Anno primo Reginæ Elizabethæ at the Parliament begunne at Westminster, the xxiij of Januarie, in the fyrst yere of the raigne of our soueraigne lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, queene, defender of the fayth &c., and there prorogued till the xxv. of the same moneth, and then and there holden, kept, and continued, vntyll the dissolution of the same, being the eight day of May then next ensuyng, were enacted as foloweth.

An acte touching Tanners and the selling of tanned Leather. The .ix. Chapter.

FOR sundrye good causes and consyderations, be it enacted by the aucthorite of this present Parliament, that no person or persons, hauyng landes, tenementes, or rentes of estate of inheritaunce, or for tearme of lyfe, to the cleare yerelye value of .x.li. or aboue, except suche person and persons as haue anye tanhouse, and doth occupye the mysterie of tannyng at this present, and except an appren∣tice and other brought by and taught, or to be brought vp and taught as a couenaunt seruaunt, or hyred for that purpose by the space of foure yeres in the mysterie or crafte or tannyng of Leather, shall vse or haue profite, gayne, or commoditie, of or by the sayde mysterie or craft of tannyng of Leather, after the feaste of S. Michaell tharchangell next commyng, vppon payne of forfeyting of all suche Leather so to be tanned, or the iust value thereof.

Also be it further enacted, that from and after the feaste Saint Michaell tharchangell, whiche shalbe in the yere of our Lorde God M.D.lx. no person or persons shall vse or exercise the feate, crafte, or mysterie of tannyng of Leather, or shall by anye meanes receaue anye profite, gayne, or lucre by tannyng of Leather, but only in a Citie, Bo∣rough, Towne corporal, or market towne, where sellers shalbe vsual∣ly appointed, except he or they haue ben apprentice exercised & brought vp, as is aforesaide, in the saide craft and mysterie, by the space of foure yeres at the least, and also excepted the sonne or heyre & wyfe of euerye such Tanner, to their owne vse and vses, vppon payne of forfeyture of all the Leather so tanned contrary to this acte, or the value thereof.

And be it also further enacted by the aucthoritie aforesayde, that no maner of person or persons whatsoeuer, shall after the firste day of

May next comming, buye bargaine, bespeke, or take promise of bar∣gaine of or for any rawe Hide, or Calues skinne, but of, or for suche and the same, as shal be present in faire or market then to be solde, ne they shall put or cause to be put to sale any kinde of tanned Leather, reade, & vnwrought in any place within this Realme, other then in open market or fayre, in the place therefore commonly accustomed, and therefore prepared, vpon paine of forfeiture for euery hide .iii.s.iiii.d. for euerye dosen of Calues skinnes .iii.s.iii.d. and the Hide or Hides and Leather in any otherwyse solde or bought, or the value thereof.

And be it further enacted by the aucthoritie aforesayd, that no per∣son whatsoeuer, shall or may after the feast of S. Michael tharchan∣gel next comming, buye, bargaine, bespeke, or take promise of bar∣gayne, of or for any tanned Leather vnwrought as is aforesayd, but only suche person or persons as haue ben, be, or shalbe brought vp in cutting of Leather into made wares, and do wyll and shall worke and conuert the same into Leather, cut into made wares wrought, vpon payne of forfeyture of the Leather so bought, bargayned, or be∣spoke, or the value therof. And where as at a Parliament holden at Westminster vpon prorogation, the second and thirde yeres of the raigne of kyng Edward the sixt, brother to the queenes highnesse, a∣mongst other thinges in an acte, entituled, An acte for true currying of Leather, vppon diuers good consyderations, it was enacted that euery Tanner shal cut of euery wombe of euery Oxe hide, sixe inches broade, and of euery Steere hyde fiue ynches broade, and of euerye Cowe hyde eyght inches broade of assise in the narowe place, as by the sayde acte more at large appeareth: Sythens whiche time the greedie and vnsatiable couetousnesse of many of the Tanners haue ben suche, to defraude the sayde good and godly acte, that they wyll not cut of the wombes of the Hydes, nor bryng them to the market to be solde, so that the Cord wayners can not haue wombes to put into the inner soles of bootes, shoes, stertovopes, and slippers, accor∣dyng to the tenour of the saide statute in that case prouided: be it therefore enacted by the Queenes royal Maiestie the Lordes Spiri∣tuall and Temporal, and the Commons in this present parliament assembled, and by thaucthoritie of the same, that al and euery person and persons, that doth occupie, or shal hereafter occupie the tanning or barkyng of any Oxe, Steere, or Cowe hide or hydes, to be conuer∣ted for sole Leather, for or in y^e name of sole Leather, now commonly called backes, shal cut or cause to be cut of euery such Oxe, Steere, or Cow hide or hides, that shalbe tanned or wrought for sole Leather, commonly called backes, two peeces, which is now called wombes, of euery such hyde or backe that shalbe wrought, barckte, or tanned for backes, vpon paine of forfeyting of euery such hide or hides, backe

or backes so tanned or wrought, the wombes beyng not cut of .vi.s.viii.d. for euery hyde.

And be it also further enacted by the aucthoritie of this present par∣liament, that euery Tanner or Tanners, or any other person or per∣sons that occupieth, or hereafter shal occupie the mysterie of tanning of Leather, and that shall cut of, or cause to be cut of those two peeces aboue named, called wombes, shal begin vpon y^e two hinder shankes of euery such hyde, and there cut two peeces, and so cut throughout alongest the belly to the foreshanks, and there to cut of both the fore∣shankes, and those two peeces so called wombes, to be well and true∣ly tanned, after the maner of inner sole leather, and to conteyne of good and drye tanned leather, sixe inches broade of assise in the nar∣rowest place, accordyng to the syse of the standerd in the Exchequer when they be tanned or put to sale, or offered to be solde, promised, or bargayne made, vppon paine of forfeyture of .iii.s.iii.d. for euerye wombe being cut lesse then so many inches broade of assise in the narowest place, as aboue sayde.

And be it further enacted, that euery Tanner or other person that occupieth, or hereafter shall occupie the mysterie of tanning of Lea∣ther, which after the feast of the byrth of our Lord Iesus Christ next comming, shall put to sale, or offer to be sold in any fayre or markets, any backe or backes, shal bryng at the selfe same time to the fayre or markets, where he or they shall put such backe or backes to sale, for euery backe, the two forenamed peeces called wombes, there to be solde with the backes, or otherwyse as the fayre or market shall hym best serue, so that they be solde in the open market; vpon payne of for∣feyture of euery such backe or backes so brought to be solde, or offered to be solde, or the value thereof, not hauyng the wombes there in the open market or fayre as is abouesayde.

Be it further enacted by thaucthoritie aforesaid, that no person or persons shall after the fyrst day of May next comming, sel, or cause to be solde any maner of Leather (clout leather solde in small peeces on∣lye excepted) except he or they regester, or cause to be regestred the said Leather, and euery part and parcell therof, vpon payne of forfeyture of the value of the leather so bought and not regestred, and also the buyer to forfayte the saide Leather so bought and not regestred, as is aforesaide.

And be it further enacted that suche person or persons as are, or hereafter shalbe assigned or appoynted searchers, sealer or sealers of tanned Leather, by vertue of any acte or statute heretofore, or hereaf∣ter to be made, shall kepe one booke or regester, to enter all suche bar∣gaynes as shalbe made for leather, hydes, or skinnes (clout leather solde in small peeces only excepted) by any person or persons, duryng

and by all the tyme of the fayre or market, and shal enter all such bar∣gaynes, beyng thereunto required by the buier or the seller, takyng for his or their payne and trauaile therein to be taken: and for the registring therof, of the seller of euery dicker of Leather so entred one penie, for euery sixe dosen of Calues skinnes one penie, and so after the rate, and no more or greater summe or summes of money to be payde for entring of the same, vppon payne of forfeyture, for not en∣tering and registring as is aforesaid, for euery dicker of Leather .iii.s iii.d. for euery dosen of Calues skinnes .iii.s.iiii.d. & so after the rate. And where also one other acte, entituled, An Acte for true tannyng of Leather was made at a Parliament of the saide king Edwarde hol∣den vpon prorogation at Westminster, y^e fourth day of Nouember, in the seconde yere of his most gratious raigne, whiche acte was made to endure vnto the ende of the next Parliament then folowyng, and after the same acte was reuiued at one other Parliament holden at Westminster the fyrst day of Marche, in the .vii. yere of the raigne of the same kyng Edwarde the sixt, to continue till the last day of the next Parliament then folowyng: and after the same acte was con∣tinued in the seconde & last session of our Soueraigne Lady Queene Marie, holden vppon prorogation at Westminster the thirteene day of October, in the fyrst yere of her graces raigne, to continue tyll the last day of the next Parliament then folowyng, whiche beyng expy∣red and the same acte neuer since continued, his force and efficacie is ended. And for as much as the sayde acte is good and beneficiall for the common wealth of this Realme: be it therefore enacted, ordey∣ned, and established by the Queene our Soueraigne Lady, with the assent of the lordes spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the aucthoritie of the same, that the sayde acte made in the seconde yere of y^e sayd kyng Edwarde the sixt, and all wordes, clauses, articles, and prouisions in the same, (except these wordes, Ashe barke, Tap worte, Meal or Culuer dong) shalbe reuiued, continued, stande, and endure in his full force and strength, to all intentes, constructions, and purposes, and that no Tanner in or about the tannyng of any Leather, shall vse or exercise any other kynde of stuffe, but only Ashe barke, Oke barke, Tap wort, Meal lime, or Culuer dong.

Prouided alwayes, and be it enacted by the aucthoritie aforesayd, that thone moytie of all suche forfeytures aforenamed, shalbe to our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiestie, and her highnes heyres, or successours, and thother moitie to him or them that sease or fyrst we for the same penalties in any of the Queenes Maiesties courtes of recorde, by action of debt, bil, complaint, information, or otherwise wherein no wager of lawe, essoigne, protection, or iniunction, shalbe admitted or alowed for the defendaunt in that behalfe.