8. May .1697.  

w R   English royal blazon surmounted by a crown and flanked by the English lion and Tudor rose on one side and the Scottish unicorn and thistle on the other HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE dieu ET MON DROIT  
By the Lords Justices, A PROCLAMATION. For Enforcing the Act made 1. Jac. 1. cap: x for better collecting the duties lately imposed upon Leath{er}.  


Tho. Cantuar.  
Devonshire,  
Sunderland,  
Dorsett,  
Romney,  
Orford.    
WHereas in and by an Act of Parliament Made and Passed in the last Session of Parliament, entitled, An Act for Laying a Duty on Leather for the Term of Three Years, and making other Provision for Answering the Deficiencies as well of the late Duties upon Coal and Culm, as for Paying the Annuities upon the Lottery, and for Lives Charged on the tonnage of Ships, and the D●ties upon Salt, It is( amongst other things) Recited, That in the First Year of the Reign of King James the First of Happy Memory, a good and wholesome Statute was made concerning Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers and other Artificers in Leather, wherein Ample Provision was made for the true and well Tanning, Currying and Working of Leather, and for and concerning the Buying and Selling of the same in Open Fairs and Markets, and for such other Matters and Things relating to Leather, as in the said Statute are plainly Expressed; The due Execution whereof hath been and is of great Importance to the public and Good Service of this Realm, and would very much Contribute to the Ascertaining, Charging and Collection of the Duties by the said Act intended to be Granted. And whereas it is by that Act Enacted, That all Mayors, bailiffs, and other Head Officers for the time being, in the several Cities, Boroughs and Market Towns of this Realm, and the respective Lords of Liberties, Fairs and Markets, and the Masters and Wardens of several Companys in the Recited Act Expressed, and all Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers and other Artificers, and all and every other Person and Persons whatsoever, who are or ought to be concerned in the Execution of the said Statute, or to give Obedience thereunto, shall( under the Pains, Penalties and Forfeitures as are therein severally Expressed) duly Execute, Observe and Comply with the same Statute, and all the Clauses, Matters and Things therein contained, in Relation to the Tanning, Dressing, Making, Buying, Selling, Trying, Sealing and registering, or other Matters concerning Leather, other than such as have been Altered by any Law or Statute since that time Made and now in Force. And it is thereby further Enacted, That from and after the Twentieth Day of April, One thousand six hundred ninety seven, no Tanner, Tawer, Currier, Maker, Dresser, or other Person or Persons whatsoever, shall put, or cause to be put to Sale, Exchange or otherwise depart with any kind of Leather Tanned, Tawed, Dressed or Made within this Kingdom, for which the Duty of Fifteen Pounds per Centum ad Valorem, by the said Act Imposed, ought to be Paid, in any Place or Places whatsoever, other than in some open Fair or Market; and that all Leather Sold, or for which any Contract shall be made for Sale thereof, with the true Price or Value at which the same shall be Sold, Bartered or Exchanged, shall be Entred or registered with the Officer Appointed to Collect those Duties, to contain the Number of all Hides, Butts, Backs, Skins and Pieces of Leather so Sold, Bartered, Exchanged or Contracted for before the Delivery thereof, or of any Part thereof, And that all and every 〈…〉 Dressers of Leather in Wooze, Mill, oil, Salt, alum, or other Materials whatsoever, shall before the Twentieth Day of May, One thousand six hundred ninety seven, give Notice in Writing to some one or more of the Commissioners, Surveyors, or other Officers to be Appointed for the next Market to the Place where any Tan-house, Work-house, or other Place shall be made use of for the Tanning, Tawing, Dressing or Making of Leather, of every such Work-house, Tan-house, or other Place for the Tanning, Tawing, Dressing or Making of Leather by them respectively used, and of the Number of Pits and Fats therein; And that they respectively as often as they shall Change their Places of Tanning, Tawing, Dressing or Making of Leather, and all and every Person who shall at any time, during the Continuance of the said Act, be the Tanner, Tawer, Currier, Maker or Dresser of Leather, shall give or leave like Notice of their respective Names and Places of Abode, and of their Yards, Work-houses, or other Places where they shall Tan, Taw, Make or Dress, or intend to Tan, Taw, Make or Dress any Leather, Hides or Skins, or Pieces thereof, before they or any of them do presume to make use of the same, to the end the said Commissioners, Surveyors, or other Officers, may from time to time have due Knowledge of all such Tan-yards, Work-houses, or other Places, and the Number of Fats and Pits therein, under the Penalty of the Forfeiture of Fifty Pounds by the said Act Imposed, as in and by the said Act more fully Appears. And whereas the Lords Commissioners of His Majesties Treasury, pursuant to the last mentioned Act, have placed the Management of the said Duties upon Leather, and the Execution of the said Act in the Commissioners and Governours for Management of the Receipt of Excise for the time being, and in Collectors, Surveyors and Officers to be appointed by them, or the mayor part of them, who by the Laws relating to the Excise are obliged to keep an Office open in every Market Town on every Market Day: We taking into Consideration that the Methods prescribed by the above recited Act, have, of late Days, been very much Neglected and Disused, especially as to the Buying and Selling of Leather in open Fairs and Markets, and being sensible that the due Performance and Execution of the said Act will very much tend not only to the Ease, Benefit and Advantage of all His Majesties Loving Subjects, Traders and Dealers in Leather, and the General Good and public Service of the Realm, but to the better Ascertaining, Charging and Collecting of the Duties on Leather Granted by the said Act; And to the end no Person or Persons in the above Recited Acts mentioned may through Ignorance incur any of the Penalties thereby Inflicted, Have thought fit, by the Advice of His Majesties Privy Council, to Publish this Proclamation; And We do hereby Declare, That all Mayors, Bailiffs, and other Head Officers for the time being, in the several Cities, Boroughs, Market Towns, and also the respective Lords of Liberties, Fairs and Markets, and all others whom it may concern within this Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, that they and every of them in their respective Places and Stations, do take effectual Care, that the above mentioned Statute made in the said First Year of the said King James the First, and all the Clauses, Matters and Things therein contained, in relation to the Tanning, Tawing, Dressing, Making, Buying, Selling, Searching, Trying, Sealing, registering, and all other Matters concerning Leather, be forthwith put in due Execution, other than such as have been altered by any Law or Statute since that time made, and now in Force; And that from henceforth all Leather Taw'd, Dressed or Made with oil, alum, Salt, or any other Materials, commonly called, White Leather, except as in the said Act made in the last Session of Parliament is excepted, as also all tanned Leather made in Wooze, commonly called, read Leather, for which the said Duties are to be paid, be Sold in Open Fairs and Markets, according to the Direction of the said Acts, and not elsewhere. And We do hereby Declare and Appoint for the greater Ease and Convenience of His Majesties Subjects, That the respective Lords and Owners of Liberties, Fairs and Markets, do appoint and make Publication of the certain Time and Place in which only any sort of Leather shall or may be Bought or Sold, or offered to Sale within their respective Markets, Fairs, and jurisdictions. And We do hereby further Publish and Declare, That all Tanners, Tawers, Curriers, Makers or Dressers of Leather, giving their Notices, entering their Leather, registering the same, and Paying the Duties according to the Directions of the said Act, at the next Office of Excise for the time being, for the Market-Town or Place next their respective Tan-houses or Work-houses, or with the Officer appointed for such Excise Office, will thereby avoid the Penalties Inflicted by the said Act. Provided nevertheless, That where any Leather shall be Sold at any Fair, the same must on Sale thereof be registered with, and the Duties Paid to the Officer appointed for such Fair. And We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Iustices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Chief Magistrates, Constables, Headboroughs, tithingmen, and all other Officers and Ministers of Iustice, That they be Aiding and Assisting to the said Officers in the due Execution and Performance of their Office, as they will answer the contrary at their utmost Perils.  
Given at the Court at Whitehall the Seventh Day of May, 1697. In the Ninth Year of His Majesties Reign. 
 God save the King.   

LONDON, Printed by Charles Bill, and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceased; Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1697.