Charles II, 1662: An Act prohibiting the Importacion of Forreign Bonelace Cutt worke Imbroidery Fringe Band-strings Buttons and Needle worke.

Rectial; that many of the inhabitans of this kingdom are employed in making of Bone Lace, & and have there by maintaine themselve and Families, &c

and that such Persons have heretofore procured great Quantities of Silk, &c. to be imported, to the Benefit of the Revenue; but that of late great Quantities of foreign Bone Lace, &c. have been imported and that great Mischiefs had resulted therefrom; contrary to I R. III. c. 10. 3 E. IV. cc. 3, 4. 19 H. VII. c. 21. 5 Eliz. c. 7. and a Proclamation, dated Nov. 20 last.; Reasons for passing this Act.; No Person to sell or offer to sale or export any foreign Bone Lace after June 24, 1662; or import the same after May 1, 1662.; Selling or offering to sale,; Penalty £50. and Forfeiture of the Goods. Importing, Penalty £100. and Forfeiture of the Goods imported. Forfeitures, how to be disposed of.

Whereas great numbers of the Inhabitants of this Kingdome are imployed in the making of Bonelace Bandstrings Buttons Needle worke Fringe and Imbroideries who by theire industry and labour have attained and gained so great skill and dexterity in the making thereof that they make as good of all sorts thereof as is made in any forreign parts by reason whereof they have beene heretofore able to releive their poor Neighbors and maintained theire Families and alsoe enabled to sett on worke many poore Children and other persons who have very small meanes or maintenance of living other then by theire labours and endeavors in the said Art And whereas the persons so imployed in the said Mystery have heretofore served most parts of this Kingdome with Bonelace Bandstrings Buttons Needle-worke and Imbroidery And for the carrying on and managing of the said Trade they have procured great quantities, of Thread and Silke to be brought into the Kingdome from forreign parts whereby his Majesties Customes and Revenues have beene much advanced until of late that great quantities of Forreigne Bonelace Bandstrings Needle worke Cut worke Fringe Silke Bonelace Buttons and Imbroidery were brought into this Kingdome by Forreigners and Inhabitants of this Kingdome and sold to Shop keepers & others Dealers in the said Co[m]modity as well by Whole sale as Retail without ever entring of the same in any of His Majesties Custom-houses or paying any Duty or Custome for the same by meanes whereof the said Trade and Calling is of late very much decayed those imployed in the said Calling very much impoverished the manufacture much decreased and great quantities thereof already made left on theire hands that make it His Majesty defrauded and deceived in His Customes and many thousand poore people formerly kept on worke in the said Art like to perish for want of imployment there being dayly great su[m]ms of money exported out of this Kingdome for the buying and fetching in of the said Co[m]modity to the great impoverishment of the Nation by the consumption of the Bullion and Treasure thereof and contrary to several Statutes made in the First of King Richard the Third in the Third of King Edward the Fourth in the Nineteenth of King Henry the Seventh and the Fifth of Queene Elizabeth and to a late Proclamation made by His Majesty that now is dated the Twentieth day of November last for the putting the said Lawes in Execution For redresse whereof and prevention of the like mischeifs for the future and the better releife comfort and subsistence of those imployed in the said Art and manufacture And for the quickning reviving explaining amending and more effectual execution of the said Statutes Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same That no person or persons whatsoever shall from and after the Twenty fourth day of June One thousand six hundred sixty two sell or cause to be sold or offer to sale within the Kingdome of England or Dominion of Wales or export any Forreign Bonelace Cut worke Imbroidery Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle worke made of Thread Silke or any or either [or (fn. 1) ] any of them in parts beyond the Seas or import bring in send or convey or cause to be brought in sent or conveyed into the Kingdome of England or Dominion of Wales any such Forreigne Bonelace Cut worke Fringe Imbroidery Bandstrings Buttons or Needle worke made of Thread Silke or any or either of them beyond the Seas after the First day of May which shall be in the [said (fn. 1) ] yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and two upon pain that all and every person or persons who shall sell or cause to be sold or offer to sale any such Forreigne Bonelace Cutt worke Imbroidery Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle worke shall forfeit and lose for every offense by him committed contrary to this Act the su[m]m of fifty pounds and the whole Bonelace Cutt worke Imbroidery Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle-worke so sold or [cause (fn. 2) ] to be sold or offered to sale And upon further pain that all and every person or persons who shall import bring in send or convey or cause to be brought in sent or conveyed into this Kingdome of England or Dominion of Wales any such Bonelace Cut worke Imbroidery Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle worke shall forfeite and lose for every offence by him committed contrary to this Act the su[m]m of One hundred pounds and the whole Bonelace Cut worke Imbroidery Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle worke so imported brought in sent or conveyed or caused to be imported brought in sent or conveyed contrary to the forme and effect of this present Act as abovesaid the Moyeties of all which Forfeitures to be to the use of our Soveraigne Lord the Kings Majesty His Heires and Successors and the other Moyety to him or them that shall sue for the same in any of the Kings Courts of Record by Bill Plaint Action of Debt Information or other wise wherein no Essoign Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed at every time and as often as any person shall be found to offend in selling importing conveying or bringing in as aforesaid

II. Justices upon Information may issue Search Warrants.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for the preventing of the importing of the said manufactures as aforesaid upon Complaint & Information given to the Justices of the Peace or any or either of them within theire respective Counties Cities and Towns Corporate at times reasonable he or they are hereby authorized and required to issue forth his or theire Warrants to the Constables of theire respective Counties Cities and Towns Corporate to enter and search for such manufactures in the Shops being open or Warehouses and Dwelling houses of such person or persons as shall be suspected to have any such Forreign Bonelaces Imbroidery Cutt worke Fringe Bandstrings Buttons or Needle-work within theire respective Counties Cities and Towns-Corporate and to seise the same. Any Act Statute or Ordinance to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding

III. Limitation of Informations, &c.

Provided alwaies and be it hereby enacted and declared That all Informations Actions and Suites that shall be commenced for any offence committed against this Law shall be brought and commenced within Twelve Moneths after the discovery of such offence Any former Act or Law to the contrary notwithstanding