Anno quinto et sexto Eduardi Sexti Actes made in the session of this present parlament, holden vpo[n] prorogacion at Westminster, the. xxiii. daie of Ianuarie, in the fiueth yere of the reigne of our moste drad souereigne Lorde, Edward the. VI. by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande, in yearth [sic] the supreme hed: and there continued and kept to the. xv. daie of Aprill, in the vi. yere of the reigne of our saied souereigne lorde, as foloweth

¶ The .xxiiii. Chapiter. ¶ An Acte for the makyng of Hattes, Dorneckes, and Couerlectes, at Norwiche, and in the countie of Norff.

WHere the makyng of Hattes, Dorneckes, and Couer∣lectes, haue of late bene begonne to be practised with in the citie of Norwiche, in whiche citie there be good and profitable ordinaunces, and constitutions, pro∣uided, and ordeined for the preseruacion, and conti¦nuance of the good makyng of the same hattes, dor∣neckes, and couerlectes, by reason wherof the young and ydle people of thesaid citie, to a great nombre, haue bene and yet be well occupied, mainteined, and sette on worke. And forasmuche as di∣uers euell, and couetouse disposed persons, exercysyng the misteries of makyng of hattes, and weauyng of couerlectes, and dorneckes, within thesaid citie, and not beyng brought vp, or practised in thesaid Attes, or misteries, to thentent thei might occupie and exercise thesaid miste∣ries out of thesaid citie of Norwiche, where no suche ordinaunces and constituciōs be made, or prouided, haue withdrawen them selues from thesaid citie into certeine townes nighe about thesame citie, where thei do, and may occupie, and exercise the makyng of hattes, weauyng of couerlectes, and dorneckes, disceiptfully, and insufficiently, without controllement, to the vtter decaie, aswell of thesaid craftes, and miste∣ries, as of thesaid citie, if remedie be not therin prouided:

It may therfore be enacted by the Kynges Maiestie, with thassent of the Lordes Spiritual, and Temporal, and the commons in this pre∣sent Parlament assembled, and by the aucthoritie of the same, that no person by hym selfe, or by his seruaunt, or apprentice, shall from, and aftre the feast of S. Michael Tharchaungel nexte commyng, make, or worke any feltes, or thrommed hattes, or weaue, or make any couerlec∣tes, or dorneckes, or occupie, vse, or exercise the misteries, or occupaciōs of makyng of feltes, or thrōmed hattes, or weauyng of dorneckes, and couerlectes, or any of them, within thesaid citie of Norwiche, or within the countie of Norff, oneles he, or thei, that shal so make, or worke any such feltes, or hattes, or so occupie the occupaciō, or misterie of makyng of feltes, or hattes as aforesaid, within thesaid citie, or countie, be licē∣ced, and admitted so to do by the Maiour, recorder, stewarde, and two iustices of the peace of thesaid citie, or by foure of thē, or that haue bene apprentice to the same occupacion, and misterie of feltes, and hattes makyng, by the space of .vij. yeres, & in lyke case oneles suche person, or persons, that shal so make or weaue dorneckes, or so occupie the occu∣paciō, or misterie of dorneckes weauyng within thesaid citie, or countie be licenced, or admitted so to do by the Maiour, recorder, stewarde, and

two Iustices of the peace, of thesayde citie, or by foure of them, or that haue bene apprentice to thesayde misterie, and occupaciō, of dorneckes weauyng, by the terme of .vij. yeres: And onles he or they that shall so make, or weaue, couerlectes, or so occupie the attes or misterie of couer¦lectes weauyng or makyng, be licenced and admitted so to doe, by the Maiour, Recorder, steward, & two iustices of the peace, of thesaid citie. or by .iiij. of them, or that haue bene apprētice to the occupaciō, and mi∣sterie of couerlectes weauing & makīg, by yē space or terme of .vij. yeres

And be it also enacted by thaucthoritie aforesayde, that no persone, or persones, shal frō hencefurth make any feltes, or hattes, or weaue or make, any dorneckes, or couerlectes, as aforesaid, or occupie, exercise, or vse thoccupacion, artes, or misteries, of makyng of hattes, or feltes, or weauing or making of dorneckes, or couerlectes, or any of thē, as afore¦sayd, in any place, out of thesaid citie of Norwich, within thesaid coūtie of Norfolcke, but only in a corporate, or market toune, vpō pain of for feictyng, aswel of the feltes, hattes, dorneckes, and couerlectes, & euery of them, whiche shalbe made, wrought, or wouē, contrary to the fourme effecte, and tenoure of this acte, or of any parte or clause thereof, as al∣so ten shillinges, for euery haulf douseyne of thesayde feltes or hattes, and of iij. s̄ .iiij. ł. for euery couerlecte, and of .vi. s̄ .viij. ł. for euery .vi. yardes of dorneckes, so as is aforesaid, to be made, wouen or wrought contrary to this acte, the one haulf of whiche forfaictures, to be to the kyng our souereigne lorde, his heires, and successours, and the other haulfe therof to the persone, or persones, that shall or wil seyse thesame or that will or shall sue for thesame, or for any parte therof, in the kyn∣ges courte of the Guilde hall within thesaid citie of Norwiche, or in a∣ny other of the kynges courtes of recorde, within this Realme of Eng∣lande, by Action of detinew, debte, playnt, byll, informacion, or other wise, in whiche sayd action or actions, sute, bill, plaint, or informacion, no essoyne, wager of lawe, protection or forein plea to the iurisdictiō of the court, shalbe admitted or allowed.

Prouided alwaie, that all and euery suche persone and persones, as do nowe dwell or hereafter shall dwell, and exercise the mistery of dor∣neckes, and couerlectes makyng, within the towne or paroche of Pul∣ham, in thesayde countie of Norfolcke shall and may occupie, and exer¦cise the makyng of dorneckes, and couerlectes, within thesayde towne of Pulham, as they haue heretofore vsed to do, any thyng in this acte conteined to the contrary, notwithstandyng.

And be it further enacted by the aucthoritie aforesayde, that if the Maiour, Recorder, Stewarde, or iustices of peace, of thesaide citie, for the tyme beyng, or any of them, shall take any somme of money or re∣warde, for admittyng of any persone to occupie or vse any of the artes or misteries aforesayd, that for euery suche tyme, and euery suche case, the persone so offendyng, shall lose and forfeicte .v. ł. the one parte of

whiche forfeicture to be to our souereigne lorde the kyng, and the other halfe to hym, or them that shall sue for thesame, as is aforesayde.