Lace Act 1697

III. Goods seized to be taken to Custom House;

If condemned, to be sold by Inch of Candle, on Notice.; Buyer to enter into Bond before Delivery for Exportation of such Goods, &c.; Terms on which Bond to be cancelled; otherwise Person having Custody of such Goods liable.

And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all Forreigne Bone-lace Loom-lace Needle-work, Point and Cutt-work seized by virtue of this or any other Act shall be carried to the next Custome-house and shall not be thence delivered unlesse in order to be produced att a Tryal or otherwise discharged by due Course of Law And in case the said Goods so seized or any part thereof shall be condemned then the same shall be sold publicly by Inch of Candle whereof publick Notice in Writing by a Paper or Papers affixed att the Door of the Custome-house and other most publick Place where the said Goods are lodged shall be given at least Ten Days before the said Sale and shall not be delivered to the Buyer or Buyers until the said Buyer or Buyers shall have entred into Bonds with One or more sufficient Surety or Sureties to the Kings Majesty His Heires and Successors in double the Value of the said Goods to export or cause to be exported within Six Months after the Date of the said Obligation out of the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales all and every part of the said Forreigne Bone-lace Loom-lace Needle-work Point and Cutt-work so by him [X1 her] or them bought as aforesaid and not to import the same or any part thereof into the Kingdoms of England Scotland or Ireland or into any of His Majesties Dominions in America or elsewhere which said Obligation (upon Certificate of the proper Officers of the Customs of the Port from whence the said Goods shall be exported and also Oath being first made by the said Buyer or Buyers or the Person i[m]mediately concerned in the Exportation thereof that all and every part of the said Goods were exported accordingly and not landed or intended to be landed againe in the Kingdome of England or Dominion of X2 Wales the Kingdomes of Scotland or Ireland or any other part of His Majesties Dominions in America or elsewhere) shall be vacated and cancelled or otherwise to be in full Force and Virtue and the said Goods not being so exported and the Person or Persons in whose Custody the said Goods are or shall be found shall be againe liable to all the Penalties and Forfeitures in this or any other Act mentioned as if the same had never been seized.

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

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