Anno xi henrici vij Statuta bonu[m] publicum concerne[n]tia edita in parliamento tento apud westmonesterium xiiij die Octobris anno regni illustrissimi Domini nostri regis Henrici septimi.

For Gawgyng and packyng of salmon Elys and heryng Capitulo xxiij

WHere at a parlyament holden at westmynster in the .xxij. yere of the rey¦ne of kyng Edward y^e .iiij. among other thynges / it was enacted ordey¦ned and establyssed that no marchaunt stranger nor deynezyn after the ieest of saynt Mychell tharchaungell than next comyng / shold sell nor put to sa¦le ony salmon by but barel half barel or on other vessel / afore it shuld be see but yf the same but shold hold & conteyn .lxxxiiij. galons / the barell .xlij. galons. the half barell .xxi. galons well and truly packed vpon payn of forfeyture for euery but barell & half barell so lackyng theyr sayd mesure .vi. s. viij. d / Also that no su¦che marchaūt beyng vnder y^e sayd kynges obeysaunce after y^e fest of saynt My¦chell shuld sell nor put to sale / ony maner salmon by but barel or other vessel but yf it shold be well & truly packed / y^t is to say y^e gret salmon by it selfe w^tout me∣dlyng of ony grylles or broken belyed salmon w^t y^e same / & that al smal fyssh cal¦led grisl{is} shuld be packed by themself on̄ly w^tout ony medlyng vpon payn of for feyture & lesyng of ·vi. s. viij. d. for euery but barell or demy barell contrary to y^e sayd acte medled packed & put to sale / And that no suche matchaunt nor other persone shuld put ony heryng to sale / by barell demy barell or fyrkyn / but yf y^e sa¦me barell conteyne .xxxij. galons the half barell & fyrkyn after the same rate / And that y^e same herynges shold be well truly & iustly layed annd packed / and shold be of one tyme takyng and saltyng / And that the same heryng shuld be as good & aswell packed in the myddes and euery part of the same barel & other ves¦sell as it shuld be at ony of the endes of the same barell and vessell vpon payne for forfeytyng and losyng of .iij. s .iiij. d for euery barell half barel and fyrkyn so lackyng theyr sayd mesure. and also vpon payn of forfeytur, & losyng of .iij. s .viij d. for euery barell half barell and fyrkyn of heryng contrary to the sayd act sor∣ted layed or packed / Also that no suche marchaunt nor palyng man shold sel or or put to sale ony etysby barell half barel or fyrkyn. but yf the barel shold contey¦ne .xlij. galons the half barell and fyrkyn after the same rate. Nor that ony such marchaunt nor palyng man shold medle ony gall bytten ••••oruen or pylyd ••••es w^t good elys / but that the same good elys shold be well & iustly packed and solde by themself / nor shold medle with the sayd good elys nor put to sale ony red elys by on payne of forfryture and lessynge of vi shelynges for euery barell half barell and fyrkyn so lackyng theyr sayd mesure. and vpon payn of lesyng 〈…〉〈…〉 euery barell halfe barell and fyrkynne soo as is aforesayd medeled and contra••

to the sayd acte packed or putte to sale / ¶Also that noo marchaunt after y^e sayd feste sholde sell / nor put to sae ony barelled fysshe. but yf the same fysshe shold well and truely packed. that is to say the tale fysshe by themself and the smale fysshe called gulles by themself wythout ony medlyng of the sayd smale fysshe with the grete fysshe and wythout medlynge and packynge of Thokis or brokē belyed fysshe with the sayd tale fysshe or smale fysshe. And that neyther the tale fysshe nor smale fysshe shold be layed dowble in packynge / And that euery tale fysshe sholde conteyne in length from the bone of the fynne to the thyrde Ioint of the tale .xxvi ynches at the leest / And y^t the napes of all suche barelled fysshe sholde be no lenger than the lytyll bone that syttyth vpon the grete fynne / And that the bone of euery suche salt fysshe sholde be take away vnto the nauill of the same fysshe / And that euery suche fysshe sholde be platted downe to an handfull of the tayll vpon payne of forfeyture of lesynge of .iij. s .iiij. d. for euery barell of fysshe whiche from henforth sholde be founde packed sorted & medled naped layed dowble or not boned nor splatted accordynge to the sayd acte. And also in eschewyng of the comen hurtes and disceytes aboue reherced / the sayd late kīge ordeyned and enacted by the sayd auctoryte that all Mayres Bayllyfs and go∣uernours of cytees townes burghs mark••ttis and all other places of this real∣me for the tyme bryng where they shold be Mayres Bayllyfs and gouernours shold haue power and auctorite to name and chose a discrete & experte persone or persones dewly to serche and gawge all suche vesselles as ben aboue reherced y^t they hold be truely packed and kepe theyr true mesure & assyse accordynge to th•• ordynaunce aboue sayd as in the forsayd acte therof made more playnly ap∣pereth and for asmoche as in the sayd acte is noo certent appoynted how moche euery suche gawger packer and sercher shold take for his labour in executynge of theyr sayd offyce / they ben theyr owne Iuges and at theyr plesures take for the same gawgynge packyng & serchynge by way of extorcion suche grete sōmes of money as theym lyketh / wherby y^e kynges true subgettes are gretly ēpoueris¦shed & wronged / That it myght therfor pleas the kynges hyghnes bi thaduyse of the lordes spirituall and temporall and the comyns in this present parlyamēt assembled and bi auctorite of the same to conferme ratifie and establyssh the sayd acte & euery thynge therin comprised / And ouer that by the same auctoryte to ordeyne and establyssh that euery suche gawger packer and sercher take nomore for gawgyng of a barell samon barell heryng barell fysshe barell elys half ba∣rell and fyrkyn for euery pece so gawged but a ferthyng / and for his labour for se••chyng and packyng yf it be nede of a barell samon from heed to heed .i. d. and for his labour for bonyng napyng and packyng of a barell fysshe yf it be nede. i. d and for his labour in serchyng and packing of a barell heeryng from heed to heed yf it be nedefull .ij. d. and for serchynge and packyng of euery barell of elis .ij. d. And for serchyng and packyng of euery half barell of heeryng from heed to heed .i. d / and for euery half barell elys serchyng and packyng i d / And for ser∣chyng and packyng of euery fyrkyn of heeryng yf it be nedefull ob̄ / and ouer y^e that all and euery suche gawger sercher and packer that mysbehauen or offen∣de

in ony thynge concernynge the sayd offyces of gawger sercher & packer con¦trary to this acte and so proued before ony of the sayd mayres bayllyfes or go∣uernours of ony cyte towne burgh market or ony other place w^tin this realme where he or they so be gawgers packers or serchers gawger packer or sercher shall lose and forfeyt his sayd offyce & the same from thensforth no lenger to en¦ioye / Any lease graunte or grauntes therof made notw^tstondynge / & for ferder punysshement to haue and suffre ymprysonement by the space of .xl. dayes with out bayll or maynpryse / Prouyded alway y^t the sayd sercher & packer or ony of theym / shall no thynge receyue of y^e sayd fees by colour of theyr offyce but only for suche buttes barels half barels & fyrkyns as by them shall herafter be suffy∣ciently serched & packed & be not afore suffycyently packed / This present acte to begyn̄ and take effecte at the feste of Ester next comyng and not before /