Exportation (Silver) Act 1697

II.

No Case or Dial Plate, &c. for Clock or Watch to be exported without the Movement, &c. nor made up without engraving Maker's Name.; Penalty £20.

And whereas great Quantities of empty Boxes Cases and Dyal Plates for Clocks and Watches have been exported without their Mov[e¹]ments and in Foreign Parts made upp with badd Movements and thereon some London Watchmakers Names engraven and so are sold abroad for English Work and alsoe there hath been the like ill Practices in England by divers Persons as well by some professing the Art of Clock and Watch making as others ignorant therein in putting counterfeit Names as alsoe the Names of the most known London Watch-makers on their bad Clocks and Watches to the great prejudice of the Buyers and the Disreputation of the said Art at home and abroad For the preventing therefore of all such ill Practices for the future be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no Person or Persons whatsoever shal after the said Four and twentieth Day of June export or send or endeavor to export or send out of this Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales or Town of Berwick upon Tweed any outward or inward Box Case or Dyal plate of Gold Silver Brass or other Metal for Clock or Watch without the Movement in or with every such Box Case or Dyal plate made upp fit for Use with the Clock or Watch-Makers Name ingraven thereon nor any Person whatsoever after the said Four and twentieth Day of June shal make up or cause to be made up any Clock or Watch without ingraving or putting or causing to be ingraven or put his or her own Name and Place of Aboad or Freedom and no other Name or Place on every Clock or Watch he or she shal so make up or cause to be made up under the Penalty of forfeiting every such empty Box Case and Dyal plate Clock and Watch not made up and ingraven as aforesaid and also for each and every of such Offence the Sum of Twenty pounds one Moiety whereof to be to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors and the other Moiety shal be to him her or them that shal sue for the same in any of his Majesties Courts of Record by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information wherein no Essoign Protection or Wager of Law shal be allowed or more than than one Imparlance Any thing herein contained or any Law or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.