Cloth Act 1592
(35 Eliz. 1) C A P. X.
'IN their most humble and dutiful wise shewen and beseechen your Highness, your true and faithful Subjects, the Clothiers, Merchants and Chapmen of your County ofDevon , and of the Counties adjoining, That where in the Month of January in the your and thirtieth Year of your Majesty's most happy Reign, as well at the humble Suit and Petition of sundry your said Subjects, as upon Certificate of divers Justices in your Highness said County of Devon , and upon Complaint of the States of Holland , it pleased your Highness, with the Advice of your most honourable Privy Council, by your Highness Proclamation, for the Reformation of the Insufficiences grown in the Clothes called Devonshire Kersies or Dozens, (a Commodity heretofore in great Request, Frice and Estimation, both amongst your natural Subjects, and in foreign Nations and Countries), but of late marvelously (and not without Occasion) discredited by the Inventions and new Devices of the Weavers, Tuckers and Artificers, To command that the Laws before that Time made, and standing in Force not repealed, for and concerning the Premisses, should be duly accomplished in all Things: And that every Officer should diligently perform his Office accordingly: (2) And that the Weight of the said Kersies or Dozens, being raw, and wrought with clean Stuff, without any deceitful Addition, should weigh fifteen Pounds, and contain in the Market at least between fifteen and sixteen Yards in Length, and that the same should be sewantly woven throughout of like sorted Yarn, forbidding all other Deceits in weaving, and all diminishing and unreasonable drawing, stretching and other Deceits in Tuckers: (3) And that each Weaver should weave his Shop-Mark in each Dozen, and a Purrel in each End thereof: (4) And that Officers should be appointed in Market-Towns, to view, weigh and try the same Kersies, whether they were in Length, Weight or Goodness, according to the Rate and Proportion set forth in the same Proclamation: The same Proclamation to endure till the first Day of this present Parliament, as by the same more at large may appear.'
II & 6 Ed. 6. c. 6. 4 & 5 Ph. & M. c. 5.
'II. Now, most gracious Sovereign, forasmuch as by the said Proclamation, great Order and better Making of the said Clothes for Weight and Length thereof hath ensued,' and to the End that hereafter further Discovery and Restraint of all Abuses and Deceits contrary to the former Laws and Statutes of this Realm may be provided for, to the Reviving of the Reputation of so good, profitable and necessary a Commodity, (2) It may please your Majesty, with the Assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the whole Commonalty, assembled in this present Parliament, and by the Authority of the same, That it may be enacted and established as followeth, that is to say, That from and after the first Day ofJuly now next coming, each KersiecalledDevonshire Kersie or Dozen, which shall be made and woven within the said County of Devon , or any other County next adjoining thereunto, being raw, unscoured, untucked and unwet, as it cometh from the Weaver's Beam, and being made of clean and perfect Stuff, that is to wit, of Wool shorn, cleansed and thoroughly washed or scoured after the shearing, and before the weaving, without any Fraud, Deceit, Policy or Device, or any Stuff thereunto...
To continue reading
Request your trial