer or Handicraftsman, should take nor occupy any House or Chamber within this Realm, nor abide or remain in the same, nor sojourn with any strange Person, not being born under the Obeisance of the same King, as is aforesaid, nor exercise or occupy any Craft or manual Occupation within the same Realm; (3) but that such Strangers should depart from this same Realm, within a certain Time appointed by the said Estatute, unless they were retained in Service to or with any Subjects or Lieges of the King only, which were expert in their Crafts or Occupations, under Pain to forfeit all their Goods.
'II. And that no Person, not being born under the said King's Obeisance, nor made Denizen, being an Artificer or Handicraftsman, should make any Cloth within this Realm; (2) and also that no such Strangers should sell any Wares within this Realm, but only in gross, and not by Retail, upon Pain of Forfeiture of the said Wares. (3) And moreover that no Person, not being born under the King's Obeisance, abiding in any House or Chamber within this Realm, occupying any Handicraft, after a certain Time in the said Act limited, should take any Servant to work with him, except it were his Son or Daughter, or else one of the Subjects of the said King, and born under his Obeisance, upon Pain to forfeit for every such Default xx. li. as in the said Act amongst other Things more plainly appeareth.
III A Recital of 14 & 15 H. 8. c. 2.
'III. And where also in the fourteenth and fifteenth Year of the Reign of our said Sovereign Lord the King that now is, it was enacted, That no Stranger, born out of his Grace's Obeisance, were he Denizen or not Denizen, using any Handicraft or Occupation within this Realm, should take any Apprentice, except the same Apprentice were born within his Grace's Dominions and Obeisance, upon Pain to forfeit for every such Apprentice so taken, x. li.
'IV. And that also no Stranger, nor Alien born, under like Pain, using any Handicraft within this Realm, after a certain Time limited in the said Act, should take or have any Journeyman or Covenant Servant, except such Journeyman or Covenant Servant were born under his Grace's Obeisance.
V El. c. 4.
'V. And that all manner of Aliens born, as well being Denizens as not Denizens, inhabiting within the City ofLondon , or a certain Space about the same, should be under the Search and Reformation of the Wardens of the Fellowship of Handicrafts within the said City of London , as in the said Estatute, among other Things, more plainly appeareth.'
VI A Recital of 21 H. 8. c. 16.
'VI. And where also in the Parliament of our said Sovereign Lord, holden atWestminster in the twenty-first Year of his most gracious Reign, it was enacted, among other Things...
To continue reading
Request your trial