■•*• D. J 5 33' Anno viccfitno quinto H&NRICI VJII. C. 13. 185 C A XIII. Concerning the Number oi" Sheep ore fhould keep. ' fTOrafrnuch as divers and fundi I rfona of the King'-, this Realm, to whom God of his '•' 1 p i h difp fed gn PIi nty and kbund i ^le Subftance, now of late within I have daily ftudicd, | til I, and invented Ways :ind Means how they might accumulate- and together into few Hands, as well great Multitude of Farms as greal Plenty of Cattle, aivd inefpe-
- cial Sheep, putting fuch Lands as they can get to Palture, and Dot to '1 illage, (z) whereby they have not
- only pulled down Churches and Towns, and inhanced the old Rates of the Rents of the PofTflions of
- this Realm, or elfc brought it to fuch exceffive Fines that no poor Man is able to meddle with it, but
railed and enhanced the Prices of all manner of Corn, Cattle, Wool, Pigs, Geefe, Hens, 1 Chickens, Eggs, and fuch other, almoft double above the Prices which have been accuftomed ; (2) by ( real hi whereo? a marvellous Multitude and Number of the People of this Realm be not able to provide
- Meat, Diinlc anil Clothes neceflary for themfelves, their Wives and Children, but be fo difcouraged with
1 Mifery and Poverty, that they fall daily to Theft, Robbery and other Inconvenicncies, or pitifully die for ' Hunger and Cold ; (1) and as it is thought by the King's molt humble and loving Subjects, that one of
- the greate.it Occafions that moveth and provokcth thofe greedy and covetous People fo to accumulate and
' keep in their Hands fuch great Portions and Parts of the Grounds and Lands of this Realm from the oc- ing of the poor Hufbandmcn, and fo to ufe it in Pafture, and not in Tillage, is only the great Pro- ' fit that comcth of Sheep, which now be come to a few Perfons Hands of this Realm, in refpect of the ' whole Number of the King's Subjects, that fomG have four and twenty thoufand, fome twenty thou-
- land, fome ten thoufand, fome fix thoufand, fome five thoufand, and fome more, and fome lefs ; (5)
' by the which a good Sheep for Victual, that was accuftomed to be fold for two Shillings Four-pence. TBe federal" Em
- or three Shillings at the molt, is now fold for fix Shillings, or five Shillings, or four Shillings at the ormiticsthat do
' leaft ; (6) and a Stone of clothing Wooll, that in fome Shires of this Realm was accuftomed to be fold cnfl " b J ,hc ' for Eightecn-pcncc or Twenty-pence, is now fold for four Shillings, or three Shillings Four-pence at the ^ • ,*• c:re . n¥ ' leaft; and in fome Countries where it hath been fold for two Shillings Four-pence, or two Shillings si 1Kp , ' Eight-pence, or three Shillings at the moft, it is now fold for five Shillings, or four Shillings Eight-
- pence the leaft, and fo are railed in every Part of this Realm ; (7) which Things, thus ufed, be prin-
' cipally to the high Difpleafurc of Almighty God, to the Decay of the Hofpitality of this Realm, to the ' diminifhing of the King's People, and to the Let of the Cloth-making, whereby many poor People
- have been accuftomed to be fet on Work ; and in Conclufion, if Remedy be not found, it may turn to
' the utter Deftruction and Defolation of this Realm, which God defend ;' (8) It may therefore pleafe the King's Highnefs, of his moft gracious and godly Difpofition, and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, of their Goodnefs and Charity, with the Aflent of the Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, to or- dain and enact by the Authority of the fame, That no Perfon or Perfons from the Feaft of Saint Michael No Man fliall the Archangel, which fliall be in the Year of our Lord God 1535. fhall keep, occupy or have in his Pof- Jj ave abovc zcao feffion, in his own proper Lands, nor in the Pofleffion, Lands nor Grounds of any other which he fliall ,ee f' have or occupy in Farm, nor othervvife have of his own proper Cattle, in Ufe, Pofleffion or Property, by any manner of Means, Fraud, Craft or Covin, above the Number of two thoufand Sheep at one Time, within any Part of this Realm, of all Sorts and Kinds, (y) upon Pain to lofe and forfeit for every Sheep that any Perfon or Perfons fliall have or keep above the Number limited by this Act, iii.s. iv.d. the one Half to the King our Sovereign Lord, and the other Half to fuch Perfon as will fue for the fame, by ori- ginal Writ of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information in any Court of Record, in which Suit the Defendant fliall not wage his Law, nor have any Efloin or Protection allowed. II. Provided ahvay, That Lambs fliall not be accounted of the Number of the Sheep prohibited by this Lambsundcrone Act, fo long as they be under the Age of a Year, and not above. Yearold (hill III. Provided alfo, That if any Perfon having Sheep of his own, happen to be made Executor, or to not i>e counted be Adminiftrator to any Perfon which had Sheep at his Death, or happen to be married to any Perfon fl" ? ' which fliall happen to have Sheep at the i ime of the Marriage, by reafon whereof the Perfon fo being by Exccurorihip Executor or Adminiftrator, or being fo married, fhall happen by fuch Means to be advanced, and have above 01 Mairiagn '■• the laid Number of two thoufand Sheep ; that then in every fuch Cafe the Perfon fo advanced to lofe no Penalty for having above the Number of two thoufand Sheep by fuch Means, fo that within one Year next after fuch Advancement, the Perfon fo advanced, from Time to Time, as often as any fuch Cafe fliall happen, do put to Sale, or otherwife difpofe fo many of the faid Sheep fo to him advanced, or elfe of his own Sheep that he had before, fo that above one Year he fhall not keep, have or occupy by any fuch Means, or othervvife by any Fraud or Covin, any more Number of. them than is before limited by this Act, •upon the Pain before rehearfed. IV. Provided alio, That if any Perfon by his Lift Will and Teftament give to any Child within Age sheep bequeath- any Number of Sheep, and appoint them by his faid Will to be kept by his Executors, or by any otlier'ed "by" Will to a Perfon, until fuch Time as the faid Child fliall come to a certain Age limited by his Will, that then in Child within every fuch Cafe, after the Death of the Teftator, the faid Sheep, fo being in the Pofleffion and Occupation A £ e - of the Executors, or of any other Perfon to the Ufe of any fuch Child -within Age, for that Time only that the faid Child fliall be within the Age that he fhall be limited to have the faid Sheep by the Will of the Teftator, fliall not be accounted againft the ftid Executors, nor any Perfon fo having the faid Sheep, for the Intent aforcfaid, any of the Number of the Sheep prohibited by this AcTj any Thing in this Act to the conna: y thereof notwithftanding. Vol. II. B b V. And
