The
Statutes At Large

From The First Year of

KING JAMES the FIRST

To The Tenth Year Of The Reign of

KING WILLIAM The THIRD

To which is prefixed,

A TABLE of the TITLES of all the Publick and Private
Statutes during that Time.


VOLUME the THIRD


LONDON:
(1663)


CAP. 22  Anno  Secundo [vulgo primo] Jacobi I  A.D. 1604  pp. 18-22.

An Act concerning Tanners, Curriers, Shoe-makers and other Artificers Occupying the Cutting of Leather.

Enforced by 9 Anne, C. 11. sect. 10. I W. & M. Stat 1.c.35.22 Geo. c.25 
The Duty of Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers and  of others cutting of Leather.
The Causes that former Statues made against the Abuses of Tanners, Curriers &c. have not bee performed. Lutw, 181, 1409.
I.  WHEREAS the Laws and Statutes formerly established and made for the true and just Tanning, Currying, and Working of Leather, have not taken good Effect which was expected as well for that divers of the said Statutes did not sufficiently provide for the Redress of those Deceits and Abuses which have been and are commonly practiced by the Tanners, Curriers and Workers of Leather; (2) as for that other of the same, Statutes have been too sharp and rigorous, tying and binding the persons using and occupying the several Mysteries or Trades aforesaid, to divers Inconveniences, and sundry Matters and Things Impossible for them to perform; by reason of which too much Strictness and Rigour, the same Statutes have not been put in Execution, but have been in Effect, wholly dispensed withal: (3) To the Intent therefore that a reasonable and indifferent Course for the true and well Tanning, Currying, and Working of Leather, may be from henceforth established and appointed, and yet the persons using and occupying the several Crafts and Mysteries aforesaid may not be further or more strictly bound, restrained or limited, than the necessary Regard of the Commonwealth and General Commodity of all Sorts of Subjects within this Realm requireth.
27 H. 8.c.14, 5&6 Ed. 6 c.15, 1 M. Seff. 3.c.8, 5 Eliz. c.22, 8 Eliz c.14, 18 Eliz. c.9, 2 Salk. 609, Mod. Cases in Law 62.
The Penalty for gashing or watering of a Hide, or felling a rotten Hide. II.  Be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, of this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle next coming, no Butcher by himself, or by any other Person, shall gash, slaughter, or cut any Hide of any Ox, Bull Steer or Cow, in flaying thereof, or otherwise, whereby the same shall be impaired or hurt, upon Pain of Forfeiture for every Hide so gashed, slaughtered or cut, Twenty-pence. (2) And that no Butcher shall water any Hide, except only in the Months of June, July, and August, nor shall offer or put to Sale  any Hide being putrified or rotten upon Pain of Forfeiturefor every Hide so watered, and every Hide so putrified or rotten, and offered or put to Sale, three Shillings and Four-pence.
Killing of Calves under five Weeks old.
Repealed by 22 & 23 Car. II. c.19.sect 13.
III.  And it be further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Butcher or other Persons, after the Feast of St. Bartholomew next coming, shall kill any Calf to sell, being under five Weeks old, upon Pain to forfeit for every Calf so to be killed and sole, six Shillings and Eight-pence.
No Butcher shall be a Tanner. IV.
Who may be a Tanner. V.
No Tanner Shall be a Cutter of Leather.
Cro. Car. 587.
VI.  And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, ‘That no Person or Persons using the Mystery of Tanning of Leather by himself, or by any other Person or Persons, from and after the said Feast of St. Bartholomew, shall, during that Time that he shall use the said Mystery, occupy or use the Craft or Mystery of a Shoemaker, Currier, Butcher, or of any other Artificer, using or exercising Cutting or Working of Leather; (2) upon Pain to forfeit and lose all and every such Hide and Hides, Skin and Skins so by them or any of them wrought or tanned during the Time that he shall use the Mystery or Craft of Tanning aforesaid, or the just value thereof.
   
  XXII. And forasmuch as no leather can be well-tanned, but it may be marred in the Currying, Be it therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That from and after the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel next comming, no Person or Persons shall curry any Kind of Leather in the house of any Shoemaker or other Person, but only in his own House situate in a Corporate or Market Town; (2) nor shall curry any Kind of Leather, except it be well and perfectly tanned; (3) nor shall after the said Feast of St. Bartholomew curry any Hide or Skin not being thoroughly dry, after his wet Season, in which wet Season shall not use any stale Urine, or any other deceitful or subtile Mixture, Thing, Way or, Means, to corrupt or hurt the same; (4) nor Shall curry any Leather meet for Utter-sole-leather with any other Stuff than with hard Tallow, nor with any less of that than the Leather will receive; (5) nor shall curry any Kind of leather meet for Over-leather and Inner-soles, but with good and sufficient Stuff, being fresh and not salt, and thouroughly liquored till it can receive no more...
   
  XXV. And be it further enacted, That no Person occupying the Feat or Mystery of a Currier, shall use or exercise the Feat or Mystery of a Tanner, Cordwainer,. Shoemaker, Butcher, or other Artificer using cutting of Leather, during the Time that he shall so use or occupy the Mystery of a Currier...
  XXVI. 
  XXVII. 
  XXVIII.  And forasmuch as Leather well tanned and curried, may by the Negligence, Deceit, or evil Workmanship of the Cordwainer or Shoemaker, be used deceitfully, to the Hurt of the Occupier or Wearer thereof; (2) Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons, which after the said Feast of St. Bartholomew next coming shall occupy the Mystery or Occupation of a Cordwainer or Shoemaker, shall make or cause to be made any Boots, Shoes, Buskins, Startops, Slippers or Pantofles, or any Part of them, of English Leather wet curried, (other than Deer-skins, Calve-skins or Goat-skins, made or dressed or to be made or dressed like unto Spanish Leather) but of Leather well and truely tanned and curried in the Manner and Form aforesaid, or of Leather well and truely tanned only, and well and substantially sewed with good Thread well twisted and made, and sufficiently waxed with Wax well rosened, and the Stitches hard drawn with Hand-leathers, as hath been accustomed, without mixing or mingling Over-leathers, that is to say, Part of the Over-leather being of Neats­leather, and Part of Calves-leather; (3) nor shall put into any Part of any Shoes, Boots, Buskins, Startops, Slippers or Pantofles, any Leather made of a Sheep-skin, Bull-hide or Horse-hide, (4) not into the upper leather of any Shoes, Startops, Slippers or Pantofles, or into the nether Part of any Boots (the inner Part of the Shoe only excepted) any Part of any Hide from which the Sole-leather is cut, called the Wombs, Neck, Shank, Flank, Powle or Cheek; (5) nor shall put into the Utter-sole any other Leather than the best of the Ox or Streer Hide; (6) nor in to the Inner-sole an other Leather than the Wombs, Neck, Powle or Cheek, nor in the Treswell of the double soled Shoes, other than the Flanks of any Hide aforesaid; (7) nor shall make or put to sale in any Year, between the last of September and the twentieth of April, any Shoes, Boots, Buskins, Startops, Slippers or Pantofles, meet for any Person to wear exceeding the Age of four Years, wherein shall be any dry English Leather, other than Calves-skins or Goat-skins, made or dressed or to be made or dressed like unto Spanish Leather, or any Part thereof; (8) nor shall shew, to the Intent to put to Sale, any Shoes, Boots, Buskins, Startops, Slippers or Pantofles upon the Sunday; (9) upon Pain of Forfeiture for every Pair of Shoes, Boots, Buskins, Startops, Slippers and Pantofles, made sold, shewed or put to sale, contrary to the true Meaning of this Act, three Shillings and four Pence, and the just and full Value of the same.
   
  XLIX.  And for the avoiding of all Ambiguities and Doubts which may and so grow upon the Definition and Interpretation of this Word Leather, (2) It enacted and declared by these presents, that the Hides and Skins of Ox, Steer, Bull, Cow, Calf, Deer red and fallow, Goats and Sheep, being tanned or tawed, and every salt Hide, is, shall be and ever hath been reputed and taken for Leather.

 

 

This’sct is~ extended to cover, not only London and a three mile radius, butW~1es and the entire Kingdom, each local city seat to perform the searching, sea1ing~’ a~id trying of the leather or goods. Powers of seizure were abosolute, and all~gobds so seized were transported to the City Hall, graded and priced by “indifferent persons”, then the price was divided into thirds - one third going’tO the~ original seller or sellers, one third to the Chamber of London, and ~tt~it4i part to be distributed to the poor of London.

7b2.a~abt~alio forbade the transportation “out of this Realm” of “any Làth~’ 6ü~bt~ cut, or unvrought to the intent to be sold or bartered... ornto’th~ Parts beyond the Sea, from and out of any Port, Haven or Creek of~thts~~1~ ot Wales”, extended to include Scottish hides, which had tob~o~~4.d to Berwick Upon Tweed to be registered in a book with the 1kaImeiIef~~~buyers and sellers.