William and Mary, 1688: An Act for Explaining part of an Act made in the first yeare of King James the First concerning Tanned Leather. [Chapter XXXIII. Rot. Parl. pt. 4. nu. 13.]

1 Jac. I. c. 22. § 29.; Recital of Doubts whether certain Tanned Leather be a Ware within the said Act; what shall be made Ware within 1 Jac.I.c. 22. § 29.

WHEREAS by a Statute made in the first yeare of King James the First It was enacted That the Master and Wardens of the severall Mysteries of the Cordwainers Curriers Girdlers and Sadlers of the City of London for the time being or the major part of the said Master and Wardens of every the said severall Misteries under the penalty therein mentioned should foure times in the yeare at least (that is to say) once every quarter of the yeare or oftner if need should require search and view all Boots Shoes Buskins and other Wares and things whatsoever made of tanned Leather in all and every House and Houses place and places priviledged or not priviledged as well within the City of London and Suburbs thereof as in every other place within three miles of the same City where any Shoemaker Sadler Girdler Currier or other Artificer useing cutting working or dressing of Leather whether the same Bootes and Shoes Wares Stuffe or other things were made of tanned Leather and were wrought according to the purport effect and true meaning of the said Statute or not. And whereas some Doubts have beene made whether tanned Leather when and after it hath beene fully dressed and curryed by the Currier be a Ware within the said Statute and severall Suits of Law have been carryed on against the Master and Wardens of the Company of Curriers to their great Charge and Vexation and tending to the utter avoiding the good provision made in the said Statute for the due and lawfull currying and dressing of Leather and the Search and View thereof to be made as by the said Statute is required For the removeing therefore of all Doubts and that Search and View may be duely made according to the said Statute Bee it enacted by the King and Queens most excellent Majesties by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parlyament assembled and by the authoritie of the same That all and every Hyde Skin or Piece of tanned Leather Shaved or Liquored of what Colour soever with any lawfull Liquoring or Dressing and being well and truely curried according to the directions of the said Statute shall be adjudged reputed and taken to be the made Ware and Manufacture of the said Currier and subject to the View Search and Seizure of the said Master and Wardens or the major part as in and by the said Statute is provided and shall be lyable to be seized and subject to the same Penalties as other Wares insufficiently made of tanned Leather by the said Statute are lyable and subject unto

II. The Power of the Master, &c. of Curriers Company to search, &c. Leather.

[Provided alwayes That nothing in this or any other Act shall extend to give any Power to the Master and Wardens of the Company of Curriers to visitt search or seize any Leather Hyde or Skin but such onely as shall be curryed or dressed within the City of London or three miles thereof by some Members of their owne Company nor in any other place but in the open Market or in the Shops Houses or Warehouses of such Curriers (fn. 1) ]

III. Red Tanned Leather how bought and sold.

And bee it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid That it shall and may be lawfull to and for all Leather sellers Curriers Shoemakers and all other person and persons whatsoever that doe deale or worke in Leather freely to buy all sorts of Red tanned Leather in any open Faire or Market whether curryed or uncurryed the same being first searched and sealed according to the Forme of the Statutes in that case made and provided and haveing soe bought the same to sell it againe to any person or persons whatsoever in their publique and open Shopps or to cutt and convert the same into other made Ware according to their severall and respective Trades

IV. Leather by Weight good.

[And bee it further enacted That it shall and may be lawfull for any person or persons to buy or sell Leather Hydes and Skinns by weight (fn. 1) ] any Law Statute or other Provision to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.