William III, 1697-8: An Act for the exporting Watches Sword-hilts and other Manufactures of Silver. [Chapter XXVIII. Rot. Parl. 9 Gul.III.p.5.n.4]

7 & 8 W. III.c.19. § 6.

8 & 9 W.III. c. 8. § 8; Watches, Swordhilts, wrought Plate, &c. may be; exported, as shall be yearly allowed by the Commissioners of the Customs.

Whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Seventh and Eighth Years of His present Majesty [King (fn. 1) ] William the Third intituled An Act to incourage the bringing Plate into the Mint to be coined and for the further remedying the ill State of the Coine of this Kingdom it is amongst other things so enacted That after the last. Day of March then next ensuing no wrought Plate of this Kingdom can be shipped off under the great Penalties in the said Act contained whereby no Home wrought manufactured Plate though never so beneficial to the Artificers and Trade of this Kingdom is permitted to be exported which was at that time a good and wholesom Law and tended to the Benefit of the Kingdom by keeping Bullion at home to be coined Now forasmuch as by a subsequent Act made in the Eighth and Ninth Year of the Reign of his said Majesty intituled An Act for the encouraging the bringing in of wrought Plate to be coined it is therein enacted That from and after the Five and twentieth Day of March One thousand six hundred ninety seven no Goldsmith Silversmith or other Person whatsoever shal work make or cause to be wrought or made any Silver Vessell Plate or Manufacture of Silver less in Fineness than that of Eleven Ounces and Ten Peny Weight of fine Silver in every pound Troy nor putt to sale the same until it be marked as in the said Act is directed whereby no Profit can arise to any Person who shal export such Plate as hath been or shal be made pursuant to that Act by loseing the Charge of the Fashion in melting down the same and selling the Silver abroard the principal Thing aimed at to be prevented by the first recited Act But on the contrary a great Benefit may accrew to many Artificers and to the Kingdom in general by giving liberty to export Watches Sword-hilts wrought Plate and several other Silver Manufactures made within this Kingdom being of the Fineness prescribed in the said last recited Act Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That from and after the Four and twentieth Day of June One thousand six hundred ninety eight it shal and may be lawful to export such Watches Sword-hilts wrought Plate and other Silver Manufactures made within this Kingdom being of the Finess : of Eleven Ounces and Ten Peny Weight to every Pound Troy and so proportionable for a greater or lesser Weight according to the Rules prescribed in the last recited Act as shal be yearly allowed by the Commissioners of his Majesties Customs for the time being or any Three of them Any Law or Statute to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

II.

No Case or Dial Plate, &c. for Clock or Watch to be exported without the Movement, &c. nor made up without engraving Maker's Name.; Penalty £20.

And whereas great Quantities of empty Boxes Cases and Dyal Plates for Clocks and Watches have been exported without their Mov[e¹]ments and in Foreign Parts made upp with badd Movements and thereon some London Watchmakers Names engraven and so are sold abroad for English Work and alsoe there hath been the like ill Practices in England by divers Persons as well by some professing the Art of Clock and Watch making as others ignorant therein in putting counterfeit Names as alsoe the Names of the most known London Watch-makers on their bad Clocks and Watches to the great prejudice of the Buyers and the Disreputation of the said Art at home and abroad For the preventing therefore of all such ill Practices for the future be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no Person or Persons whatsoever shal after the said Four and twentieth Day of June export or send or endeavor to export or send out of this Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales or Town of Berwick upon Tweed any outward or inward Box Case or Dyal plate of Gold Silver Brass or other Metal for Clock or Watch without the Movement in or with every such Box Case or Dyal plate made upp fit for Use with the Clock or Watch-Makers Name ingraven thereon nor any Person whatsoever after the said Four and twentieth Day of June shal make up or cause to be made up any Clock or Watch without ingraving or putting or causing to be ingraven or put his or her own Name and Place of Aboad or Freedom and no other Name or Place on every Clock or Watch he or she shal so make up or cause to be made up under the Penalty of forfeiting every such empty Box Case and Dyal plate Clock and Watch not made up and ingraven as aforesaid and also for each and every of such Offence the Sum of Twenty pounds one Moiety whereof to be to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors and the other Moiety shal be to him her or them that shal sue for the same in any of his Majesties Courts of Record by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information wherein no Essoign Protection or Wager of Law shal be allowed or more than than one Imparlance Any thing herein contained or any Law or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.