To the Honourable House of now Commons assembled IN PARLIAMENT. The humble Petition of many Thousands of Clothiers, Weavers, Bay-makers, Sergemakers, Say-makers, Clothworkers, and Worsted-Combers within the Realm of England, whose names are hereunder written, Aswell for and on the behalf of themselves as of all other persons that trade and deal in Wool, and the using and employing thereof, In the making of Cloth, Stuffs and other Manufactures of Wool within the said Kingdom and the Dominion of Wales, Subscribed unto also by divers Merchants and Woollen-drapers' of London for themselves and on the behalf of the rest who are concerned therein, being dealers and Adventurers of the Commodities made of Wool.  
Shows,  
THat whereas the Wools of the growth of this Kingdom, and of the said Dominion, are the principal and chiefest Staple Commodity thereof, and that by the using of the said Wools in the making of Clothes and Stuffs of the old and new drapery, and other Manufactures, many thousand of Families have heretofore had their sole livelihood and subsistence, and in respect of the Customs for the exportation of such Clothes, Stuffs, and other Manufactures into foreign parts, have brought to this Kingdom a great Revenue, and the makers thereof from time to time been enabled in the payment of such Subsidies and Taxes, as by this State hath been required from them. The consideration whereof heretofore moved the wisdom of this State in former times to make and provide divers good Laws for the preventing of the frauds and deceits used in the winding up and sale of Wool, whereby it was provided that none should wind, or cause or suffer to be wound and sold any fleece of Wool, the same not being first sufficiently washed, nor wind nor suffer to be wound within any Fleece of Wool, any lambs-wool, Refuse-Wooll, Cat, Tar, Taile-lockes, Cleg-lockes, Hindershanks, Claydung, Cumber, or any other filth or trash, whereby the fleece may become more weighty to the deceit and loss of the buyer, upon pain ●he seller of any such deceitful Wool, to forfeit for every fleece of Wool so sold six pence. The omission and neglect of the due execution of which and other good Laws tending thereunto, hath emboldened owners of Sheep, and other usual sellers of Wool, as Staplers, Engrossers, Fellmongers', Jobbers, Brogers, and others in latter times to practise and use more deceits and abuses, and ●o sell and utter more deceivable Wool and trash made up therein then are hereby before expressed, or hath been in the winding of Wool formerly practised: For that besides the deceits as aforesaid used, whereas Farmers and other Owners of Sheep have usually heretofore shorn their sheep within three or four days next after their washing, and if they go longer unshorn, and put into, or suffered to go into Fallow-fields, or Highways, it is needful they should be washed again before shorn; They now in divers Counties and places of this Kingdom do commonly after the Sheep are washed, however the weather fall out, let them go unshorn, aswell in Fallow-fields and Highways, as Pasture-grounds, by the space of two or three weeks together, and never wash them again, which doth cause them to sweat and gather soil, and make the Wool the more weighty; And that Fellmungers by their not well washing and not well drying their Wool, doth cause so sold oftentimes to shrink two pound weight at the least in every twenty pounds' weight thereof, besides the great deceits used in most parts of this Kingdom, by putting up of all sorts of Wool together, and by the needless and too often branding of sheep with great brandmarkes of pitch, and that at divers and sundry times in the year, on several parts on the Sheep, and commonly in the places where the Wool is best, and most usually not long before they are shorn, which doth cause the same to be much the more weighty; And the Petitioners for the most part carrying the same by water, whereby or otherwise taking wet, causeth the same to heat, and thereby to melt the said pitch-markes, which by running through the Wool doth spoil a great part thereof, and hinder the dividing and working of the same; And the Petitioners thereby constrained to cut off and cast away such pitch-markes, the charge whereof (besides the loss of the Wool which is the greatest) is very considerable to the Petitioners, besides the Wool that is lost in the Commonwealth thereby; The cutting of which brands at the shearing of the Sheep would be very little or no charge to the Owners of the Sheep (if there were any need so to brand them) By all which before mentioned frauds and deceits the Petitioners are very great loser's: Forasmuch therefore as the Petitioners and others that trade and deal in Wool, and the using and employing thereof in making of Cloth and other Manufactures of Wool by reason of the remoteness and distance of their respective habitations from the several Counties and places where the most part of the said Wools do grow, cannot possibly discover the abuses and deceits so as aforesaid practised in the winding up and sale of Wool, or otherwise concerning Wool, and for that the exhibiting, commencing, and prosecution in the Courts at Westminster or elsewhere of several Informations, Actions and suits in Law against the said Offenders as in such cases hath been usually, will tend to the Petitioners great charge and expenses, the neglect of their several Trades and Callings, and in fine the remedy become worse than the disease; And for that the Petitioners many of them on the behalf of the rest have this year several times, and their Agents more constantly attended this Honourable House to procure a redress for these grievances having too long undergone the said grievances. May it therefore please this Honourable Assembly, That if it seem good to your wisdoms for the redress of such mischiefs as aforesaid, a penalty upon every score of faulty Fellwooll may be set and imposed, and that the said forfeiture of six pence upon every fleece of deceitful Wool that shall be hereafter sold, may be increased, and that in such places where there is no Wools carried to any Markets to be sold, convenient Markets may be appointed whither the Owners of Wool may bring their Wool to sell. And for that it manifestly appears that the want of Commissioners and Officers to inquire of the frauds and deceits used in and about Wool, and to see the Laws put in execution, is the cause of the growing and increase thereof; If it may therefore stand with the wisdom and pleasure of this Honourable House, It is the Petitioners humble suit, That Commissioners and Officers may be appointed to see the Law made, or such as shall be made touching the premises, put in due execution. And your Petitioners will be willing to afford a considerable allowance for their charges, care, pains and encouragement in the faithful discharge of the trust in them to be reposed. And it is the Petitioners humble desire, that they may be such as they have trusted with the managaing and prosecution of this suit, If it shall likewise stand with the good liking of this Honourable House, when the said persons and said allowance shall be presented.  
The Petitioners further humbly showing, That whereas by divers other good Laws heretofore made, it was enacted, That no person whatsoever should transport any Wool or Woollfels; And whereas by divers other good Laws it was also enacted, though now repealed, That no person or persons whatsoever should buy any Wool but only to or for his or their only proper use and uses, and to make Cloth and other Manufactures thereof, or sell or cause to be sold, or send or cause to be sent Wools to any Market, or else where to be sold other than such Wools as are of his or their own growing, nor buy any Wool to sell the same again unwrought; Notwithstanding which said Laws as aforesaid made against the transporting of Wool, there hath been for divers years last passed, more especially of late years, great quantities both of Wool and Fuller's earth transported into Foreign parts, and so consequently the Trade of making of Clothes and Stuffs, and other Manufactories of Wool, where they have now (as the Petitioners have been credibly informed) such great quantities of Wool which they have had from hence heretofore at low rates, that they are able to afford the said Wools and the Commodities made thereof cheaper than they can now be afforded here, That if the transporting of Wool and Fuller's earth be not prevented, the Trade will be very much in time carried from hence thither, and this Kingdom likely to be very much impoverished thereby; whereas if the Wool and Fuller's earth thereof were kept within it, Clothes and other Manufactures of Wool such as are made here could not any where else be afforded so cheap, or made so well without our Wool and Fuller's earth as here, Nor can any great quantities be had elsewhere, And so the Trade would be kept here to the enriching of this Nation, and the setting the poor thereof on work as the Petitioners humbly conceive. And the said Laws against buying and selling of Wool again unwrought being as aforesaid repealed; The said Staplers, Fellmongers', Jobbers and Brogers are become the principal Engrossers of Wool; And the Petitioners verily believe that they will also appear to be the chiefest transporters thereof, and find that they by buying and engrossing the same into their hands, do use much deceit in packing up thereof, and mixing therewith sand and water, or otherwise corrupting of it, whereby it becomes to be more weighty. That the said buyers of Wool do some of them sometimes forthwith sell the same again at the Market where it was bought cheaper than they did buy it, and yet are gainers by the sale thereof. The said Jobbers and Brogers and the like also usually forestall the Market in buying of Wools by the way as they are going thither, and selling them at the same Market where they were to have been sold by the grower. And the Petitioners have since the said Law was repealed, been constrained to buy most part of the Wool they use at the second and third hands, and now of late at more hands, which doth not only enhance the price of the Manufactories made thereof, and tend to the decay of Trading here, and hindrance of the setting on work, and the impoverishing, and in time, if not prevented, to the utter undoing of many thousand of Families having their dependence of the said Wooll-commodities, but also to the increase and advancement of the said Trades of making Clothes and Stuffs, and other Manufactories of Wool in Foreign parts, and the loss of the Customs to be paid upon them in case the same were made here: And the buying and selling again of Wool unwrought by reason of the Law against it repealed as aforesaid, being so prejudicial to the Petitioners, and as they conceive to the Commonwealth, It is their humble suit, that the said Statute may be again revived and stand in force.  
And the Petitioners humbly conceiving that unless it be made Felony to transport not only Sheep but Wool, Wool fells, Yarn, Fullers-earth, and Fulling-Clay into Foreign parts, and also the loss of Ship and Vessel, and all therein, wherein any such goods shall be transported, The transporters thereof will hardly be wholly or to any purpose restrained; It is therefore the Petitioners humble suit, if it shall stand with the wisdom of this Honourable House, That the transporting of the Commodities aforesaid may be made Felony and loss of all as aforesaid, or otherwise, as to your grave wisdoms shall seem meet.  
And that for the preventing the transporting the said Commodities, and the putting in execution the said Law against the buying and selling of Wool again unwrought if it be revived as is desired, or such other Laws as shall be made touching the same; It is the Petitioners humble suit, That the aforesaid desired Commissioners and Officers may be appointed, and some provision made for their charges, time, care and pains therein, if to your Honours it shall seem good.  
And further the Petitioners humbly show, That whereas by the working and making of Wool into , Stuffs, and other Manufactures, many Thousand of Families have for many Ages pastobtained and had their sole means of livelihood and subsistence, and the Trades, Arts, and Mysteries arising from Wool, tending to the supportation of the Commonwealth, are greatly fallen and decayed by reason of many abuses practised; particularly, for that contrary to the Laws of this Kingdom, many have presumed to take upon them the said Trades, who never served an Apprenticeship thereunto, (viz,) FarmersSonnes, and divers others that have other Trades and means of livelihood, by giving of Money have attained to some small knowledge therein, but for want of skill and ability have made such bad and deceitful Ware, that it hath caused our  and Stuffs to be disesteemed and unliked, not only here, but in Foreign Parts, by reason whereof, your Petitioners are not only deprived of the profit of their labours, but others are thereby discouraged from putting their Children Apprentices to the said Trades, albeit the same is the only way to make them skilful in using and managing of the said Trades as they ought to be; and have caused many of the said Trades, Arts, and Nisteries, to go into Foreign Parts, there to set up and teach the said Trades, Arts, and Mysteries to Aliens and Strangers, which tends to the decay of the said Trades here within this Kingdom, and the impoverishing of many Thousands of Families which have their dependency upon the said Trade, Art, and Mystery.  
May it therefore please this Honourable Assembly, That no Person or Persons within this Kingdom or Dominion of Wales, shall or may hereafter use or exercise the said Trade, but such only as shall first have served as Apprentices thereunto for the Term of Seven years at the least, nor any that have lately entered upon the said Trades who have not served as Apprentice any time thereunto: And if it shall stand with the liking of this Honourable House, That Commissioners and Officers may be appointed to see the said Laws made or to be made, put in due execution, which the Petitioners pray may be such as are before desired; And that such recompense may be allowed them for their care and pains therein, as to the wisdom of this Honourable House shall be thought fit, which the Petitioners shall be willing to afford them,  
and pray, etc.   

THis Petition was preferred to the Honourable House of Commons, and a special Committee, being appointed by the said House to take the same into consideration, The matter was before the said Committee several days debated by Counsel on the part of the Petitioners, and of the Merchants of the Staple of England: But in regard the business was of a general concernment, leave was given to Print the Petition, that notice might be taken thereof in the several parts of the Kingdom before the next sitting of that Honourable Committee, which will be the second Wednesday in Easter Term next, being the Twelfth of May.  
The Petitioners have Printed and dispersed the said Petition, and have without warrant inserted, that many Thousands (whereof some are mentioned to be of more special quality) have subscribed it. Whereupon, occasion is given to recommend to the consideration of all Wooll-growers, and others concerned in the said business (who far exceed in number those that subscribed the Petition) how inconvenient it will be to the Wooll-growers and others, and destructive to the Kingdom, if the Petitioners shall be the sole and only Buyers of all the Wool of the Kingdom, and Merchants of the Staple be prohibited, and none to be permitted but the Petitioners to buy any Wool. And if the Wooll-growers and others shall apprehend such the Petitioners endeavour to be a common damage, Then by all just ways to endeavour to prevent the Petitioners therein.   

London, Printed by S. I. and are to be sold by William Hunt in Pie-corner. 1647.