284 C. 1 6. Anno tricefimo fee undo Henrici VIII. A. D. 1540. A Recital of 14 &15H.8. c a. 5EI.C.4. A Recital of 21 H. 3- c H Ail Strangers made Denizens fliall be obedient unto the Sta- tutes. iR. 3. c. 9. J4&15H.8. 21 H. 8. c. 2. A Provifo in all Letters Patents for making De- nizens, that they fhali.be obedient to the Laws, No Alien dwel- ling in Oxford, fce. fliall keep above two Ser- vants that be Strangers at one time. Every Alien hound by the Laws of this Realm. No Perfon may keep above four Strangers at oni time, ' III. And where alfo in the fourteenth and fifteenth Year of the Reign of our faid Sovereign Lord the King that now is, it was enacted, That no Stranger, born out of his Grace's Obeifance, were he Deni- zen or not Denizen, ufing any Handicraft or Occupation within this Realm, fliould take any Apprentice, except the fame Apprentice were born within his Grace's Dominions and Obeifance, upon Pain to for- feit for every fuch Apprentice fo taken, x. Ii. ' IV. And that alfo no Stranger, nor Alien born, under like Pain, ufing any Handicraft within this Realm, after a certain Time limited in the faid Act, fliould take or have any Journeyman or Covenant Servant, except fuch Journeyman or Covenant Servant were born under his Grace's Obeifance. ' V. And that all manner of Aliens born, as well being Denizens as not Denizens, inhabiting within the City of London, or a certain Space about the fame, fliould be under the Search and Reformation of the Wardens of the Fcllowfhip of Handicrafts within the faid City of London, as in the faid Eftatute, among other Things, more plainly appeareth. ' VI. And where alfo in the Parliament of our faid Sovereign Lord, holden at Weftminjier in the twenty- firft Year of his moil gracious Reign, it was enacted, among other Things, That no Stranger fliould keep any more Servants Strangers but only two at one Time, (2) and that all Denizens then made, or after to be made, which would inhabit within the faid City of London, or within a certain Circuit of the fame, and would there keep any Houfe or occupy any Craft or Occupation, fliould be contributory to and with the King's Grace's Subjects of the fame Craft or Occupation within the faid City of London, paying, bearing and fuftaining fuch Charges of the fame Craftfmen as in the fame Act is contained; (3) and that they fliould alfo prefent themfelves at the common Hall or Meeting- place of the faid Crafts in the City of London, and there to take a corporal Oath before the Matter and Wardens of the fame Craft, to be true to our faid Sovereign Lord the King and his Heirs ; (4) and alfo that no Stranger, Artificer or Handicraftfman, born out of his Grace's Allegiance, not being Denizen, fliould fet up, or keep any Houfe, Shops or Chambers, wherein they fliould exercife any Handicraft or Myftery within this Realm, upon like Penalties as been mentioned in the faid former Eftatute ; (5) and that alfo no Stranger nor Denizen, not being born within this Realm, fliould affemble in any Company, Fellowfhip, Congregation or Conventicle, but only in the common Hall of their Crafts, with his Grace's Subjects of the fame Craft, upon like Pain as is aforefaid, as in the faid Afts and Statutes, among many other Things, more plainly appeareth; (6) all which good, wholefome and beneficial Afts and Statutes been in manner infringed, fruftrated and defrauded, chiefly by the Means of divers Letters Patents obtained by the crafty Suits, Inventions and Practices of fuch Strangers, lately made Denizens in great Number, which Letters Patents do contain, that every fuch Denizen fliall be as free as Englijhmen naturally born within the King's Grace's Dominions and Obeifance ; any Acts or Statutes made or to be made to the contrary notwithitanding ; (7) by Reafon whereof the faid Denizens refufe to obey and perform fuch Orders and Directions as in the faid former Eftatutes were limited, prefcribed and declared, as well to and for fuch Strangers born out of the King's Obeifance, as at that Time were made Denizens, or that after fliould be made Denizens, to the great Hindrance and Decay of the Handicraftfmen, being the King's Grace's natural Lieges and Subjects.' VII. For Reformation whereof the King's moft Royal Majefty is contented and pleafed, that it be en- acted by his moft gracious Highnefs, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this pre- fent Parliament afTembled, and by Authority of the fame, That all manner of Strangers born out of his Grace's Obeifance, which heretofore have been made Denizens, or that hereafter fliall be made Denizens, from and after the firft Day of September next coming, fliall be bound and obedient by and unto all the forefaid Acts and Statutes, and to all the Contents of the fame, and to all other Afts and Statutes of this Realm heretofore made, now being in their Force and not repealed ; any Letters Patents or Ordinances heretofore made, or hereafter to be made, to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithftanding ; (2) and that alfo in all and every Letters Patents of or for the making of any Denizen, from and after the laft Day of this prefent Parliament, to be made to any Stranger not being born under the King's Grace's Obeifance, fliall be contained a Provifo, that he or they to whom fuch Letters Patents fliall be fo made and granted, fliall be bound and obedient by and unto all the Afts and Eftatutes of this Realm, as is aforefaid, and to all and every the Contents of the fame; (3) except it fliall be the King's moft gracious Pleafure to grant to any fuch Alien any fpecial Liberties or Privileges, more or otherwife than is contained in the faid Eftatutes ; and in that Cafe all fuch Liberties and Privileges fo to be granted to any fuch Alien, con- trary to the Form of any of the faid Eftatutes, fliall be plainly, wholly and particularly exprefled, fpecified and declared by fpecial Words, as well in the Bill affigned with the King's Grace's Hand for obtaining of any fuch Grant, as in the Letters Patents to be made out of the Chancery for and concerning the fame. VIII. And furthermore be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Alien or Stranger, Denizen or not Denizen, ufing any Handicraft, being born out of the King's Grace's Obeifance, inhabiting within the Univerfities of Oxford or Cambridge, or within the Precinft of St. Martin's le Grand in London, or within any other fuch like Places privileged, fliall from theFeaft of St. Michael the Archangel next coming, retain, have or keep in their Service, any Apprentice, Journeyman or Servant, being Aliens born out of the King's Obeifance, above the Number of two Perfons at me time ; (2) upon Pain and Penalty contained in trie faid Aft made in the faid fourteenth and fifteenth Years of his Grace's Reign ; any Act or Provifion here- tofore made to the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. IX. And that it be alfo enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That every AJien and Stranger'born out of the King's Obeifance, not being Denizen, which now or hereafter fliall come in or to this Realm, or clfe- where within the King's Dominions, fliall, after t e faid firft Day of September next coming, be bou'nden by and unto the Laws and Statutes of this Realm, and to all and fingular the Contents of the fame. X. And that none of the King's Subjects fhall retain or keep together at one time in his Koufhold, Ser- vice or Family, above the Number of four Strangers born out of the King's Obeifance; (2) nor that any
