Making of Bread, etc. Act 1800
(41 Geo. 3) C A P. XVI.
[31st December 1800]
'WHEREAS there is just Ground to expect that the Supply of good and wholesome Bread will be materially augmented, and the Price thereof reduced, by preventing the Consumption of Bread made from Fine Flour:' Be it therefore enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authorityof the same, That, from and after the seventeenth Day ofJanuary one thousand eight hundred and one, in the City of London , or within forty Miles thereof, and from and after the twenty-fourth Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, in every other Part of Great Britain , no Meal, the Produce of Wheat or any other Grain, shall be dressed, bolted, or manufactured into any finer Description of Meal or Flour than such as shall be the Produce of such Wheat or Grain, dressed, bolted, or manufactured by or through Wire Machines, constructed with not more than thirteen Wires, of the usual and known Size, Weight, and Thickness, on each Side of a Square Inch, or Cloths corresponding to such Wire Machines, and now usually called and known as eight Shillings and Sixpence Seamed Cloths , or Patent Cloths denominated Number Two , or by whatever other Denomination, either as to Number or Price, any Cloths corresponding to such Wire Machines, in regard to Flour to be dressed thereby, may be hereafter known; and if any Miller or other Person shall, within the Time herein limited, dress, bolt, or manufacture any Meal from Meal from Wheat or other Grain, into any finer Description of Meal or Flour than such as is herein-before described, otherwise than through such Wires or Cloths as aforesaid, every such Miller or other Person shall forfeit, for every Bushel of Meal or Flour dressed, bolted, or
manufactured, contrary to this Act, a Sum not exceeding five Pounds nor less than ten Shillings for every such Bushel, and so in proportion for every smaller QuantityII Nor shall any Machine or Cloth be used for dressing Meal of any finer Construction than herein mentioned, on Penalty of 100 l.
II. And be it further enacted, That no Miller or other Persons shall, from and after the said seventeenth Day ofJanuary one thousand eight hundred and one, in the said City of London , or within forty Miles thereof, or from and after the said twenty-fourth Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one in any other Part of Great Britain , use, for the Purpose of dressing any Meal the Produce of Ground Wheat or Grain into any Kind of Flour, any Wire or other Machine or Cloth of any finer Construction or Description than herein-after mentioned, (that is to say,) than Wire Machines constructed with not more than thirteen Wires, of the usual and known Size and Thickness, on each Side of a Square Inch, and to after that Rate for any Number of Inches of which such Machines shall be constructed, and Cloths corresponding to such last-mentioned Wire Machines, and now usually called or known as eight Shillings and Sixpence Seamed Cloths or Patent Cloths denominated Number Two , or by whatever Denomination or Description, either as to Number or Price, any Cloths corresponding to such last-mentioned Wire Machines, in regard to Flour to be dressed thereby, may be hereafter known; and if any Miller or other Person shall use or cause to be used, or knowingly permit or suffer to be used, any Machine or Cloth of any finer Description or Construction than such as are herein-before described, for the dressing, belting, or manufacturing any Meal or Flour produced from Wheat, every such Miller or other Person so using such Machine or Cloth, shall forfeit and pay, for every such Offence, the Sum of one hundred Pounds.
III From January 24 and 31 respectively, no finer Meal or Flour shall be sold \(except Flour imported and sold in Barrels,) on Penalty from 5 l. to 10 s. per Bushel.
III. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the twenty-fourth Day ofJanuary one thousand eight hundred and one, in the City of London , or within forty Miles thereof, and from and after the thirty-first Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one in any other Part of Great Britain , no Meal or Flour of any finer Sort or Description than the Meal or Flour allowed to be dressed and manufactured under this Act, shall be sold or exposed to Sale by any Person whatever (other than and except Flour that shall have been or shall be imported into this Country, and which shall be sold in the Barrels in which the same shall be imported); and if any Person or Persons shall offend herein, he, she, or they shall forfeit, for every Bushel of Meal or Flour to sold contrary to this Act, a Sum not exceeding five Pounds nor less than ten Shillings for every such Bushel, and so in proportion for every smaller Quantity.
IV From January 31, and February 7, respectively, no Person shall bake for private Use, or for Sale, or sell any Bread made of finer Flour, on Penalty from 5 l. to 10 s. per Peck Loaf.
IV. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the thirty-first Day ofJanuary one thousand eight hundred and one in the City of London or within forty Miles thereof, and from and after the seventh Day of February one thousand eight hundred and one in any other Part of Great Britain , no Person or Persons shall bake, or make for private Use or for Sale, or shall sell or expose to Sale, any Bread made from any Wheaten Meal or Flour unmixed, of any finer Sort or Description than the Flour allowed to be dressed and manufactured under this Act; and if any Person or Persons shall offend herein, he, she, or they shall forfeit, for every Peck Loaf of Bread so baked, made, or sold, or exposed to Sale, contrary to the Provisions herein contained, a Sum not exceeding five Pounds nor less than ten Shillings, and so in proportion for every smaller Quantity.
V From January 24, 1801, the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and from that Date within forty Miles of London, and from January 31, in every other Place, any Court or authorized Person, may set the Price upon the finest Wheaten Bread allowed to be made and on no other, according to the Rules in the Schedule.
V. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the said twenty-fourth Day ofJanuary one thousand eight hundred and one, it shall be lawful for the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London , or for the Lord Mayor for the Time being, and the are hereby required, and from and after the said twenty-fourth Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, within forty Miles of the City of London , and from and after the thirty-first Day of January one thousand eight hundred and one, in every other Part of Great Britain , it shall be lawful for any Court, or Person or Persons authorized to set any Assize or Price of Wheaten Bread, to set, ascertain, and appoint, when and so often as they shall from Time to Time think proper, the Price of all the Wheaten Bread made of the finest Sort or Description of Wheaten Flour, allowed by this Act to be dressed and manufactured, and upon no other Sort or Description of Bread, whether Wheaten or made from other Grain mixed or unmixed, which shall be made for Sale, or exposed to Sale, in any Place or Places or District within their Jurisdiction; and that every such Price shall be calculated and set from the Tables in the Schedule, according to the Rules and Directions to those Tables annexed, from the Average Price of the finest Sort or Description of Wheaten Flour allowed by this Act to be manufactured.
VI When the Price is so set, no Person shall sell any Bread at a higher Price, on Penalty from 5 l. to 10 s. per Loaf.
VI. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the said twenty-fourth and thirty-first Days ofJanuary respectively, when any Price of Wheaten Bread of the finest Sort or Description of Flour allowed to be dressed and manufactured pursuant to this Act, shall be ascertained and set in any City, Borough, Town, Place, or District of any County, Riding, Shire, or Stewartry, pursuant to the Provisions of this Act, no Person or Persons shall there make for Sale, or sell, or expose to Sale, any other Sort or Description of Bread, whether Wheaten Bread, or Bread made of the Produce of Wheat mixed with the Meal or Flour of any other...
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