AN ACT OF Common-council MADE The sixth of October 1646. Alderman Adam's Major.  
For reformation of sundry abuses practised by divers Persons in the Common-Markets and Streets of the City of London.   arms 
Printed by James Flesher, Printer to the Honourable City of London, 1656.   

The Laws of the Market. ADAM'S Major.  
WHereas several good Laws and Ordinances have been heretofore made, as well by the Court of Lord Maior and Aldermen, as by this Court, for the wel-ordering of the Markets of the City of London, for the redress of several abuses of Butchers, Victuallers, & others thereunto resorting, for sale of their Flesh victuals, and other Commodities in the several Markets of this City, and assigning places and times for the said Markets to be kept and held; Which said Laws and Ordinances by daily experience are found not effectual to prevent some present and growing inconveniences, nor have wrought that good effect, as was intended thereby.  
For redress whereof, be it enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Maior, Aldermen, and Commons in Common-council assembled, and by authority of the same, That no Butcher or Country Farmer, Victualler, or other person or persons whatsoever, either free of the City of London, or not free of the said City, from and after the first day of December next, after the publication of this Act, shall sell, utter, or put to open show or sale in the Streets or White-markets within this City; that is to say, Leaden-hall street without the Hall, Cheapside and Newgate-market, any Beef upon pain that every person or persons that from and after the time aforesaid, shall sell, utter, put to sale, or show in any of the said Markets any Beef, shall forfeit and lose Twenty shillings for every time so offending or doing contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act, And further be it enacted by authority aforesaid, that all and every Butcher, free, or not free of the City of London, who keepeth no Butcher Shop or Shops within the said City and Liberties thereof, or within two mile's distance of the Liberties thereof, shall, and may fallen, utter, show, and put to sale, his, or their Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Pork, and other Butchery ware, at certain stalls and places in that behalf appointed in Leaden-hall and the Greenyard there, and that only upon Wednesdays and Saturdays weekly, and not in any other place or places within the said City of London and Liberties thereof, upon pain that every such Butcher or Butchers who shall sell, utter, or put to sale, or show any Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Pork, or, any other Butchery ware in any other place or places within the City of London, or Liberties thereof, then in Leadenhall and the Greenyard there, shall for every such offence or doing forfeit Twenty shillings And whereas of late times, many of the stalls and stand within Leaden-hall and the Greenyard there, have, and yet are in the occupations of several persons who are not Butchers by Trade, nor use or exercise the Trade of a Butcher, who let them out at dear rates to others; And likewise many of the said stalls are in the possession of Butchers who live within the City of London and Liberties thereof, who keep the said Stalls and likewise their Shops, By means of which said do, the Country Butchers, and other Butchers who keep no Shops within the said City, or within two miles of the Liberties of the City of London, and would furnish the said Markets with Butchery ware, can get no convenient room there, and so are necessitated to fell and utter their Commodities in the White-markets and other places, or to forbear the Markets, whereby prices are enhanced and the said Market disfurnished.  
For remedy whereof, be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all the ground where the stand and places for sale and uttering of Flesh and Butchery beware within leadenhall and the Greenyard there, be resumed and taken into the City's hands and actual possession, before the said first day of December next ensuing.  
And further that no Stall, standing, or place within Leadenha●l or the Greenyard there, shall from thenceforth be let or farmed out unto any Butcher or Butchers, who doth, or shall keep any Butchershop or shops within the City of London or Liberties thereof, or within two miles of the Liberties of the said City, for so long time as he, or they shall keep any Butcher's shop within the Limits aforesaid.  
And that from thenceforth the Stalls, stand, and places in Leadenhall and the Greenyard there, be let unto Country Butchers, or such Freemen who are Butchers, and keep not any Butcher shop or shops within the City of London and Liberties thereof, or within two mile's distance of the Liberties of the said City, and for so long time only as he or they shall furnish the said stalls, stand, and places with wholesome Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Pork, or other Butchery ware upon Wednesdays and Saturdays, being the usual Market days there, in his or their own rights, and not as Servant or Servants to others.  
And further, That no Butcher whatsoever shall have and enjoy more than one stall, standing, or place within Leadenhall or the Green-yard there at one time.  
Provided always that the Butcher's Freemen of the City of London, shall and may at all times convenient, sell utter, show, and put to sale their Flesh and Butchery wares in their Shops within the said City of London, and Liberties thereof, as formerley they have done and accustomed; any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.  
Provided that the Country Farmer, Lader, or Kidder, as to all wholesome Flesh victuals and other Commodities except Beef, may have liberty to sell, show and utter the same in the Common and public White-markets within the City of London and Liberties thereof in Market times this Act, or any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.  
And forasmuch as of late the Foreign Butchers, Victuallers, and other people resorting to the Markets of the City of London to sell their Flesh victuals and other Commodities, do continue and keep their Markets all the day, and until night, not observing the hours appointed for their departure by former Acts and Ordinances, To the end the streets may in due time be cleansed for the health of the Inhabitants of those places; which doing of theirs tendeth much to the disorder of the said Markets (pestering the streets where those markets are kept) enhancing the prices of Commodities, disturbance and hindrance of Passengers and Tradesmen dwelling near the said places, and by reason thereof the streets cannot be cleansed as they ought to be, to the scandal of the Government of the City of London and is very necessary to be reform.  
And whereas it is pretended, that the formerly appointed times for raising of the Markets is too soon; by reason whereof the parties repairing thereto cannot have sufficient time to sell off their Commodities: To the end therefore that such persons may have a convenient time to vend their Commodities, and be rendered without excuse and that there might be also a convenient time afterward for cleansing of the streets;  
It is enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Market-bell in the several Markets within the City of London shall ring twice every market day (that is to say) the first ringing (from the five and twentieth day of March yearly, until the twenty ninth day of September) at seven of the clock before noon; and from the twenty ninth day of September yearly, until the five and twentieth day of March at eight of the clock before noon, and not before: And that before that time no person or persons shall sell, show, or put to sale his Flesh, Victuals, or other Commodites.  
And that the second ringing of the said market-bell in the several markets aforesaid, for raising of the said Markets, shall begin to ring, from, and after the five and twentieth day of March yearly, until the twenty ninth day of September yearly, half an hour after four of the clock in the afternoon, and to continue ringing till five of the clock: And from & after the twenty ninth day of September until the five and twentieth day of March, to begin to ring half an hour after two of the clock, and to continue ringing till three of the clock in the afternoon, And that no Butcher and Butchers, or other market people whatsoever resorting to any public or Common-market within the City of London or Liberties thereof, shall utter, sell, or put to open show or sale any Flesh, Victuals, or other Commodities whatsoever in the said Markets that day after the end of the ringing of the said bell, but shall immediately after the said bell hath done ringing as aforesaid, depart from the said markets, upon pain that every person or persons who shall offend, or do contrary to this clause of this Act, shall forfeit the sum of Ten shillings for every time offending or doing contrary to this clause of this Act.  
And forasmuch as the market is most principally intended for the benefit of Housekeepers, who buy for their own use and behoof; It is further enacted by Authority aforesaid, That at the beginning of the ringing of the market-bell for raising of the said market, and during the time of the ringing thereof, the Retailers and Traders of this City who buy to sell again, may lawfully enter into the said several Markets, or any of them and make their Provisions, and buy the remainder of the said markets, and carry the same to their several Houses and Shops, and not before, upon pain that every such Retailer or Retailers, or Traders, who shall buy any Commodity in the said markets to sell again, before the Ringing of the market-bell for raising of the said markets as aforesaid, contrary to the intent of this clause of this Act, shall forfeit for every time Forty shillings.  
And forasmuch as all dead Flesh-meat ought be sold in open & common markets, and not to be carried up and down, and sold by way of Hawking; by means whereof much unwholesome Meat hath been vended and sold, to the great deceit of the buyer thereof, and prejudice of the Commonwealth; And whereas by the Custom of this City, such Flesh and other things hawked are become forfeited; It is enacted by Authority aforesaid, That no Butcher or other person or persons whatsoever shall sell, utter, or offer to put to sale by way of Hawking, or as a Hawker, any manner of Flesh whatsoever; in any Street or Lane, Inn, or other place or places within this City of London or Liberties thereof, but only in his, or their open Shop or Shops, Stall or Stalls, or in the usual Market place or places, and in Market time only, upon pain of forfeiture of all such Flesh so carried or offered to be put to sale by way of Hawking without any manner of favour, according to the ancient Custom of the City of London used and approved.  
And whereas divers Inhabitants dwelling in, or near unto the several market places aforesaid, do exact and take several sums of money of the Country people who bring Victual to the said several markets, for, & under pretence that it is in their power to hinder such market people from standing in the Markets before their doors to sell their Victual; which pretence of theirs is utterly against Law, for that they have no power to hinder any the market people from standing or sitting in the said Markets: Be it declared and Enacted by Authority aforesaid, That no such person or persons dwelling or inhabiting in, or near any of the said Markets; or other person or persons whatsoever, other than the Clerks of the several Markets, Beadles, and other persons for their ancient Fees, Duties and Allowances usually paid and taken, shall from henceforth directly or indirectly take, require or exact any sum or sums of money, or other thing or things, of any person or persons bringing any Victual or other Commodities or Provisions to the said Markets to be sold, for, and in respect of any such place, standing, or sitting in the said several Markets, upon pain that every person or persons who after publication of this Act, shall exact, require, or take any such sum or sums of money or other thing or reward, shall forfeit and lose for every time so doing and offending Twenty shillings. And it is the true intent and meaning of this Act, That in the White-markets no Bag or Bags of straw be used or permitted, nor any Board's for that purpose, but such as shall not be above one Ell in length, and half an Ell in breadth, upon pain of six shillings eight pence to be forfeited by any person or persons for every time he or they shall do or offend against this clause of this Act.  
And it is thought fit for the more conveniency of the Markets and market people, for the show and sale of their Victual, that such Board's as aforesaid may be used; and if any the market people aforesaid shall desire to use any such Board's provided by any of the Clerks of the several Markets, that then such Clerk of the several Markets shall not take for any such board above Two pence for one market day.  
Provided always, this Act, nor any thing therein contained, shall extend unto such person or persons who shall bring Peascods, Strawberries, Resberries, Roses, or milk to the markets or streets of the City of London to sell, but that he or they may stay, & tarry longer time than is before expressed, if they see occasion, so as the same persons that bring them first to market do continue the selling thereof, and do not transfer them to any Huckster or Retailer to sell the same, any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.  
And be it further enacted that all and every Act and Ordinance heretofore made for the regulating and wel-governing of the markets within the City of London, not being contrary to this present Act, shall stand & be in their former strength and force, any thing in this Act notwithstanding.  
All which pains, forfeitures and penalties, sum and sums of money to be forfeited by virtue of this Act, shall be recovered by action of Debt, Bill, or Plaint to be commenced and prosecuted in the name of the Chamberlain of the City of London for the time being, in the Court holden before the Mayor and Aldermen in the Chamber of the Guildhall of the City of London, wherein no Essoin or wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant. And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being in all suits to be prosecuted by virtue of this Act against any Offender or Offenders contrary to the same, shall recover the ordinary costs of suit to be expended in and about the prosecution thereof. And if the suit pass for the Defendant, than the said Defendant to recover his costs. And that the Chamberlain for the time being shall not have power to take less of any Offender, than herein is limited to be forfeited for every offence.  
And further, That one moiety of all forfeitures to be recovered by virtue hereof, (the costs of the suit for recovery of the same being deducted) shall after recovery and receipt thereof, at, or before the twenty fift day of March yearly be paid and delivered to the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital, to be employed toward the relief of the poor children to be brought up and maintained in that Hospital: And the other moiety to him or them which shall first give information of the offences for which the forfeitures shall grow, and prosecute suit in the name of the Chamberlain of the said City for recovery of the same, any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.  
FINIS.