Customs Act 1662

II. Ships exporting not to take in Lading till Ship entered with Officer of the Customs.

Particulars of Entry; and before Departure to deliver a Content in Writing to Officer; what the same is to contain; and to answer on Oath Questions by Officers touching Goods, &c. laden on board.; Penalty £100.; Captains, &c. of Ships importing not to discharge, &c. till they have declared in Writing the Name of Merchant and Number and Marks of Package.; and have answered Questions touching the same on Oath.; Penalty £100.; Refusing to make Entries, &c. Officer may go on board and bring away prohibited or uncustomed Goods.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no Captaine Master Purser or any other person or persons taking charge of any Ship or Vessell bound for the parts beyond the Seas or into the Kingdome of Scotland whether the same Ship or Vessel shall have Commission from or belong unto the Kings Majestie that now is His Heires or Successors or shall belong to or have Comission from any forrain Prince or State or otherwise shall take in or suffer to be taken into or laden aboard any such Ship or Vessell any English Goods Wares or Merchandize to be exported into the parts beyond the Seas or into the Kingdome of Scotland untill such Captaine Master Purser or other person as aforesaid shall have entred such Shipp or Ships in the Booke of the Commissioners Customer or Collector and Comptroller Outwards of such Port where he shall load or take in Goods togeather with the Name of such Captaine or Master the Burden of such Shipp or Vessell the Number of Guns and Ammunition she carries and to what Port or Place she intends to passe or sail and before he or they shall depart with his or theire Shipp or Vessel out of such Port or Place shall bring and deliver unto the said person or persons which [X1 are or] shall be appointed by His Majesty for managing the Customs the Customer or Collector and Comptroller of such Port or Place a Content in Writing under his or theire Hands of the Names of every Merchant and other person or persons that shall have laden and put on board any such Ship or Vessel any such Goods or Merchandize togeather with the Marks & Numbers of such Goods and Merchandize and shall likewise publiquely in the open Custome house upon his Corporal Oath to the best of his knowledge have answered to such question or questions as shall be demanded of him by the said person or persons which are or shall be appointed by His Majestie for managing the Customes the Customer or Collector and Comptroller or theire Deputies concerning such Goods and Merchandize as shall be aboard such Ship or Vessel upon pain of Forfeiture of One hundred pounds And that no such Captain Master Purser or other person or persons taking charge of any Ship or Vessel of Warre as aforesaid wherein any Goods Wares or Merchandizes shall have beene laden or brought from the Ports beyond the Seas or out of the Realm of Scotland shall unload or put on board any Lighter Boat or Bottome or lay on land or suffer to be discharged or put into any Lighter Boat or ottom or to be laid on land out of any Ship or Vessel as aforesaid any Goods Wares or Merchandize whatsoever before such Captaine Master Purser or other person taking charge of the Shipp or Merchants Goods for that Voyage as aforesaid shall have signified and declared in writing under his or theire Hands. unto; the person or persons which are or shall be appointed by His Majesty for managing the Customes the Customer or Collector and Comptroller Inwards of the Port where he ariveth the Names of every Merchant or Lader of any Goods, oc Merchandizes aboard the said Ship or Vessell togeather with the Number and Marks and the quantity and quality of every Parcel of Goods and Merchandizes to the best of his knowledge and shall have answered upon his or theire Corporal Oath to such Questions concerning X2 Goods and Merchandizes as shall be publiquely administred unto him in the open Custom house' by such person or persons which are or shall bee appointed for managing the Customes Customer or Collector and Comptroller or theire Deputies and shall be lyable to all Searches and other Rules which Merchants Ships are subject unto by the usage of His Majesties Custome house (victualling Bills & entring excepted) upon pain to forfeit One hundred pounds And upon refusall to make such Entries as aforesaid as wel Outwards as Inwards the said person or persons which are or shall be appointed for managing the Customes and Officers of His Majesties Customes and theire Deputies shall and may freely enter and go on board all and every such Ship or Vessel of War and bring from thence on shoar into His Majesties Store house belonging to the Port where such Ship shall bee all Goods and Merchandizes prohibited or uncustomed which shall be found aboard any such Ship as aforesaid

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: such O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]