C. 4. Anno vicdimo tertio Henrici VIII. A. D. 1531. Cooper, nrr make any Ba rels, Sec. Veffels for Ale' and Beer (hall be made of fca- fonable Wosd, and marked. The Contents of Barrels, Kil- derkins, &c. Prices of Barrels, Kilderkins, and Firkins. Rep. 8 El. c. 9. and farther Provifions re- lating thereto. Veffels of Ale or Beer to be marked by a Cooper. Prices of Ale and Beer affeffed by Juftices of Peace and other Officers. Kell. 103. Cro. Car. 112. I Roll 50. pi. IS. Sopcmakers. The Content and Weight of Sope Veffels. Wardens of Coop-rs (hall fearch in Lon- don, own Servants, whereby they fhall put their Beer or Ale to Sale ; (3) but that all fuch Barrels, Kilderkins, and other Veflels of Wood, wherewith they fhall put their Beer or Ale to Sale, fliall from henceforth be made and marked according as hereafter fhall be exprefl'ed, by the common Artificers of Cooper^ exercifed and practifed in the faid Occupation, upon Pain to forfeit and pay for every fuch Barrel, Kilderkin, Firkin, or other Veflel hereafter to be made contrary to the Tenor of this Act, Three Shillings Four Pence. II. And be it alfo enacted, That every Artificer of the Craft or Myftery of Coopers, that will exercife or practife to make any of the faid Veffels for Beer or Ale to be put to Sale, fhall make the fame Veflels, and every of them, of good and feafonable Wood, and put his proper Mark upon every of them ; (2) and that every Barrel for Beer fhall contain xxxvi. Gallons, every Kilderkin for Beer xviij. Gallons, and every Firkin for Beer ix. Gallons, of the King's Standard Gallon ; (3) and that every Barrel for Ale fhall contain xxxij: Gallons, every Kilderkin for Ale xvi. Gallons, and every Firkin for Ale vlij. Gallons, of the King's Standard Gallon ; fo that they fhall be of good and jtfft Meafure, or elfe above, and not under. (4) And that no Cooper fhall make any other VefTel for Beer or Ale, to be fold within this Realm, of any greater or lefler Number of Gallons than is abovefaid, unlefs he fhall caufe to be marked upon every fuch Y^effel that he fhall fo make of greater or lefler Number of Gallons, the true and certain Number of as-, many Gallons as every fuch other Veflel fhall contain, to the Intent that every Perfon may know the Content thereof. III. And that no fuch Artificer of Coopers fhall inhance the Prices of any fuch Barrels, Kilderkins, Fir- kins, or other Veflels, in the Sale of them to any Ale-Brewer or Beer-brewer, or other Perfon, but keep th« Rates of fuch Prices as hereafter enfueth, and not above, upon Pain to forfeit for every Barrel, Kil- derkin, and Firkin defective, or inhanced in Price, in any Point contrary to this Act, iij. s. 4. d. that is to fay, for every Beer-barrel ix. d. for every Beer-kilderkin v. d. and for every Beer-firkin iij. d. and the Ale- barrel xvi. d. and the Ale-kilderkin ix. d. and the Ale-firkin v. d. IV. And be it further enacted by the faid Authority, That no Beer-brewer nor Ale-brewer, at any! Time after the Feafl of Lammas now next coming, fhall put their Beer or Ale to Sale to any Perfon or Perfons, to be fpent and occupied within this Realm, in any other Barrels, Kilderkins, Firkins, or other Veflels of Wood, other than fhall be made and marked by an Artificer of Coopers abovefaid, whereof every Barrel for Beer fliall contain and hold xxxvi. Gallons, every Half-barrel or Kilderkin xviij. Gallons, and every Firkin ix. Gallons ; and every Barrel for Ale fhall contain xxxij. Gallons, every Kilderkin xvi. Gallons and every Firkin viij. Gallons of full and juft Meafure, or above, and not under that Meafure. V. And that every Beer-brewer and Ale-brewer fhall not take over and above for every fuch Barrel, Kilderkin,- or Firkin of Ale and Beer, but after fuch Prices and Rates as fhall be thought convenient and fufficient by the Difcretions of the Juftices of Peace within every Shire where fuch Beer-brewer and Ale- brewer fhall dwell, without any City, Borough, or Town Corporate, where no Head-Officers, as May- ors, Bailiff's, Sheriffs, and other Head-Officers, have none Authority or Rule ; (2) and every City, Bo- rough, and Town, where there be Mayors, Sheriffs, or other Head-Officers, the fame Rates and Prices to be named and fefled by them and every of them by their Difcretions. (3) And that the faid Ale-brew- ers or Beer-brewers at any Time hereafter fhall not fell their Beer nor Ale at any higher Rates or Prices than fliall be to them affigned after the Form above rehearfed, upon Pain to lofe and forfeit for every Barrel' fo put to Sale contrary to this Eftatute, vi. s. for every Half-barrel or Kilderkin, iij.-s. iv. d. and for every Firkin ij. s. (4) and for every Veflel containing greater Number of Gallons, x. s. and for every other Veflel containing lefler Number of Gallons, xij. d. The One Half of all the which Penalties and For- feitures to be to the King our Sovereign Lord, and the other Half to him that will fue for the fame by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information in any of the King's Courts ; in which Action and Suit the Defendant fhall not wage his Law, nor any Eflbin, Protection, or Privilege to be admitted. VI. Be it alfo further enacted by the faid Authority, That all Manner of Sopemakers within this Realm of England, which fhall put to Sale any Sope by Barrel, Half-barrel, Firkin, or other Veflel, fliall from Lammas now next coming, make or caufe to be made their Barrels, Half-barrels, Firkins, and other Vef- fels, according to the Rates, Contents, Weights, and Affifes of old Time ufed and ace u flora ed; that is. to fay, every empty Barrel to hold and contain xxxij. Gallons, or above, and to be in Weight xxvj. Pounds, and not above, of full and juft Meafure; and every Half-barrel empty to be in Weight xiij. Pound, and not above, and to hold and contain xvj. Gallons, or above ; and every Firkin empty to weigh v}. Pounds and an Half, and not above, and to hold and contain viij. Gallons, or above, upon Pain of Forfeiture for every fuch Barrel, Half-barrel, Firkin, or other VefTel hereafter to be made, had, or ufed contrary to this Act iij. s. iv. d. VII. And alfo^be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Wardens of the Occupation or Myftery of Coopers within the City of London, from henceforth at all Times hereafter, when they fhall think con- venient and expedient, taking with them an Officer of the Mayor's, fhall have full Power and Authority, by virtue of this Act, to fearch, view, and gauge all Manner of fuch Barrels, Kilderkins, Firkins, and other Veflels to be made or occupied for Ale, Beer, or Sope, to be put to Sale within the City of Londom and Suburbs of the fame, and within Two Miles Compafs without the fame Suburbs, to view and fee that the fame Barrels, Kilderkins, Firkins, and other Veflels, as well within Liberties as without, be made and marked well and fufficiently, and bear and contain their true Contents, Rates, and Meafures, according to the Effect of this Eftatute ; (2) and alfo to mark every fuch Barrel, Kilderkin, Firkin, and other Veflel by them fo viewed and gauged, bearing and containing their true Contents, with the Sign and Token of Saint Anthonys Crofs. (3) The fame Wardens to have for the Search and Gauging of every fuch Barrel, Kilderkin, Firkin, and other Veflel by them fo fearched, viewed, gauged, and marked, One Farthing, and not above, of the Owners or Makers of the laid Veffels ; and fhall and may have Authority, by vir- tue of this Act, to retain every fuch Veflel as they fhall fo gauge, fearch, and mark, until fuch Time as they fhall be fatisfied thereof ; (4J and in cafe they fliall find any of the faid Veflels defective, not bearing their
