Egyptians Act 1530
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1530 c. 10 |
| Year | 1530 |
(22 Hen. 8) C A P. X.
'FFOrasmuch as before this Time divers and many outlandish People calling themselvesEgyptians , using no Craft nor Feat of Merchandise, have come into this Realm, and gone from Shire to Shire, and Place to Placein great Company, and used great, subtil, and crafty Means to deceive the People, bearing them in Hand, that they by Palmestry could tell Mens and Womens Fortunes, and so many Times by Craft and Subtilty have deceived the People of their Money, and also have committed many heinous Felonies and Robberies, to the great Hurt and Deceit of the People that they have come among:'
II. Be it therefore by the King our Sovereign Lord, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, ordained, established, and enacted, That from henceforth no such Person be suffered to come within this the King's Realm; and if they do, then they and every of them so doing, shall forfeit to the King our Sovereign Lord all their Goods and Chattles, and then to be commanded to avoid the Realm within Fifteen Days next after the Commandment, upon Pain of Imprisonment; and it shall be lawful to every Sheriff, Justice of Peace, and Escheator, to seize to the Use of our Sovereign Lord, his Heirs and Successors, all such Goods as they or any of them shall have, and thereof to make Account to our said Sovereign Lord in his Exchequer; and if it shall happen any such Stranger hereafter to commit within this Realm any Murder, Robbery, or any other Felony, and thereof be indicted, and arraigned, and to plead not guilty, or any other Plea triable by the Country, that then the Inquest that shall pass between the King and any such Party, shall be altogether ofEnglishmen , albeit that the Party so indicted pray Medietatem linguoe , according to the Statute of Anno 8 Henrici 6. or any other Statute thereof made.
III. Provided alway, That theEgyptians now being in this Realm, have Monition to depart within Sixteen Days after Proclamation of this Statute among them shall be made, upon Pain of Imprisonment, and Forfeiture of their Goods and Chattles; and if they then so depart, that then they shall not forfeit their Goods nor any Part thereof, this present Statute notwithstanding.
IV. Provided alway, That every such Person or Persons...
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