English Economic History: Select Documents

by Unknown

III. For reformation whereof, be it enacted by our sovereign lady the Queen's Highness, and by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of this present parliament assembled and by the authority of the same, that no person or persons whatsoever, from or after the feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist now next ensuing, shall bring or cause to be brought into this realm of England from the parts of beyond the seas, any girdles, harness for girdles, rapiers, daggers, knives, hilts, pummels, lockets, chapes, dagger-blades, handles, scabbards, and sheaths for knives, saddles, horse-harness, stirrups, bits, gloves, points, leather-laces or pins, being ready made or wrought in any parts of beyond the seas, to be sold, bartered or exchanged within this realm of England or Wales; upon pain to forfeit all such wares so to be brought contrary to the true meaning of this act, in whose hands soever they or any of them shall be found, or the very value thereof. This act to continue and endure to the end of the next parliament.

8. An Act Touching Cloth-Workers and Cloths Ready Wrought to be Shipped Over the Sea [8 Eliz. c. 6, Statutes of the Realm, Vol. IV, Part I, p. 489], 1566.

For the better employment and relief of great multitudes of the Queen's Majesty subjects, using the art and labour of cloth-working, it may please the Queen's most excellent Majesty, at the most humble suit of her said subjects, that it be enacted, and be it enacted by the authority of this present parliament:—That from henceforth for every nine clothes unwrought, hereafter to be shipped or carried into any the parts beyond the seas, contrary to the form of any statute heretofore made and now remaining in strength, by force of any licence hereafter to be granted, the party that shall ship and carry over the same, shall ship and carry over also one like woollen cloth of like sort, length, breadth and goodness, ready wrought and dressed; that is to say, rowed, barbed, first coursed and shorn from the one end to the other, so that every tenth cloth passing over the seas in form aforesaid may and shall be dressed within this realm, before the same shall be shipped or transported over, upon pain to forfeit for every such nine clothes so to be shipped or transported contrary to the meaning of this act, ten pounds. Provided always, that every such tenth cloth so to be transported ready wrought, shall not be accounted any of the clothes permitted to be transported by force of such licence, but that such person as shall have such licence may transport according to such licence the full number of clothes unwrought mentioned in the same licence, over and above the number of such tenth clothes which they shall be compelled to ship and carry over by force of this statute. And be it further enacted by authority aforesaid, that from the last day of February now next coming, no person shall ship or carry into the parts beyond the seas, contrary to the form of any statute heretofore made now remaining in force, any cloth commonly called Kentish cloth or Suffolk cloth, made or to be made in the counties of Kent or Suffolk, unwrought and undressed within this realm; that is to say, not rowed, barbed, first coursed and shorn; upon pain to forfeit for every such cloth, commonly called Kentish or Suffolk cloth, made or to be made in either of the said counties, so to be shipped or transported contrary to the form of this statute, forty shillings; and that no licence for transporting of any cloth or clothes shall be construed or expounded to extend to any such Kentish or Suffolk cloth, made or to be made in either of the said counties to be from henceforth transported....

9. Incorporation of a Joint-Stock Mining Company [Patent Rolls,[308] 10 Eliz., Part V], 1568.

Elizabeth by the Grace of God, etc. To all unto whom these presents shall come, greeting.

Whereas we ... have ... given and granted full power, license and authority to Thomas Thurland, clerk, ... and to Daniel Houghsetter, a German born ... to search ... for all manner of monies or ores of gold, silver, copper, or quicksilver, within our counties of York, Lancaster, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and within our principality of Wales, or in any of them, and the same to try out, convert, and use to their most profit and commodity....

And whereas our pleasure, intent, and meaning in our said Letters Patent was that, for the better help and more commodity of the said Thomas Thurland and Daniel Houghsetter and their several assignees, they ... might ... grant ... parts and portions of the said licenses ... and thereupon their several assignees have ... granted ... to ... William, Earl of Pembroke, and Robert, Earl of Leicestershire, and to ... James, Lord Mountjoy, and to Sir William Cecil, knight, our principal secretary, and John Tamworth and John Dudley, esquires, Leonell Duchet, citizen and alderman of London, Benedict Spynola, of London, merchant, John Lover, William Winter, Anthony Duchett, of the County of Westmoreland, gentlemen ... Daniel Ulstett, a German born [and ten others], divers parts and portions of the licenses, powers, authorities, privileges, benefits and immunities aforesaid;

By force whereof the said Thomas Thurland and Daniel Houghsetter ... have travailed in the search, work and experiment of the mines and ores aforesaid ... and have now brought the said work to very good effect, whereby great benefit is like to come to us and this our Realm of England, which also will the rather come to pass if the persons ... having interest in the privileges aforesaid might by our grant be incorporated and made a perpetual body politic; ...

Know ye, therefore, that we ... do give and grant to the aforenamed William Earl of Pembroke [and the others as above] that they by the name of Governor, Assistants, and Commonalty for the Mines Royal shall be from henceforth one body politic in itself incorporate, and a perpetual society of themselves both in deed and name....

And, further, we ... will and grant ... that they ... shall and may not only admit into the said corporation and society such and as many persons as by the statutes ... shall be prescribed ... so that every such person ... shall ... have for the term of his life at the least the benefit of a quarter of one four-and-twenty part of the licenses, powers, authorities, privileges, benefits and communities aforesaid, ... but also shall and may minister to every such person to be admitted an oath tending to the due performing and keeping of the rules, statutes, and ordinances in form aforesaid to be made ...