William and Mary, 1694: An Act for building good and defensible Shipps [Chapter XXIV Rot. Parl. pt. 5. nu. 4.]

Builders of Threedecked Ships to have a Tenth Part of the Goods they export or import for first Three Voyages.

Whereas the Wealth and Safety of this Nation are much concerned in the Number and Strength of Shipping; Now for the better Encouragement of building good and defensible Shipps Be it enacted by the King and Queenes most excellent Majesties by and with the Advise and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Co[m]mons in this p[re]sent Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That all and every person or persons that shall within the space of Tenne yeares from and after the first day of May One thousand six hundred ninety four build or cause to be built within any of theire Majesties Dominions any Shipps or Vessells of Three Decks reckoning the Orlop for one with a Fore-Castle Quarter-Decke and Round-house and Six Foote betweene each Decke from Planke to Planke [theire Hawrses to be betweene Decks; the said Shipps to be of noe lesse then Four hundred and fifty Tunne and to have noe lesse then Ten Ports of a side betweene Decks (fn. 1) ] mounted with two and thirty Peices of Ordnance [close of which eighteene to be betweene Decks the said Guns upon the Lower Deck to be Demy-Culverine of thirty hundred weight att least, upon the Upper Deck Fore-castle and Steerage to be alsoe Demy-Culverine of two and twenty hundred weight att leaste and those in the Cuddy to be six hundred weight att least (fn. 1) ] and other Amunic[i]on [proportionable (fn. 2) ]; shall for the first three Voyages which the said Shipp or Shipps shall make from theire Majesties Dominions to any Forreigne parts have and receive to theire owne proper use and benefitt one tenth parte of the Customes [co[m]monly called or knowne by the name of the Subsidye of Tunnage and Poundage (fn. 1) ] that shall be paid to theire Majesties for all such Goods and Merchandizes as shall be exported and imported on the said Shipp or Shipps to and from this Kingdome and the Co[m]missioners and Officers of theire Majesties Customes are hereby impowered and required to pay the same to the Owner and Owners of the said Shipp or Shipps accordingly:-

II. Ships made less defensible after Three Voyages forfeited.

[Provided alwaies That if att any time after the end of the said three first Voyages any of the said Shipps or Vessells soe to be built as aforesaid shall be altered or putt into another forme of building whereby they shall become or be made lesse defensible then they were att first building that then every such Shipp or Vessell with all the Gunns Tackle Amuc[i]on and Apparell thereof shall be forfeited and lost the one moiety to their Majesties theire Heires and Successors and the other moiety to the Informer to be recovered in any of theire Majesties Courts of Record by Acc[i]on of Debte Bill Plainte or Informac[i]on. (fn. 1) ]