Butchers Act 1663

Recital of 3 & 4 Ed. VI. c. 19. § 3.

Reasons for passing this Act.; Butchers not to sell fat Cattle alive.; Penalty.

Whereas by an Act made in the Third and Fourth yeares of the Raigne of King Edward the Sixth it is enacted That noe person useing the Craft or Mistery of a Butcher should buy any fatt Oxen Steeres Runts Kine Heifers Calves or Sheepe and sell the same againe alive upon paine of forfeiture of the Catle soe sold which Law hath not wrought such effectuall reformation as was intended by reason of the difficultie in the proofe of such buying and selling being for the most, part at places far distant if not in severall Countyes, by meanes whereof the parties soe offending have escaped unpunished Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by Authoritie of the same That noe person useing the Trade of a Butcher shall at any time from and after the Feast of Saint Michaell the Arch Angell next ensueing sell offer or expose to sale in any Market or elsewhere either by himselfe or any Servant or Agent whatsoever any Fatt Oxen [X1 Strees,] Runts, Kine, Heifers Calves Sheepe or Lambes alive upon paine to forfeite the double Value of the Catle soe sold, or offered or exposed to sale as aforesaid, the one moyetie of which Forfeiture shall be to the Kings Majestie H,s Heires and Successors and the other moyety to him or them that will sue for the same in any of His Majesties Courts of Record by Bill Plaint Action of Debt or Information wherein noe Essoigne Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed

Editorial Information

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