English Economic History: Select Documents

by Unknown

The Juries' Oath.

You shall swear, etc., that you shall enquire and make true and due search and trial what number of persons every householder that hath corn in their barns, stacks or otherwhere, as well justices of the peace as others whatsoever within the parish of ..., have in their houses; what number of acres they have certainly to be sown this year with any manner of grain; what bargains they have made with any persons for any kind of grain to be sold by or to them; to whom and by whom and upon what price they have made the same, and what quantity of any manner of grain they or any other have in their barns, garners, lofts, cellars or floors or otherwise to be delivered unto them upon any bargain.

Item, what number of badgers, ladders, broggers or carriers of corn do inhabit within the said parish, and whither they do use to carry their corn they buy, and where they do usually buy the same and what their names be, and how long they have used that trade, and by whose license, and to see the same licenses of what tenor they are of.

Item, what number of maltmakers, bakers, common brewers or tipplers dwell within the said parish, and who they are by name, and how long they have used that trade, and how much they bake or brew in the week, and what other trade they have whereby otherwise to live.

Item, who within the same parish be the great buyers of corn, or do buy, or have bought any corn or grain, to sell again, or have sold it again since midsummer last.

Item, who within the same parish buyeth or have bought or sold any corn upon the ground, of whom and to whom hath the same been bought or sold and at what prices, and to certify unto us of the premises and of every part thereof.

That the said justices of the peace, having received ... the verdicts of the said juries, ... shall call ... such persons before them of every parish as upon the presentment so made shall appear to have corn to spare, and upon due consideration of the number of persons which each hath in his house according to their qualities, and of the quantity of grain the party hath toward the finding of the same or otherwise to be spent in his house and sowing of his grounds, allowing to every householder for his expenses in his house for every person thereof according to their quality sufficient corn for bread and drink, between this and the next harvest, and for their seed after the rate of the sowing of that country upon an acre; and (sic) that they shall bind all such as shall appear to have more of any kind of grain than shall serve to uses above mentioned, as well justices of the peace as other, by recognizance in some good reasonable sums of money to observe the orders ensuing, viz., ...

You shall bring or cause to be brought weekly so many quarters or bushels of corn as wheat, rye, barley, malt, peas, beans, or other grain, or so much thereof as shall not be directly sold to the poor artificers or day labourers of the parish within which you dwell by order of the justice of the peace of the division within which you do dwell or two of them, to the market of ..., there to be by you or at your assignment sold unto the Queen's subjects in open market by half quarters, two bushels, one bushel or less as the buyer shall require of you, and not in greater quantity, except it be a badger or carrier of corn admitted according to the statute, or to a common known brewer or baker, ... and you shall not willingly leave any part of your corn unsold if money be offered to you for the same by any that are permitted to buy the same after the usual price of the market there that day, neither shall you from the beginning of the market to the full end thereof keep or cause to be kept any part of your said corn out of the open sight of the market....

Ye shall buy no corn to sell it again.

Ye shall neither buy nor sell any manner of corn but in the open market, unless the same be to poor handicraftsmen or day-labourers within the parish where you do dwell that cannot conveniently come to the market towns by reason of distance of place, according to such direction as shall be given unto you in that behalf by the justices of the peace of that division within which you do dwell, or two of them, and to none of these above one bushel at a time.