Bay Making, Colchester Act 1660

II. All Bays made at Colchester must be carried to the Bay Hall and searched.

Fuller, &c. working any Bays not stamped; Penalty 40s,; How applied where Bay made by English Maker; where by Dutch Maker.; Second Offence, £5.; Third Offence, disabled.

And bee it further Enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That if any person or persons whatsoever from and after the twentyeth day of September in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred and sixtie shall weave or cause to be woven within the said Towne of Colchester or the Libertyes therof any Bay knowne by the name of fower and fiftyes Sixtyes Sixty eights, Eightyes and hundred Bayes, and shall not within two dayes after such weaving carry or cause such Bay to be carryed to the [X1 Dutchy] Bay Hall called the Raw Hall there to be viewed and searched to the intent it may appeare whether the same Bay be well and substantially wrought before as the said Bay shall be carryed to be scoured and thicked, or if any Fuller or Thicker or other person useing the Art or Trade of Fulling or Thicking of Bayes shall receive any such Bay to be fulled and thicked before such time as the said Bay hath beene carryed to the said Raw Hall, and there stamped and marked as by the Orders of the said Hall it ought to be, That every such Weaver that shall soe convey the said Bay, and every such Fuller or Thicker that shall receive such Bay before the same be stamped and marked as aforesaid shall forfeite for the first offence the summe of Forty shillings to be leavyed by distresse and sale of the Offenders goods returning the overplus, the necessary charges of destraining being first deducted, and such Forfeitures, in case such Bay be made by an English Master maker, then the same to be accounted for to the Maior and Commonalty of the said Towne for the benefit of the poore of the said Towne, and in case such Bay be the Bay of a Dutch Master maker then the same to be disposed by the Governours of the said Dutch Bay Hall for the use and benefit of the poore of the said Dutch Congregation, and for the second offence shall forfeit the summe of five pounds to be leavyed and disposed in manner abovesaid and for the third offence not to be permitted to worke any more within the Towne of Colchester or Libertyes thereof.

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: Dutch O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]