WHereas in the Parliament holden in the Seven and twentieth year of the Reign or Our moſt Noble Progenitor, Edward the Third, late King of England, it is Enacted and Ordained (amongſt other things) That all Wooll-Packers, Workers and Winders of Wooll, ſhould be Sworn, and take a Corporal Oath before the Mayor of the Staple for the time being, truly and juſtly to Wind, Work, and Pack all the Woolls within the Realm, without fraud or deceit: By force of which Statute, the Fellowſhip of Wooll-Winders, otherwiſe called Wooll-men, and all perſons uſing or exerciſing that Craft or Myſtery, are bound juſtly and truly to Wind and Pack all ſuch Woolls as they meddle with throughout the Realm, to the publick good and commodity of the whole Realm: By force of which Law, and other Statutes made for the good and due Winding and Packing of Woolls, and by the good Ordinances made by the ſaid Fellowſhip, the ſaid Woolls have been ever ſince juſtly and truly Wound and Packed, until now of late divers and many perſons contrary to the ſame Statute, taking upon them to be Wool-Winders in many places of this Realm, neither being Sworn, nor expert in Winding and Folding of Woolls; of which ſome be Glovers, Taylors, Weavers, Cordwayners, Barbers, Husbandmen, and other Artificers who have gone about, and daily do go about throughout the Realm in many places, practiſing themſelves in Winding and Folding of the ſaid Woolls, by the procurement and means of the Owners and Breeders of the ſaid Woolls, and do Wind up and deceitfully put into the ſaid Fleeces of Wooll, Sand, Stones, Duſt, Pitch, Tarr, Clay, Iron, Lead, Double-marks, Shorelocks, Dung, Lambs-wooll, Clockets, Locks, Hinder-ſhanks, Tails, Waſhlocks, Cummer, and many other deceiveable things, not only to the great ſlander of this Realm, and the embaſement and diminution of that antient Staple-Trade, but to the great loſs and prejudice of His Majeſties Subjects uſing the Craft and Feat of Cloth-making within this Realm, and to the great abuſe and deceit of Merchants, and other buyers of the ſame: Complaints whereof have been with all humble earneſtneſs repreſented unto the Kings Majeſty by the Company and Fellowſhip of Wooll-men, alias Wooll-Packers of the City of London, Suppliants for remedy and relief in that behalf. Therefore for reformation and redreſs thereof, the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſty, by the Advice of His Privy Council, ſtraitly Chargeth and Commandeth, That no manner of perſon or perſons whatſoever he or they be, at any time hereafter go about, or take upon him or them to Wind, Fold, or Pack any manner of Woolls in any Countrey or County within this Realm, where Woolls are either bred, wrought, had or uſed, for any Merchant of the Staple, Breeder, Clothier or Buyers, before be or they ſhall be admitted and allowed by the Maſter and Wardens of the Company and Fellowſhip of the Wool-men of the City of London, or one them for the time being; to the intent that he and they ſhall be expert, and have knowledge in the ſaid Craft or Myſtery, for true Winding and Folding of Woolls: And that every perſon and perſons ſo allowed and admitted for an able and lawful Workman or Workmen in form aforeſaid, ſhall have a Teſtimonial or Certificate of his allowance and admittance under the Seal of the Mayor of the Staple of Weſtminſter for the time being: And that none of the ſaid perſons ſo allowed and admitted, or that ſhall go about or take upon him to Wind or Fold any Woolls, before he or they have taken a Corporal Oath before the ſaid Mayor for the time being, That he or they ſhall truly and juſtly without deceit, Wind and Fold all and ſingular ſuch Wooll or Woolls as he or they ſhall take upon him or them to Wind or Fold, and ſhall not commit, uſe or practiſe any deceit or guile therein; upon pain that every perſon which ſhall take upon him to Wind and Fold any manner of Wools, being not admitted ſworn as is aforeſaid, or which ſhall commit, us;e or practiſe any deceit or guile therein againſt this Our Proclamation, or againſt any the Laws and Statutes in that behalf made and provided, ſhall ſuffer Impriſonment Ten days, and to be ſet upon the Pillory in the next Market-Town, with a Fléece of Wooll hanging about his neck, according to the tenor of ſeveral Proclamations heretofore ſet forth; one in the Fifth year of the Reign of Our moſt Noble Predeceſſor King Edward the Sixth; And one other Proclamation ſet out by Queen Elizabeth, bearing date the Tenth day of Auguſt, in the Fourth year of Her Reign; And one other ſet forth in the Second year of the Reign of Our Royal Grandfather King James, and bearing date the Eighteenth day of June in the ſaid year.

And His Majeſty further ſtraitly Chargeth and Commandeth, That no Grower, Bréeder, Brogger or Gatherer of any Woolls in any His Highneſs Countreys or Counties within this Realm, ſhall at any time hereafter ſet on work any Wooll-Folder, or Wooll-Winder, to Fold or Wind his or their Wooll or Woolls, unleſs the ſaid Wooll-Folder, or Wooll-Winder bring with him or them a Teſtimonial or Certificate under the Seal of the ſaid Mayor of the Staple at Weſtminſter for the time being, teſtifying him or them to be Sworn and admitted for an able Workman to Fold and Wind Woolls in manner and form as is aforeſaid, upon the like pain as is above expreſſed.

And further, where by an Act made in the Three and twentieth year of the Reign of Our moſt Noble Predeceſſor, King Henry the Eighth of famous memory yet ſtanding in force, It was Enacted, That no manner of perſon do Wind, or cauſe to be Wound any Fleece of Wooll not being ſufficiently rivered or waſhed, nor Wind, or cauſe to be Wound within any Fleece, any deceivable things particularly mentioned in the ſame Act, or any other thing where by the Fleece may be the more weighty, to the deceit and loſs of the Buyer, upon pain the Seller of any ſuch deceitful Woolls to forfeit for every ſuch Fleece ſix pence: His Majeſty hath been certainly informed, That notwithſtanding the ſaid good Act and Statute, much deceit is uſed in Waſhing, Winding, Folding and Packing of Woolls, and that for the moſt part, of unskilful perſon, contrary to the ſaid Act and Statute: His Majeſty therefore minding to have the ſaid Clauſes of the ſaid Statute, and all Acts and Statutes touthing, or in any wiſe concerning the avoiding of the ſaid deceits, or made and provided for the true and lawful Winding, Folding, and Packing of the ſaid Wools by expert and skilful perſons, ſhall be from henceforth duely obſerved and put in execution, and the Offenders againſt the ſame to be corrected and puniſhed according to the effect and true meaning thereof, Doth ſtraitly Charge and Command all and every His Subjects whatſoever, to whom it ſhall and may appertain, to obſerve the true meaning of the ſaid Acts, and yield punctual obedience to the ſaid Laws, upon pain of forfeiture of the penalties therein contained, and as they will avoid His Highneſs further diſpleaſure. And further, His Majeſty by the Advice aforeſaid, ſtraitly Chargeth and Commandeth all and every Iuſtices of Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, and all other His Highneſs Officers and Miniſters whatſoever, to whom it may appertain, within their ſeveral Liberties and Precincts, That they, and every of them, cauſe every ſuch Offender and Offenders to be puniſhed for every ſuch Offence and Offences above mentioned, in ſuch ſort as is above limited, appointed and declared. And that every and whatſoever Iuſtice of Peace, Mayor, Sheriff, Bayliff, or other Officer do refuſe, or do not puniſh, or cauſe to be puniſhed, every ſuch perſon or perſons, ſo to him or them preſented, according to this preſent Ordinance, his or their faults being duely proved, ſhall be Fined to the Kings Majeſty according to ſuch demerits; And further, ſhall incur His Highneſs diſpleaſure.