TO THE honourable KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, And burgesses, OF THE COMMONS-HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT Assembled.  
The humble Petition of the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Company of Clothworkers of the City of London, in the behalf of themselves, and of the artisan Clothworkers of the same Company.  
Showeth,  
THat whereas many thousand Families of Clothworkers in the City of London and elsewhere, have for hundred of years heretofore maintained themselves, and lived comfortably, by the rowing and shearing of broad and narrow clothes. Whiles they enjoyed the benefit of several Statutes provided for their better employment, and relief; as namely, the Statute 33. Hen. 8. Chap. 19 which prohibits any person or persons to transport any white woollen cloth, above the value of 4. l. or any coloured cloth, above the value of 3. l. undressed under pain of forfeiting the same; and of 8. Eliz. Chap. 6. which enacts, that for every nine clothes unwrought to be shipped beyond the Seas, contrary to any Statute in force, by virtue of any licence to be granted, the party who should carry over the same, shall transport one woollen cloth of like sort, length, breath, and goodness, ready wrought and dressed, under pain of forfeiting for every such nine clothes, transported contrary to this Statute the sum of ten pounds, the moiety of all which forfeitures, were to accrue to the Company of cloth workers for the relief of their poor; yet of late years, divers licenses and dispensations to transport clothes unwrought have been granted to sundry persons for their private lucre, contrary to these Acts, whereby your Petitioners have been deprived of their natural birth right, the dressing of English cloth, and Aliens in foreign parts employed, in, and enriched by their trade; to the great prejudice of your Petitioners, and the commonwealth; And whereas your Petitioners for their relief herein, have formerly commenced suits against sundry Merchants for the forfeitures, due unto them by the said Acts, their suits have been stopped by special Orders from the council-table: And one lately commenced against one Master Thomas Smith, was by the entreaty of a Committee of this Honourable Assembly surceased, upon promise, they should be relieved upon their Petition. And to add to their affliction, many Gig-Mills for rowing of cloth, have been erected and used of late years about Stroudwater, by Thomas Webbe and divers others, contrary to the Statute of 5. Edw. 6. Chap. 22. Their Wardens in their searches withstood by clothworkers, who are free of other Companies, as Master Henry Leaves and others, against the express provision of 39 Eliz. Chap. 13. Their wages for their work paid weekly heretofore, commonly deferred for sundry months by Merchants and Drapers, who employ them to their utter undoing.  
In tender consideration, whereof your Petitioners humbly pray, that those foresaid Statutes may be put in due execution, and all dispensations against them declared void in Law; all Gig-mils suppressed, all clothworkers within five miles every way distant from the City of London, incorporated into the Company of clothworkers of the City of London, for the better regulating of their Trade, and that all your Petitioners may receive ready money for their work, in such manner, and under the same penalties or greater, as the clothworkers of Shrewsbury receive for their work by the Statute of 8. Eliz. Chap. 7. and that all His majesty's liege people may freely trade in cloth, according to the Statute of 12. Hen. 7. Chap. 6. and all patents to the contrary be suppressed.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.