REASONS Humbly to be Offered by The Weavers and Makes of Stuffs, CALLED, Worsteads and other Stuffs, made in the County of Norfolk and City of Norwich, Why they should be Discharged From Paying the Duty of Subsidy or Aulnage demanded of them for such Stuffs.  
THAT the making of Worsteads in Norwich and Norfolk, is an ancient Manufacture, and hath been there used time out of mind, 
Ex bundle. escaet. 1 Ed. 3. mi. 47.  and thereby many Thousand Inhabitants of the said places maintained and kept at work; and before the time of King Edward the Third an Assize of the length and breadth thereof was affixed.  
That the ancient Revenue of the Crown of England was 6 s. 8 d. on every Sack of Wool transported, which was granted by Parliament.  
Afterwards, 
14 Ed. 1. Co. Inst. 4 part. fol. 280.  in process of time, divers Cloath-workers set up the Trade of making  in England, by reason whereof the English Wool was wrought up here, and an Officer was appointed by Patent to measure the said , with a Fee for his pains: And the Crown having then no Customs upon  or other Goods exported (as they now have) the King's ancient Revenue of 6 s. 8 d. on every Sack of Wool, was thereby diminished.  
Thereupon in Anno 24 Edw. 3. a Subsidy was by Parliament granted to be paid to the King, 
Vid. in Tresrem. offic. 24 Ed. 3.  viz. 1 s. 2 d. on a Cloth of Scarlet, etc. and on a Worsted 1 d. which makes a distinction between  and Worsteads.  
In Anno 25 Edw. 3. an Act was made for the Assize of ; and if any was made less than the Assize, the same to be forfeited: These Forfeitures being grievous to the People, in Anno 27 Edw. 3. the King releaseth the Forfeitures of 25 Edw. 3. In consideration thereof, the Parliament, over and besides the Customs formerly due, which was that by Anno 24 Edw. 3. granted to the King a Subsidy of 4 d. of every Cloth of Assize, 2 d. on a half Cloth, and none under half a Cloth to pay any thing.  
But in this Act of 27 Edw. 3. nor in that Act of 25 Edw. 3. any mention is made of Worsteads; which was then an ancient Manufacture made in Norfolk and Norwich, and taken notice of in 24 Edw. 3. distinct from Cloth, and a particular Duty set on exportation thereof by itself. viz. 1 d. a niece and Cloth 1. s. 2. d. a piece, so as if Worsteads had been intended to have been within the compass of this Act of 27 Edw. 3. they would have been distinctly named, as in 24 Edw. 3. and not put under the general name of Cloth.  
Notwithstanding the grant of the Office of Aulnager in 14 Edw. 1. of , 
Co. Inst. 2 par. 534.  in 22 Edw. 3. there was a particular Patent made to one Pooley of the Office of measuring of Norwich Worsteads, with a Fee; which at a Petition of the Commons, 25 Edw. 3. was declared to be, and was made void and null.  
In Anno 11 Hen. 4. upon Petition of the Weavers in Norwich and Norfolk, to the then Parliament, there was granted to the Mayor. etc. of Norwich, power to search and seal Norwich Stuffs for a time. But that Act mentions not any thing of a Subsidy.  
In Anno 7 Edw. 4. the Weavers of Norwich and Norfolk were put under a Regulation, and Wardens appointed to be yearly chosen and sworn to search and measure Norwich Worsteads, and no mention made of saving the Aulnagers Fee, or Duty of Subsidy.  
And from the time of the Revocation of Pooley's Patent in 22 Edw. 3. till the beginning of King James the First his Reign, no Subsidy or Aulnage was demanded for Norwich Stuffs.  
But about that time Delves and Fitzwilliams having gotten a Patent of New Drapery, 
Co. Inst. 2 par. fol. 62.  gave some trouble to the Weavers; whereupon 2 Jac. questions arising thereabout, the business was referred by the King to all the Judges of England, who certified the King there was never any Aulnage of Norwich Stuffs.  
Notwithstanding this Resolution of the Judges, the then Duke of Lenox got a Patent from the King of the Subsidy and Aulnage of  and new Draperies, under which the pretended Norwich Stuffs to be comprehended, and gave new disturbance to the Weavers, which occasioned several Suits, in many of which the Weavers prevailed; but the power of the said Duke in those times so far prevailed by his sending Pursuivants and other hard Usages, that the Weavers were compelled for some time to pay the said Duty; but about the year 1640. the payment thereof ceased, and the Weavers were quiet till the year 1668, when the then Duke of Lenox preferred his Bill in Parliament to have the said Duty settled; which was rejected in the Commons House: from which time, till about the year 1680, the Weavers were quiet; but then one Mr. Canham having obtained to be Aulnager in Norfolk, did, again set the Claim of foot, and by taking great Distresses, and by several Orders in the Exchequer, compelled the Weavers to pay the said Duty of Subsidy to him.  
Which Orders and Proceed of the said Court of Exchequer are so extraordinary, being of a different and mixed nature, in part legal, and in part equitable, that no Writ of Error can be brought thereupon, there being no Judgement in Law passed, nor can any Appeal be brought, for that the Proceed are not entirely in Equity, but partly in a legal course. Whereby the said Weavers, although they are jointly charged with the payment of the said Duties of Subsidy and Aulnage, yet are destitute of any Course of Law, whereby to obtain their Relief, but must submit to the burden theoreof; which will in great measure destroy that ancient Manufacture of Worsted-Stuffs, which hath been time out of mind exercised within the said City of Norwich and County Court of Parliament, where Grievances of this nature, which are above the reach of any ordinary Court of Justice to relieve, are only and properly cognizable, and to be redressed.