Cheese and Butter Trade Act 1692

Reasons for passing this Act

13 & 14(14) Car. II. c. 26. recited.; Seller of Butter, &c. discharged from the Penalty of 13 & 14 (14)Car. II. c. 26. after the Buyer hath bought and approved of the Commodity.

Forasmuch as diverse Countries of this Kingdom consist chiefly of Dairy Farmes and are in great measure supported by the sale of Butter and Cheese the growth and product of the same And by an Act of Parliament made in the Fourteenth yeare of the Reigne of his late Majesty King Charles the Second entituled An Act for reforming Abuses in Weighing and false Packing of Butter the Weight thereof is ascertained and the goodness of the Butter is secured under the Pains and Penalties therein mentioned And whereas the Cheesemongers of London their Factors or Agents without any Authority have appointed in all or most of the Sea Port Towns in the said Counties a certain Officer called a Weigher who often times several Weeks after the Cheese and Butter hath been bought and approved by the Factors and Agents of the said Cheesemongers at the Sellers House have taken upon them without any Authority to weigh and search the said Butter when the same comes to the Sea Ports to be shipped and there pretend that the same is faulty and set Rates of Deduction thereupon and give Notes thereof to the Factors who bought such Butter and when the Factor comes to pay the Seller for the same they demand an Abatement accordingly which if the Seller refuseth to allow there are frequent Indictments or Informac[i]ons exhibited against the Sellers upon the said Act of the Fourteenth of the said late King and great Oppressions have been and are daily co[m]mitted to the great Losse and Damage of diverse Land Owners and Farmers in the said Counties contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said Act. For prevention whereof be it enacted by the King and Queens most excellent Majesties by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Co[m]mons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That after the Factor or Buyer hath bought and contracted for the said Co[m]modity and approved the same at the Sellers House or the Place where he exposes the same to Sale by searching [X1 or] weighing the same (if he think fit) the Seller shall not after bee charged or chargeable with or liable to any of the Penalties in the said recited Act of the Fourteenth yeare of the said late King Charles the Second mentioned or inflicted upon any pretence of want of Weight false Packing or mouldy Butter or the Tare or Weight not being sett upon the Cask or otherwise but from thenceforth shall be and is hereby discharged of and from the said Act. Any other Law Statute or Usage to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

Editorial Information

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