Woollen Cloth Act 1662

Recital that divers Abuses have been had of late in the making Broad Woollen Cloth in the West Riding of York.

A Corporation erected within the said West Riding.; Masters, Wardens, and Assistants, when and by whom to be chosen.; and in case of Death then Election to be at any Court to be holden next after; to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy; and also the Oath following.; Power to Justices, and to Masters, Wardens, &c. to administer the like Oaths to Officers of the Corporation.

WHEREAS divers abuses and deceits have of late yeares been had and used in the Manufacture of Broad Woollen Cloth made within the Westriding of the County of Yorke and the spining and deceitfull working thereof which tends to the great debasing and undervaluation of the said Manufacture both att home and alsoe in Forreigne parts where the same is usually vended For p[re]vention of all which abuses and deceipts. It is enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament That from and after the next Monday after Easter which shall be in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred sixty and two there be and shall be a Corporation to continue for ever within the said West Riding of the County of Yorke consisting of all the Justices of [X1 the] Peace of the said West Riding for the time being Two Masters Ten Wardens Twelve Assistants and Commonalty All which said Masters Wardens and Assistants are to be of the ablest and best experienced Clothiers within the said West Riding and such as have served and been brought up in the Trade and Mistery of Clothing by the space of seven yeares according to the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm One of which said Masters Five of which said Wardens and Six of which said Assistants shall be chosen the first Monday after Pentecost then next following and from thenceforth to be yearely and every yeare chosen upon the next Monday after Pentecost at some publique place by the Free Clothiers of the said West-Riding inhabiting within the Parish of Leeds in the said County of Yorke or the greater part of them present at such Election and the other Master Five Wardens and Six Assistants shall be chosen upon the same dayes at some publique place by the Free Clothiers inhabiting out of the said Town and Parish of Leeds or the greater part of them present at the said Election of the parts adjacent within the said Westriding [X2 And in case any of the said Masters Wardens and Assistants after theire said respective Elections do happen to dy that then it shall and may be lawfull att any Court to be holden next after such decease to elect others in theire respective places] And the said Wardens Masters and Assistants respectively shall within Eight dayes after theire first Choice and Election take the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy which any two Justices of the Peace within the West Riding whereof One to be of the Quo[rum] have hereby power to administer and alsoe the ensuing Oath (viz) I A. B. do sweare That I will well faithfully and honestly performe and discharge the Office of a Master of the Corporac[i]on of the Free Clothiers according to the best of my Skill Power and Knowledge So help me God. And the like Oath and Oathes to be administred to the Wardens and Assistants respectively mutatis mutandis And for ever after the said Justices of the Peace Masters Wardens and Assistants and their Successors or any Thirteen of them shall and have hereby power to administer the like Oath or Oathes to such Officer or Officers faithfully and honestly to perform and discharge his and theire said Office and Offices to which he [X3 and] they are and shall be so chosen by this Act at any Court to be by them holden in manner hereafter declared

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

X2 annexed to the Original Act in a separate Schedule.

X3 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: or O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]