HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT.  royal English blazon or coat of arms ❧ By the King.  
❧ A Proclamation for preventing of Deceit used in the Importation of Madder.  
WHereas the true workmanship of Manufactures in every Nation doth preserve not only the worth, but also the esteem thereof, to the great avail and profit of that Nation. And whereas the Woollen  of this Kingdom being well and perfectly made, Died and dressed, are in great reputation in Foreign Nations, and are a great addition to the wealth of this Kingdom, and the false and deceitful Dying thereof, doth much detract from their estimation. And whereas Madder which is a Dying Stuff of principal use for laying the ground of many several colours, is brought from Foreign parts into this Realm, the deceitful mixture whereof with Sand and otherwise, doth not only deceive the Buyer, but doth also fret the Cloth, and make the Colours defective. We therefore upon mature advice and deliberation by Our Letters Patents Sealed with Our Great Seal of England, bearing date at Westminster the twelfth day of january, in the third year of Our Reign for the causes therein expressed, and to prevent and suppress the said deceit and abuse, Did ordain and appoint George Bedford Gentleman (who by his industry and experience had found out a perfect way for the discovery and reformation of that abuse) to be Our Officer by himself, or his Deputies instructed by him, to search all Madder which should from thenceforth be imported before the same should be put to Sale, and to discover the undue mixtures of such imported Madder, and by convenient Marks and Descriptions by him to be invented to distinguish the same, that so neither the Buyer should be cozened, nor the Dyer who should use the same be abused.  
Nevertheless, We find that some ill disposed persons importing Madder, contemning Our Royal commandment in a case so much tending to the public good, have hitherto opposed Our said Officer in the execution of the trust committed unto him, whereby the abuses aforesaid do continue, and will increase daily, if the same be not prevented. We therefore minding the reformation of these deceits, and being well satisfied of the ability of Our said Officer to perform that service wherewith we have trusted him, for that upon public trial made at the common Hall of the Company of Dyers of Our City of London, he hath made it appear in the presence of some of the Officers and Ministers of Our Customhouse in Our Port of London, and of the best experienced Dyers, that he is able and ready exactly to perform his duty, Have thought it fit in a case of this nature, by this Our Royal Proclamation, to notify and publish Our Royal will and pleasure, touching the searching and trying of all Madder imported, and to be imported before the same be put to Sale. And We do hereby signify and declare to all whom it doth or may concern, That the said George Bedford is the Officer or person whom We have authorized and appointed for the present execution of that service, by himself, or his sufficient Deputies, according to Our said Letters Patents, to him granted as aforesaid: And that We shall expect and do require from all Our loving Subjects, that due notice be taken thereof, and that a strict and continued obedience and conformity be yielded hereunto. And for the better performing Our Royal will and pleasure herein; We do straight charge and command all and every person and persons whatsoever, whom it may concern, carefully to provide and see Our Royal will and pleasure observed in the Orders and Rules hereafter following, as they tender Our pleasure, and would avoid the contrary at their uttermost peril.  
First therefore Our Royal will and pleasure is, That all and every the Masters of Ships or other vessel wherein Madder shall be imported, shall from henceforth express and set down in the entry of his Ship and lading thereof every parcel of goods in his Ship, that he or they shall know, or believe to be Madder by that name, and no otherwise, and shall affirm the same upon his Oath, as is used touching Entries of Goods with Our Customers, and shall likewise give a true note in writing unto Our said Officer or his Deputy, attending at Our Customhouse for that purpose, of every parcel of Madder so entered, and imported by him in his Ship accordingly.  
That if the Owners of the said Madder or their Assigns shall not within convenient time after the Shipper of Master hath made his Entry with Our Customers take up by Bill at sight, and present the same their Madder, and give notice thereof unto Our said Officer, or his Deputy, to the end he may take the same into his custody for the trial thereof; Our will and pleasure is, That then Our Collector, controller & Surveyor of Our Customs and Duties, do by their general Warrant cause the Waiters of that Ship to take up and see the said Madder to be weighed and laid into Our said Office, and delivered into the safe custody of Our said Officer, by whom the said Madder being searched, tried and Sealed, shall nevertheless be detemed and kept, until he receive Warrant from Our aforesaid Officers of Our Customs and Duties, or their Assigns or Deputies, that all the Custom and Duties for the same due to Us in Our Customhouse be duly paid or agreed for, and until the Fees due to Our said Officer, and all other charge thereto happening through the Owners default be fully satisfied and paid.  
That no Porter, Carman, or other person shall presume by direction from the Merchant, or otherwise, to lad, take, help or consent to the carrying of any Madder from the Port, or place of landing, without Warrant from the said George Bedford Our Officer or other Officer to be appointed by Us or of his Deputy or Deputies for the time being. And We do hereby absolutely prohibit and forbid all persons of what estate, degree or condition soever, directly, or indirectly, to Buy, Sell or put to Sale, or to hide, keep, conceal, or occupy any of the said Madder, that hath not been viewed, searched, tried, distinguished, and Sealed by Our said Officer his Deputies or Assigns, and which hath not the Seal of Our said Office and Officer thereon, upon pain of Our high displeasure if notice be not given unto Our said Officer, before the same be discovered. And it shall be at Our Officers choice, whether he will search try, and Seal the said Madder at the Customhouse, or for the ease & conveniency of the Merchants to do it at their own houses, and all Madder there and elsewhere found by him or his Deputies to be unsealed, shall immediately thereupon be tried, sealed, and distinguished.  
That Our Graver of Our Mint and Seals, or any other whom Our said Officer shall employ, shall from time to time frame and make such several Stamps and Seals, to be engraven with Our Arms or otherwise, as he shall think fit, always observing that the Stamps for the best sort of Madder, shall be engraven with this word, Crop: for the second, sort, with this word Ghemeene, and for the third and worst sort, with this word Mull. And if upon trial any of the said Madder be found to be mixed or burdened with above two pounds of Earth, or Sand in the hundred weight; Then shall the said Officer enter in a Book to be kept for that purpose the weight of the Sand or Earth so mixed therewith, & upon the Seal shall be added this word, Mixed, with a figure, showing that the same Madder is mixed and imperfect, and showing also in what proportion in the hundred pound weight that mixture is made, upon which side of the Seal also shall be expressed the name of the Port or place whereinto the said Madder was first brought, with certain Figures and Letters of Direction unto Our said Officers Books of Register, whereof We will all Our loving Subjects to take special notice, to the end that after they have bargained for any parcel of the said Madder, they may by carrying or sending a Copy of that side of the Seal unto Our Officer in that Customhouse (at Custom house time) have Certificate under his hand of the proportion of the mixture thereof, if the Seal should be altered. According whereunto We do straight charge and command all persons selling Madder to make allowance and abatement, unto the Dyers or other Buyers of such Madder, containing such undue mixture.  
That all Clothiers, Dyers, and all other persons occupying Madder within this Kingdom, shall according to the proportion of the mixture of the said Madder with Earth or Sand, add a like quantity or proportion of good Madder in the die Fat, to the end the colours therewithal died may be made full, good, and without blemish or imperfection.  
That the said George Bedford Our present Officer having already taken his corporal oath for the faithful performance of Our trust, and his duty in this behalf; Our will and pleasure is, that such Oath shall be likewise administered unto his several Deputies, and so many of them as shall be sufficient for the performing of this service in the several Ports of this Kingdom; And We do hereby straight charge and command all and singular Majors, Sheriffs, justices of the Peace, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, Tithingmen, Customers, Collectors, Comptrollers, Searchers, Waiters, Messengers, Farmers, Deputies, and all other Our Officers, Ministers and loving Subjects whatsoever, That they and every of them from time to time, and at all times when Our said Officer, or his Deputies in Our name shall require them thereunto be aiding and assisting unto the said George Bedford Our Officer, his Deputies and Assigns for the time being, in all things in or about the accomplishment of Our Royal will and pleasure in Our said recited Letters Patents or in the Warrants of Our high Treasurer of England, as is hereby expressed. And that they or any of them do not any way hinder, molest, interrupt, let, detain, or keep Our said Officer his Deputies or Assigns, or any, or either of them from or in the execution of this Our Service, or any thing touching the Premises, as they tender Our displeasure, and will avoid the same at their peril.  
Lastly, that if any person of what estate, degree or condition soever, shall hereafter offend in any part of the Premises; or shall falsify, deface, altar or take off any of the said Seals from the Bale, Fat or other thing in which the said Madder was first brought into this Kingdom, before the same be all used and spent: Our will and pleasure is, That immediate notice be given thereof unto Our Attorney General for the time being, whom We will and require in Our behalf to prosecute and proceed against the Offenders in Our Court of Starchamber or Exchequer-Chamber, or any other Our Courts as the cause shall require, to the end they may receive such severe Censure and coudigne Punishment, as by the Laws and Customs of this Kingdom, or Our Prerogative Royal, may be inflicted on them for such their Contempt, Disobedience, and wilful breach of Our Royal will and Commandment, and for their frauds and abuses.  
Given at Our Court at East-Greenwich, The fifteenth day of june, in the seventh year of Our Reign.  
God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent MAJESTY: and by the Assigns of john Bill. M.DC.XXXI.