Woollen Cloth Act 1662

II. Justices of Peace, Masters, Wardens, and Assistants, and the Free Clothiers of the West Riding, to be such Corporation, by the Name herein mentioned;

and may plead, and take Lands, Goods, &c. not exceeding £200 yearly.; May meet (one Justice or one Master being present) and keep a Court on the first Saturday in every Month, at the Common Hall in Leeds, or elsewhere.; Eight Days Notice to be given.; Masters, &c. absenting, so that no Court can be held; Penalty 20s.; Court may summon Clothiers, not exceeding 48.; Refusing to appears; Penalty Ten Groats.

And it is further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That the said Justices of the Peace Masters Wardens and Assistants for the time being togeather with the said Free Clothiers of the said West Riding shall for ever hereafter in name and in fact be one Body Politick and Corporate in Law to all intents and purposes and shall have a perpetuall Succession and be called by the name of the Supervisors Masters Wardens Assistants and Commonalty of the Trade or Mistery of Clothiers for the well making of Broad Woollen Cloth within the West Riding of the County of Yorke and that they shall bee enabled to plead and sue and to bee sued and impleaded by that name in all Courts and Places of Judicature within this Kingdome And by that name shall and may without License in Mortmain purchase take or receive any Lands Tenements or Hereditaments of the Gift Alienation or Demise of any person or persons whoe are hereby without further License enabled to transfer the same and any Goods and Chattels whatsoever for the use and benefit of the Corporation aforesaid (not exceeding the yearely value of Two hundred pounds) And for the better Regulation of the said Government of the said Trade and Manufacture the said Justices of the Peace Masters Wardens and Assistants for the time being or any Thirteen of them whereof there shall be One of the said Justices or One of the said Masters at the least alwaies present shall have and hereby have Power and Authority from time to time to meet and keep Courts upon the first Saturday in every Moneth in every yeare for the ends in this Act mentioned within the said Town of Leeds at the place comonly called or knowne by the name of the Sessions House or Common Hall in Leeds aforesaid And alsoe at such other time and place of the said West Riding as shall from time to time be appointed by the said Justices Masters Wardens and Assistants or any Thirteen of them upon eight dayes notice or warning to be given of such meeting and Court to be held And in case that the Masters Wardens and Assistants or the major part of them shall refuse or neglect to appear so as a Court cannot bee holden accordingly as is before directed that then such Master Warden or Assistant so refusing or neglecting shall forfeit the sum of Twenty shillings [X1 the one moyety to the use of the Poore of such respective Town where the person so refusing or neglecting shall live the other moyety to the use of the Corporation] And the said Justices Masters Wardens and Assistants or any Thirteen of them are hereby impowered to summon to appear at the said Courts to be held as aforesaid so many of the said Clothiers as they shall in theire discretions thinke meet for the better ordering the Affaires of the said Trade who are hereby required to appeare upon such Summons the number of which Persons so summoned shall not be under Eight and forty And in case of neglect or refusall are to forfeit to the use of the said Corporation the su[m]m of Ten Groats for every default of not appearing to be levied as is hereafter directed.

Editorial Information

X1 annexed to the Original Act in a separate Schedule.