Persons near London may not make unsound, hollow, or improperly heated
bricks.
Makers of narrow woolen cloths must weave or set in the head of every piece his initials or else forfeit one pound. This is to prevent frauds and abuses, particularly in stretching and straining the cloth. The fulling mill owner must append his seal of lead with his name and with his measurements. The searcher to be appointed must measure such cloths when wet for conformity to standard measurements and append his seal with his measurements. He may also inspect any places he chooses.
In 1774, any wool-making employee not returning all working tools and implements and wool and all materials with which entrusted back to his employer, or who fraudulently steams, damps, or waters such wool, or who takes off any mark on any piece of cloth, shall go to the House of Correction for one month. If he absconds with or sells such or anyone fraudulently buys or receives such from him, a search warrant may be issued to seize any other such tools or material. If found, the possessor may be brought to account before a Justice of the Peace, and if his account is not satisfactory, he shall forfeit such. A search warrant may also be issued for houses on "just cause to suspect" by oath of a credible witness. For a second offense, the penalty is up to three months in a House of Correction. For a third offense, the penalty is up to six months in a House of Correction and public whipping.
Bakers must mark their bread with W for white, WH for wheaten, and H for household or else forfeit 20s. to the informer. In 1758, a new assize of bread set prices for rye, barley, oats, and beans by the bushel. The prices for the three qualities of wheat, for wheaten (prized and unprized), and for household grain by the bushel were to be determined from within a statutory range by the local Mayor or Justice of the Peace. Mayors and Justices of the Peace were to determine a fair profit for their local bakers for all the types of bread. A miller, mealman, or baker adulterating bread was to forfeit 40s. 10 pounds, part of which money could be used in publishing his name, abode, and offense in the local newspaper. Later, there was a forfeiture of 1-5s. for every ounce underweight. Household bread was to be 1/4 cheaper than wheaten or forfeit 10-40s. Bread inferior to wheaten was not to be sold at a price higher than household or else forfeit up to 20s. If the forfeiture was not paid, it could be levied by distress, or otherwise the offender was to spend one month in gaol or a House of Correction.
Straw to be sold in London must be sound, firmly bound in a truss, and of a given weight or else forfeit it and 20s. if no truss, and 1s. if in truss but underweight or of mixed quality. Handlers must keep registers of sellers, buyers, weights, dates of sale, and prices or else forfeit 10-20s.
Frame-work knitted pieces and stockings shall be marked with the correct number of threads by the master, frame-work knitter, or master hosier, or forfeit the goods and 5 pounds. If a journeyman apprentice, or servant employ does not mark correctly, he shall forfeit the goods and 5s.-40s. Sellers of such shall forfeit the goods and 5 pounds per piece.
At every fishing season, the quantity of salt, foreign or domestic, used by a proprietor for curing fish for export shall be accounted and sworn to so that it can be compared with the quantity of fish exported by the proprietor to ensure that the salt duties are fully paid, or else forfeit 40 pounds. If such salt is sold for other uses than curing fish, the proprietor is to forfeit 20s. per bushel sold and the users thereof, to forfeit 20s. per bushel bought, delivered, or used. If one can't pay, he is to be whipped and put to hard labor in a House of Correction for up to three months.
Agreements between coal owners, lightermen, fitters, master or owners of ships, hindering the free sale, loading, and unloading, navigating, or disposing of coals are illegal, null, and void. This is engrossing and has caused the price of coals to go up.
No coal trader or dealer may use his own lighters, barges, or other vessels to carry coals on the Thames River to and from any ship and to and from any wharf, dock, or creek because this has impaired the business of the watermen and wherrymen, whose vessels must now be registered and display such mark on their hulls. No lightermen nor buyers of coals may act as agent for any master or owner of a ship importing coals into London or else forfeit 200 pounds, because this combination has caused the price of coal to go up. Selling one sort of coal for another is punishable by forfeiture of 500 pounds. Only standard size coal sacks may be used for selling coal and they must be sealed and stamped by an official at the Guildhouse before sale. The mayor and aldermen of London may set the price of coals coming into this port. In other areas, Justices of the Peace set the prices of coals which allowed "a competent profit". If a merchant refused to sell at that price, the Justice of the Peace could authorize seizure and sale by officers.
Later, coal measurers must give the coal cart driver a ticket with the name of the sellers and consumers, the quantity and quality of the coal, its price, the date of sale, and the name of the cart driver or else forfeit 5 pounds. The cart driver must give this ticket to the consumer or forfeit 5 pounds. If coal is carried by cart without a ticket, the seller forfeits 50 pounds and the driver 5 pounds.