Hosiery Act 1843

No frame, loom, or machine, materials, tools, or apparatus, which shall be intrusted for the purpose of being used or worked in any of the said manufactures, or any work connected therewith or incidental thereto, or any parts, branches, or processes thereof, whether such frame, loom, or machine, materials, tools, or apparatus shall or shall not be rented or taken by the hire, shall at any time or times hereafter be distrained or seized, or be liable to be distrained or seized, for rent or for debt, or under any execution or other proceedings whatever, unless the rent be due or the money be owing by the owner of the said frame, loom, or machine, or of the said materials or tools or apparatus aforesaid, or of any part thereof respectively.

If any landlord or other person, by virtue of any distress warrant, execution, or other proceedings for rent in arrear, or money due or alleged to be due by any person whomsoever, shall distrain, seize, carry off, sell, or otherwise dispose of any frame, loom, or machine, materials, tools, or apparatus, belonging to any other person, which shall have been intrusted for the purpose of being used or worked in any of the said manufactures, or any work connected therewith or incidental thereto, or any parts, branches, or processes thereof, and whether the same shall or shall not be rented or taken by the hire, or shall distrain, seize, carry off, sell, or otherwise dispose of any materials as aforesaid, or any tools or apparatus as aforesaid, belonging to any other person, and shall refuse to restore possession of all such frames, looms, machines, tools, or apparatus to the person owning, letting, or intrusting the same, when demanded by him, or some person duly authorized by him, of the said landlord or other person, or the person acting as agent or bailiff of such landlord or other person, it shall and may be lawful to and for any justice of the peace, upon complaint . . . F2 before him, to summon the said landlord or other person to appear before any two or more justices of the peace to answer the said complaint, and on proof of the said offence the said justices may thereupon order the property so seized, distrained, carried off, or sold to be forthwith restored, and issue their warrant to a constable or constables empowering him or them to seize the said property wherever the same shall be found, and deliver possession thereof to the person owning, letting, or intrusting the same, and to levy, by distress and sale of the goods of the said landlord or other person, the costs of obtaining the said order, and recovering and obtaining possession of the said property; and in case the said property cannot be found and seized within a time, not exceeding twenty-one days, to be limited in the said warrant, or in case the said property shall have been damaged by the same having been distrained, seized, carried off, or sold, it shall be lawful for such two justices, or any other two justices, on proof thereof (the said landlord or other person having been first summoned by a justice,) to issue their warrant to levy by distress and sale of the goods and chattels of such landlord or other person the full value of the said property, or the amount of such damage, as the case may be, together with all costs of recovering and levying the same.

If any person or persons shall obliterate, efface, or alter the owner’s name or initials, or other distinguishing mark, on any frame, loom, or machine, or any bar or part thereof, or the moulds thereof, without the order or authority of the owner thereof, he shall, on conviction thereof before two justices of the peace, forfeit any such sum not exceeding two pounds as such two justices shall order and direct, . . . F3, to the party injured; and in default of payment of such forfeiture immediately on conviction, or within such period as the justices so convicting shall direct, then the said justices may, either immediately or at any time after such conviction, commit any person so convicted to the common gaol or house of correction, there to be imprisoned, . . . F4