20 C. 2 2. Anno fecundo [vulgo primo] Jacobi I. A. D. 1604. therefore commonly accuftomed, and therefore prepared, unlefs the fame Leather have been before law- fully fearched and fealed in fome open Fair or Market, or other Place lawfully appointed to and for the Searching and Sealing of Leather; (2} nor fhall after the faid Feaft offer or put to Sale any tanned Leather i^ed and unwrought, before the fame be fearched and fealed according to the Laws and Order of this Statute hereafter mentioned ; (3) upon Pain of Forfeiture for every Hide or Piece of Leather fo fold, exchanged, or otherwife departed with, contrary to the true Meaning of this A&, fix Shillings eight Pence, and for every Dozen of Calves-fkins or Sheep-fkins, three Shillings four Pence, and the f/aV*i ^e. ^'^ °^ Hides, Skin or Skins, and Leather in any other wife fold, exchanged or bought, or the fe'a. 3. ' " Value thereof. Leather nor fuf- XV. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid. That if any Perfon or Perfons ufing, or oi'dried '^""* which fhall ufe, the Myftery or Faculty of Tanning, (hall at any Time or Times hereafter offer or put to Sale any Kind of Leather which (hall be infufRciently or not throughly tanned, or which fliall not then have been after the Tanning thereof well and througnly dried; fo that the fame by the Triers of Leather lav/fully appointed according to this prefent A6t, for the Time being, (hall be found to be infulBciently or not throughly tanned, or not throughly dried as aforefaid ; That then all and every fuch Perfon ana Perfons lb oftending (hall forfeit and lofe fo much, of his or their faid Leather as (liall be fo found infuffi- ciently and not throughly tanned, or not throughly dried as aforefaid ; that is to fay, the whole Hide, Backer Skin, or other Piece of Leather, if the Whole be infufficiently or not throughly tanned, or not throughly dried : (2) And if the whole Hide, Back, Skin, or other Piece of Leather be not fufficiently or not tliroughly tanned, or not throughly dried, then only fo much of the Hide, Back, Skin, or other Piece of Leather, as fliall be infufficiently or not throughly tanned, or not throughly dried; the fame to be cut out by the Over-fight, Difcretion and Dire<Sion of the Triers hereafter in this A6t to be appointed, upon the Oaths of the faid Triers. ^'^^'iiaiten'thV ' ^^L And whereas divers Tanners for Greedinefs of Gain do Overmuch haften the Tanning of their Ta^niUng of Lea- ' Leather, and for that Purpofe do ufe divers crafty and fubtile Pradlices, fometimes laying their Leather in thsr. ' their Fats, fet in their old Tanhills, where it may be tanned in the hot Woozes, taking unkind Heat in ' the fame Hill, and fometimes by putting of hot Woozes into their Tan-fats where the fame Hides or
- Leather lie, by which and other like fraudulent Pradtices they make their Leather to feem both fair and
' well and fufficiently tanned, within a very fhort Space:' Lcat^er rtiail not XVIL For Reformation whereof. Be it enadted by the Autliority aforefaid. That after the faid Feaft of take uiikuid St. Bartholomezv next coming, no Perfon or Perfons lliall fet their Fats in Tanhills, or other Places, where ^'* the Woozes or Leather that (hall be put to tan in the fame, (liall or may take any unkind Heats, or (liall put any Leather into any hot or warm Woozes, or (hall tan any Hide, Calve-skin or Sheep-skin, with any hot or warm Woozes whatfbever; (2) upon Pain that every Perfon fo offending fhall forfeit for every fuch Offence ten Pounds, and (hall alfo for every fuch Offence (land upon the Pillory three feveral Market-Days in the Market-Town next to the Place where the faid Offence fhall be committed. ' XVin. And forafmuch as Bark is of late become very dear and fcarce, Vvihich happeneth partly by
- Reafon that divers Perfons do ingrofs and buy great Quantities thereof, and then do fell the fame again .
' at excefiive and unreafonable Prices, and partly by the unfeafonable felling of Oak out of the Barking- ' time:' BoRwatin^* XIX, Be it enadted by the Authority aforefaid. That no Perfon or Perfons (hall regrate, ingrofs, or ingrofiing'of g^t into his or their Hands by Buying, Contradting or Promife-taking, any Oaken Bark, before it be OakenBaik. (tripped, or after, to the Intent to fell the fame again; (2) upon Pain of Forfeiture of all fuch Barks fa by him or them regrated, ingrofied or bought, contrary to the true Meaning of this prefent Branch, or the full Value thereof. At what Time XX. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid. That no Perfon or Perfons (hall from and be'bsrkedlh u* ^^"-^^ ^'^^ Feaft of St. Bartholomnv next coming, fell or caufe to be felled any Oaken Trees meet to be be felled. barked, where Bark is worth two Shillings a Cart-load, over and above the Charges of Barking and Pill- ing, (Timber to be imployed to and for the neceffary and needful Building or Reparation of Houfes, Ships or Mills, only excepted) but between the firft Day of April and the laft Day of June; upon Pain of Forfeiture of every fuch Oaken Tree fo felled, or the double Value thereof. iM?feii"-'"r" ' ■^•^^" ^^^ ^°^ ^^^ better Prefervation of Timber, which by the Takers of Timber is fpoiled througlt 'o'b s! ^'"' "' ' the greedy Defire of Gain of the Lops, Tops or Bark of Timber-trees' ;. Be it tlierefore enadted by the 3a Cir. 2. c. 24. Authority aforefaid, That no Taker or Takers, Purveyor or Purveyors of Timber, or his or their Deputy or Deputies, (hall fell or caufe to be felled for the Ufe of the King's Majefty, his Heirs or Succeilbrs,. any Oaken Timber- tree or Trees meet to be barked, but in barking Time, (Trees to be felled for the No taking of needful and neceffary Building or Repairing of any his Majefty's Houfes or Ships only excepted) ; (2) ^°ps. or (liall in any wife take or receive any Manner of Profit, Gain or Commodity by any Lops, Tops or Bark of any Trees, to be taken by them or any of them ; ( 3 ) or (hall in any w 'fe take, carry, away, give> fell or difpofe from the Owner, any more of any Tree to be taken as is aforefaid, than only the Timber of the fame Tree or Trees to be ufed and beftowed, or imployed only in, upon or about the King's Majefty's Buildings or Ships ; (4) upon Pain of Forfeiture to the Party grieved, for every Tree, and lor the Lops, Tops or Bark of every Tree, taken contrary to the Meaning of this Article, forty Shillings ; (5) and that it fhall be lawful to the Party of whom fuch Tree or Trees fhall be taken, or to any other tor and in his Name, to take, retain, withhold and keep to himfelf all the Bark, Lop and Top of fuch Tree or Trees, any Commiflion or other Matter whatfoever notwithftanding. •^'"^T"*' °^ ' ■^•^^^- And forafmuch as no Leather can be fo well tanned, but it may be marred in the Currying, " Be it therefore enadted by the Authority aforefaid. That from and after the Fenft of St. Michael the ArcR- angel next coming, no Perfon or Perfons fhall curry any Kind of Leather in the Houfe of any Shoemaker ©S
