royal blazon or coat of arms HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE dieu ET MON DROIT  
❧ By the King.  
❧ A Proclamation against frauds and deceits used in Draperie, and for discovery and preventing of the same.  
NOtwithstanding the many good and wholesome laws, and Statutes, made and provided for the true making of Cloth, of late times many and great abuses haue crept into that Manufacture: for remedy whereof, His majesty did by his Commission under the great seal of England, bearing date the fourteenth day of December, in the sixth year of His reign, directed unto Commissioners therein name, appoint them to call vpon the Iustices of Peace, and other head Officers within the Counties of Wilts', Gloucester, Somerset, and Oxon', and to assist them in the performance of the several trusts in them by the Statutes concerning Draperie reposed, which Commission hath been in executing by the space of two yeeres past. And it appeareth by the account thereof given to His Highnesse, and His privy council, that by reason of some doubts made concerning some points,& clauses of the said Statutes,( as they are by some interpnted) the same seem to be deficient for the effectual reformation of Clothing. His majesty intending, that the Cloth of this kingdom may regain its ancient reputation beyond the Seas, whereby it may be the more readily received and vented in those parts, which cannot bee so well done, as by the true working and making thereof; Hath by the advice of His privy council, resolved to renew His said Commission, with supply of such defects as are found therein, and by just and equal ordinances and constitutions, to supply some defects and omissions in the said Statutes, to prevent frauds and deceits used in Drapery; which in time, if prevention be not made, may bring disesteem vpon the Clothes of this realm, and decay of Draperie, by which a great number of His majesties people haue their livelihood, which by His regal power He commandeth to be duly observed until the end of the first Session of the next Parliament: And then vpon trial of their effects to be made into a Statute law, as hath heretofore in the like case been used and done, or otherwise altered, as shall be then found convenient.  
First therefore His Highnesse will and pleasure is, that no wools be boiled with galls, unless they be first made blue with woad or indigo, according as the sadness of the colour intended to be made will bear in blue. And that such as after the first day of August next shall spin any yearn to sel in the market, or for the Cloth-maker in any of the Counties of Oxon' Wilts' Gloucest'& the county of the city of Gloucest' or the eastern limits of the County of Somerset shall make the same in skeynes vpon reels that shall be all of assize, so as every reel shall be of two shepherds, or one yard, and of no other assize, and shall be of equal widenes in all the parts thereof where the yearn shall bee reeled. And that every weaver shall to every Cloth that he shall wave, set the first two letters of his name of baptism and Surname, or at the least the first letter of his Surname, and no other mark, And that the weaver shal redeliver unto the Clothier, the thrummes, knots and ends,& all yearn not woven into the Cloth, and the Clothier shall take in the same thrummes ends and knots, at such price as others will give for the same, because under colour of buying thrummes and such like of the weaver, the Clothier is robbed of much yearn. And whereas Tuckers and Clothiers do now use ston weights for weighing of their Cloth, which being of no certain contents, because they cannot bee sealed, cause much deceit, His Highnesse pleasure is, and he doth hereby command all Tuckers and Clothiers whatsoever, where any Cloth is to bee sealed, That they and every of them before the four and twentieth day of june next, provide leaden weights, or brass weights of Auers du poys lawfully sealed, and that the Clothiers, Searchers and overseers use those and no other in weighing any Cloth.  
And Whereas in diuers places where coloured clothes are milled and dressed, there bee sundry racks or Tenters used with the lower bar, which is lawful to bee used for coloured and dressed Clothes, under colour whereof the white Clothes are also often strained with the lower bar, contrary to the Statute made in this behalf in the three and fortieth year of the reign of the late queen Elizabeth, For the avoiding of this abuse, His Highnesse Commandeth that there shall bee no White Cloth hanged vpon any rack or Tenter that hath two bars, although it hang but by one List onely, but that all White Clothes shall bee hanged vpon such Tenters as haue but one bar, to wit, above, and no lower bar.  
And whereas by the Statute made in the fift and sixth yeeres of the reign of the late King Edward the sixth, the use of Gigmills is forbidden under a great penalty, and yet of late time the same Milles are used under the name of Mosingmills, wherein the Cloth being stretched, is wrought with the Teazell in the Mill, vpon colour and pretence that they being well used may be commodious for Clothing: It is His Highnesse Pleasure and express Commandement, That forasmuch as the danger of the abuse is far greater then the benefit of such toleration can bee; All Mosingmills and Mills by which Clothes may be wrought with the Teazell, of what name soever, shall bee taken down before midsummer next, and none other erected or used after that time. And whereas there is great abuse found to bee practised in the marks of the Clothiers, some that make worse Cloth using the marks of others that make best, or making of so slight a difference from it, as the buyer cannot easily discern it: His Highnesse willeth and commandeth, that every Clothier shall haue one several mark for his Cloth, and shall use that one mark only for all the time of his Clothing, without altering or changing the same, and no man shall give the same mark which another useth, though with addition or difference or change of the colour: And where at present several men use the same mark, such of them as haue longest used the same shall continue the use thereof, and the others shall betake themselves to the use of new marks not used by others: And whereas diuers Statutes made before the fourth year of the reign of the late King james His majesties father of blessed memory, touching the length breadth and weight of Clothes, are repealed by a Statute made in the said fourth year, and therein is declared what length, breadth and weight the Clothes of several Counties shall contain, His majesty commandeth that every Searcher to each Cloth that he shal search shall affix at either end of the Cloth a seal of led, wherein shall bee truly and plainly expressed the length and breadth of the same Cloth measured wet out of the water after the full milling thereof, together with the just weight thereof being fully and home dried, and the name of baptism and surname of the Searcher at large and legibly stamped, and after such seal so affixed, the same Cloth shall not bee eftsoons put into the mill, or thickened, and that before such time as the Searcher puts on his seal the Clothier that makes the Cloth shall set on his seal, expressing as well the breadth, as the length and weight in manner aforesaid, and put on the word faulty, if there be cause: And that the Searcher shall put on but two seals vpon a Cloth, whereof one to be at each end of the Cloth, as aforesaid.  
And His Highnesse will and pleasure is, and he doth hereby command, that the searching and sealing of Clothes for their length, breadth and weight and sealing the word faulty, where there is cause, shall bee now wholly done by the Clothier, Searcher and overseer of the Cloth, which was by the Statutes anciently done by the Clothier and Aulnager: And whereas the laws then made, did require vpon great penalties, that no Cloth should be folded or tacked by the workman, nor bee offered to Sale, nor be Transported by the Merchant, before the Aulnage seal was thereunto affixed.  
His majesties express will and pleasure is, that from henceforth no workman shall presume to fold or tack together any Cloth, That no Cloth be by any offered to Sale, nor be Transported by any Merchant or other person whatsoever, before the seal of the overseers or Searchers be thereunto affixed, And that all White Clothes which shall not bee so sealed, wheresoever the same shall bee found, His Highnesse willeth that His Commissioners appointed in that behalf, shall Arrest, and Seize, and bring the same to trial, but no Fee shall bee taken for doing therof: And for that the Searcher and overseer are at great labour and charge, And by the ancient Statutes there was two pence vpon a Cloth allowed by the Clothier to the Searcher, for Clothes preached, in any city, Borough or town Corporate, which allowance yet continueth in the city of Worcester, It is now thought fit by His majesty, that in regard of the far greater labour and charge imposed on the Searcher and overseer, then anciently hath been,  
And His Highnesse willeth and commandeth, that the same allowance of two pence vpon the Cloth preached and registered shall bee made by the Clothier unto the Searcher, or overseer, wheresoever the Cloth shall bee preached, as well within the Corporations as without: And if any Clothier dwelling out of a city, Borough, or town Corporate shall refuse to make this allowance, then his Cloth shall not bee preached nor sealed by the Searcher or overseer of that place, till it bee brought to some city, Borough, or town Corporate. And His majesty also willeth and ordaineth that every Searcher shall keep a book, and therein cause to be written a remembrance of every Cloth preached by him, with the name of the owner of the cloth, the contents and weight thereof, and the time of searching, to the end the Aulnager may be truly answered the duty of Aulnage and subsidy vpon every Cloth he also shall put on his seal to every Cloth made within the Counties aforesaid, or any of them, But the Cloth shall not bee sealed by the Aulnager before the Clothier and Searcher, or overseer, shall first haue set on their seals in form aforesaid; neither shall the Aulnager research the Cloth sealed as aforesaid, it being prohibited by the Law. And whereas it is by the Statutes now in force ordained, that the word Faulty shall be stamped vpon the seal of the Clothier, Searcher, and overseer, to signify that the Cloth is wasted in the Mill or Squally, Bandy, Rowye, Holely, and the like; but the Searchers and overseers use to stamp this word Faulty to the most Clothes: yea, even to such as haue none of those faults, whereby they hope to bee out of danger if they err witting or negligently in the stamping of the length, weight, or breadth: And when those clothes are offered to sale in the parts beyond the Sea, and also within the realm, they are often refused, which hath caused sundry Merchants of Cloth to take the seals from the Clothes to which they were affixed.  
Therefore it is His majesties pleasure and commandement, that from henceforth the said word faulty, shall not be stamped neither by the Clothier, nor by the Searcher or overseer, for that the Cloth holds not his due content in length, breadth, or weight, but onely when it is false made, wasted in the Mill, Squally, Bandy, Rowy, Holely, or the like. And none of His majesties Subiects that shall bee possessed of any such Clothes sealed,( that shall sell the same again on this side or beyond the Sea) shall take any seal from the Cloth.  
And His majesty doth also hereby will and ordain, that all such white Worcester Clothes and others of the like making, as shall be milled in Gloucestershire, shall not bee stamped, nor reputed narrow, if they be found to be six Quarters and half a Quarter of a Yard in breadth, clean Cloth within the Lists, as is now allowed at Worcester, and well accepted by the foreign Merchants that buy up this kind of Cloth, but that such Clothes may be freely put to Sale, Any Statute heretofore made to the contrary notwithstanding.  
And for the better execution of this His Highnesse Proclamation, His Highnesse doth hereby require and command the Iustices of Peace within the said several Counties, that they do their best endeavours, to see that as well these Ordinances, as the laws and Statutes( the premises concerning not contrary to the same) bee duly observed and kept: Of all which His majesty intendeth to require a particular account, And therefore commandeth the same to be duly executed and strictly observed by all persons, whom by their Offices or places it shall conterne, vpon such pains and penalties, as by the laws and Statutes of this realm, or by his majesties prerogative royal, and such punishments in His high Court of starchamber, or elsewhere, as can or may bee inflicted vpon contemners and violaters of His royal pleasure and commands, Requiring and commanding all His majesties Iustices, Iudges, Maiors, Sheriffes, bailiffs, Iustices of Peace, Constables, and other head Officers, that they diligently attend the execution of His Highnesse pleasure before declared, and be aiding, helping and assisting to His majesties Commissioners assigned, and to bee assigned, to take care of the execution of this Proclamation, or the laws and Statutes concerning Clothing, and their deputies, and to the Searchers and overseers in their several places, as need shall require; Commanding also the said Commissioners that they certify Our attorney general for the time being, of the Offenders, and of the qualities and natures of their Offences, whereby Our said attorney may proceed against them according to their demerits, as they will answer the contrary at their utmost peril.  
given at Our Palace of Westminster: The sixteenth day of April, in the ninth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord CHARLES by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.  
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.XXXIII.