Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

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I. In most humble and dutiful wise sheweth, beseeching your Highness, your true and faithful subjects, the clothiers and chapmen of your counties of York, Lancaster, and other counties the north side of the river of Trent, that (1) notwithstanding the many good and wholesome laws heretofore made for the true making of good and true clothes and kersies, which laws, either by some wants in the statutes already made, or for lack of the due execution of the said laws, have not only not restrained the great abuse in making of clothes and kersies, but rather have increased the same; (2) insomuch that the said northern clothes and kersies do yearly and daily grow worse and worse, and are made more light, and much more stretched and strained than heretofore they have been, to the great deceit of all nations where the said clothes and kersies are sold, and to the great shame and slander of the country where the same is made, and within short time like utterly to overthrow the trade of cloth-making in those countries, whereupon so many thousands of your subjects do now live and are maintained; (3) which great enormities your faithful subjects do chiefly impute to the great number of tenters and other engines daily used and practised in the said counties for the stretching and straining of the said clothes and kersies; (4) for remedy and redress whereof, your said subjects humbly beseech your most excellent Majesty, that it may please your Highness, with the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, it may be enacted, any statute or law whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding, that no person or persons within any the counties aforesaid, from and after the twentieth day of September now next coming, shall stretch or strain, or cause to be stretched or strained, any clothes, dozens, kersies, penistones, rugs, friezes, Keighley whites, plain greys, or any other clothes, by what name or names soever they be called, made or hereafter to be made within the said counties of York, Lancaster, or any other the counties on the north of Trent; upon pain to forfeit for every default five pounds.

II. And further, That no person or persons, from and after the said twentieth day of September, within the counties aforesaid, or any of them, shall have, use or occupy any tenter, of what sort or kind soever, or any manner of wrinch, rope or other engines, to stretch or strain any clothes, kersies, dozens, penistones, rugs, friezes, cottons, Keighley whites, plain greys, or any other cloth, of what kind or name soever it or they be called, made, wrought or to be made or wrought, within the said counties; (2) upon pain that every offender that shall have or use, or exercise any such tenter, of what sort or kind soever, or any manner of rope, wrench, ring-head or engine, shall forfeit for every such default twenty pounds.

III. And further, that every person or persons within the counties aforesaid, or any of them, which shall make or cause to be made any clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, weights, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names foever it or they be called, shall make the same of such weights, lengths and breadths, as by the statutes of this realm already in force is provided, under the pains in the same statutes contained; (2) And before the same be sold or offered to be sold, shall set his seal of lead unto every of the same clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, plain greys, penistones, Keighley whites, friezes, or by what name or names it or they be called: In which said seal of lead shall be contained the true and just length, and the true and just weight at the least of every such cloth, kersie, dozen, cotton, penistone, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or by what name or names soever it or they and weight shall be called, as it shall be duly found by due proof thereof to be tried by water or weight; (3) upon pain to forfeit every cloth, dozen, cotton, kersey, penistone, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or other cloth, by what name or names soever it or they be called, which shall be made within any the counties aforesaid, whereunto such seal as is aforesaid thall not be put and set: (4) And in case, upon proof to be made by water or weight, of any such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or any other cloth as is aforesaid, shall be found of less weight, or of smaller content in length, than is contained or specified in any of the said seals, that the owner of every such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites and friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called as aforesaid, or any other person or persons in whose hands or possessions any such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, shall be found, shall forfeit for every yard wanting in length, four shillings, and for every pound wanting in weight, two shillings.

IV. And for the better and more speedy and effectual reforming of all such abuses as is aforesaid, be it further enacted, That in every parish, town, village and hamlet within the counties aforesaid, where any clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, shall be made or sold, the justices of peace of the lame shire or riding, or two of them at the least, and in every city, borough or town corporate, the head officer or officers of every of the same city, borough or town corporate, together with some one or two of the justices of the peace of the shire or riding next adjoining to such city, borough or town corporate, shall have full power and authority, and shall by virtue of this act once every year at the least, and as often as they shall think good, to convent and call them by their precept or otherwise, two, four, fix or eight, or more, as they shall think good by their discretion, of the most honest, discreet and able men of every such city, town, village, hamlet or parish where any such cloth shall be made or sold, and them shall constitute, ordain and appoint to be overseers for one whole year, or six months, or shorter time, at their discretions, then next following, within the city, borough, town, village, hamlet or parish where the same overseers shall be dwelling, (2) and shall and may take them sworn and bound in recognisance of forty pounds a-piece, to the use of your most excellent Majesty and your successors, to do their best endeavour by all lawful ways and means for their time, to fee that this statute in all points shall be truly observed and kept within the limits of their charge in every part thereof; (3) and that the same overseers, or two of them, shall once every month at the least, or so often as need shall require, or they shall think fit by their discretions, by force hereof visit and go into all or any house or houses, shops or other rooms of any clothiers, drapers, clothworkers, or of any other person or persons whatsoever, where any of the said cloth shall be, and there to make due search, and view the same made or remaining to be sold, and to take, search and try, as well by weight, water or any other way whatsoever, the said clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, kighly whites, and friezes, or any other clothes, by what name or names they be called: (4) And if any clothes aforesaid, upon search thereof, shall not be found to be sealed with a seal, containing the length and weight as aforesaid, then the clothier and every owner of the said cloth, shall forfeit every such cloth, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, Keighley whites and friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, made within the counties aforesaid, not so sealed, and sold or offered to be sold; (5) and the said overseers and every of them shall and may seize and carry away the same so forfeited as aforesaid, and present the same to the justices of peace at the next quarter-sessions, to be by them disposed of as hereafter is in these presents limited and appointed.

Comment

Comment

V-XII omitted – select from them & above

There’s a mountain of legislation on the subject – see e.g. 1724

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Original

I. In most humble and dutiful wise sheweth, beseeching your Highness, your true and faithful subjects, the clothiers and chapmen of your counties of York, Lancaster, and other counties the north side of the river of Trent, that (1) notwithstanding the many good and wholesome laws heretofore made for the true making of good and true clothes and kersies, which laws, either by some wants in the statutes already made, or for lack of the due execution of the said laws, have not only not restrained the great abuse in making of clothes and kersies, but rather have increased the same; (2) insomuch that the said northern clothes and kersies do yearly and daily grow worse and worse, and are made more light, and much more stretched and strained than heretofore they have been, to the great deceit of all nations where the said clothes and kersies are sold, and to the great shame and slander of the country where the same is made, and within short time like utterly to overthrow the trade of cloth-making in those countries, whereupon so many thousands of your subjects do now live and are maintained; (3) which great enormities your faithful subjects do chiefly impute to the great number of tenters and other engines daily used and practised in the said counties for the stretching and straining of the said clothes and kersies; (4) for remedy and redress whereof, your said subjects humbly beseech your most excellent Majesty, that it may please your Highness, with the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, it may be enacted, any statute or law whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding, that no person or persons within any the counties aforesaid, from and after the twentieth day of September now next coming, shall stretch or strain, or cause to be stretched or strained, any clothes, dozens, kersies, penistones, rugs, friezes, Keighley whites, plain greys, or any other clothes, by what name or names soever they be called, made or hereafter to be made within the said counties of York, Lancaster, or any other the counties on the north of Trent; upon pain to forfeit for every default five pounds.

II. And further, That no person or persons, from and after the said twentieth day of September, within the counties aforesaid, or any of them, shall have, use or occupy any tenter, of what sort or kind soever, or any manner of wrinch, rope or other engines, to stretch or strain any clothes, kersies, dozens, penistones, rugs, friezes, cottons, Keighley whites, plain greys, or any other cloth, of what kind or name soever it or they be called, made, wrought or to be made or wrought, within the said counties; (2) upon pain that every offender that shall have or use, or exercise any such tenter, of what sort or kind soever, or any manner of rope, wrench, ring-head or engine, shall forfeit for every such default twenty pounds.

III. And further, that every person or persons within the counties aforesaid, or any of them, which shall make or cause to be made any clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, weights, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names foever it or they be called, shall make the same of such weights, lengths and breadths, as by the statutes of this realm already in force is provided, under the pains in the same statutes contained; (2) And before the same be sold or offered to be sold, shall set his seal of lead unto every of the same clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, plain greys, penistones, Keighley whites, friezes, or by what name or names it or they be called: In which said seal of lead shall be contained the true and just length, and the true and just weight at the least of every such cloth, kersie, dozen, cotton, penistone, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or by what name or names soever it or they and weight shall be called, as it shall be duly found by due proof thereof to be tried by water or weight; (3) upon pain to forfeit every cloth, dozen, cotton, kersey, penistone, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or other cloth, by what name or names soever it or they be called, which shall be made within any the counties aforesaid, whereunto such seal as is aforesaid thall not be put and set: (4) And in case, upon proof to be made by water or weight, of any such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes, or any other cloth as is aforesaid, shall be found of less weight, or of smaller content in length, than is contained or specified in any of the said seals, that the owner of every such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites and friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called as aforesaid, or any other person or persons in whose hands or possessions any such clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, shall be found, shall forfeit for every yard wanting in length, four shillings, and for every pound wanting in weight, two shillings.

IV. And for the better and more speedy and effectual reforming of all such abuses as is aforesaid, be it further enacted, That in every parish, town, village and hamlet within the counties aforesaid, where any clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, plain greys, Keighley whites, friezes or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, shall be made or sold, the justices of peace of the lame shire or riding, or two of them at the least, and in every city, borough or town corporate, the head officer or officers of every of the same city, borough or town corporate, together with some one or two of the justices of the peace of the shire or riding next adjoining to such city, borough or town corporate, shall have full power and authority, and shall by virtue of this act once every year at the least, and as often as they shall think good, to convent and call them by their precept or otherwise, two, four, fix or eight, or more, as they shall think good by their discretion, of the most honest, discreet and able men of every such city, town, village, hamlet or parish where any such cloth shall be made or sold, and them shall constitute, ordain and appoint to be overseers for one whole year, or six months, or shorter time, at their discretions, then next following, within the city, borough, town, village, hamlet or parish where the same overseers shall be dwelling, (2) and shall and may take them sworn and bound in recognisance of forty pounds a-piece, to the use of your most excellent Majesty and your successors, to do their best endeavour by all lawful ways and means for their time, to fee that this statute in all points shall be truly observed and kept within the limits of their charge in every part thereof; (3) and that the same overseers, or two of them, shall once every month at the least, or so often as need shall require, or they shall think fit by their discretions, by force hereof visit and go into all or any house or houses, shops or other rooms of any clothiers, drapers, clothworkers, or of any other person or persons whatsoever, where any of the said cloth shall be, and there to make due search, and view the same made or remaining to be sold, and to take, search and try, as well by weight, water or any other way whatsoever, the said clothes, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, kighly whites, and friezes, or any other clothes, by what name or names they be called: (4) And if any clothes aforesaid, upon search thereof, shall not be found to be sealed with a seal, containing the length and weight as aforesaid, then the clothier and every owner of the said cloth, shall forfeit every such cloth, kersies, dozens, cottons, penistones, Keighley whites and friezes, or any other cloth, by what name or names soever they be called, made within the counties aforesaid, not so sealed, and sold or offered to be sold; (5) and the said overseers and every of them shall and may seize and carry away the same so forfeited as aforesaid, and present the same to the justices of peace at the next quarter-sessions, to be by them disposed of as hereafter is in these presents limited and appointed.

1458 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• 9th Parliament of Elizabeth I (October 1597-February 1598) (1) ·
• Dozen (textile) (2), a kind of kersey or coarse woollen cloth ·
• Elizabeth I (1533-1603) (15), ruled 1558-1603, established an English Protestant church ·
• Frieze (textile) (1) ·
• Keighley white (1), a type of woollen cloth ·
• Keighley (8) ·
• Kersey (cloth) (2) ·
• Lancashire (34) ·
• Penistone (textile) (1), a kind of coarse woollen cloth used for garments, linings, etc. ·
• 📌Penistone (8), market town and parish in South Yorkshire/the West Riding west of Barnsley ·
• River Trent (4) ·
• Tenterground (1) ·
• Tenterhook (1) ·
• Textile manufacturing (59) ·
• Wool (28) ·
• Woollen (21) ·
• Yorkshire (8) ·

All tags.

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