Pewterers Act 1503
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
(19 Hen. 7) C A P. VI.
'TO the King our Sovereign Lord, and to the noble Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, humbly and lamentably shewn and complain unto your most abundant Grace, your humble Subjects the Pewterers and Brasiers of your Cities ofLondon and York , and of all other Places of this your Realm, That whereas many simple and evil disposed Persons of this your RealmofEngland , using the said Crafts, daily go about this your Realm from Village, from Town, and from House to House, as well in Woods and Forests, and in other Places, to buy Pewter and Brass; (2) and that knowing Thieves and other Pickers that steal as well Pewter and Brass belonging to your Highness, and under your Mark, and to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, as to other your Subjects of this your Realm, bring such stolen Vessels unto them in such hid Places to sell, and sell it for little or nought, and about they bring it into privy Places, or into Corners of Cities or Towns, and there sell much Part of it to Strangers, which carry it over the Sea by Stealth: (3) Also the said Persons so going about, and divers other using the said Crafts, use to make new Vessels, and mix good Metal and bad together, and make it naught, and sell them for good Stuff, where indeed the Stuff and Metal thereof is not worth the Fourth Part that it is sold for, to the great Hurt, Deceit, and Loss of your Subjects: (4) Also divers Persons using the said Crafts, have deceivable and untrue Beams and Scales, that one of them would stand even with Twelve Pound Weight at one End, against a Quarter of a Pound at the other End, to the singular Advantage of themselves, and to the great Deceit and Loss of your Subjects, Buyers and Sellers with them.' (5) For Reformation of the Premisses, it would please your Highness of your most abundant Grace, with the Advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by Authority of the same, to enact and establish, That no Person or Persons using the said Crafts of Pewterers and Brasiers, from henceforth shall sell or change any Pewter or Brass, new or old, at any Place or Places within your Realm, but only in open Fairs or Markets, or in their own Dwelling-houses, but if they be desired by the said Buyers of such Ware, upon Pain of Forfeiture to our Sovereign Lord the King for every...
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