WHereas, notwithstanding the Princely care of Our late dear and Royall Father King JAMES of blessed memory, for the necessary maintenance and preservation of the Manufacture of Hats and Caps within this Kingdome, in prohibiting by severall Procla­mations the Importation into the same from forrain parts, of any Hats or Caps whatsoever, either wrought or half wrought, upon pain of the forfeiture of the same; We now finde that abundance of Hats and Caps, aswell of Bever-stuffe, or Bever-wooll, as of other Wooll and materialls made & wrought in forrain parts, are frequently imported into this our Kingdome, to the great impoverishment and depriving of multitudes of Our poor subjects of their livelihood and imployment.

Wee tendring the common good of our said subjects, and that for the time to come they may be enabled to live, and maintain themselves and families, by their honest labours in their said trades; And that the Art and Mysterie of making or working of Hats and Caps of Bever-stuffe or Bever-wooll within Our said Kingdome, may be regulated in a just and orderly way, without the deceits and abuses now practised in the same, (the wearing of Bever-Hats being of late times become much in use, especially by those of sort and qua­lity) Have thought fit to incorporate sundry persons Free-men of London, expert in the art of making or working Hats and Caps of Bever-stuffe or Bever-wooll, who accord­ingly are to govern the said trade, and may be answerable to Vs for the same.

And therefore Wee do straightly charge and command all person and persons whatsoever, aswell Our naturall born subjects, as denizens or strangers, That they or any of them directly or indirectly, do not from henceforth at any time or times hereafter, import, convey, or bring, or cause to be imported, conveyed, or brought into Our Realm of England or Domi­nion [Page 2]of Wales, any Hats or Caps of Bever, or other Hats or Caps, of what condition or sort soever, made, wrought or half wrought, or hereafter to be made, wrought or half wrought, in any parts beyond the Seas, to be sold or put to sale here. And that no person or persons whatsoever, after the twelfth day of August next coming, shall sell or put to sale, or shall have in their houses or shops, to sell or put to sale, any of the said forrain Hats, or Caps, already imported into this Our Realm of England, and Dominion of Wales, upon pain of the losse and forfeiture of the same, and such further punishment as shall be meet for such their contempt, the one half of which forfeitures to be to the use of Vs, Our Heirs, and successours, and the other half of the said Bever-hats or Hats mixt with Bever so to be imported, to be to the use of the said Bever-makers and their successors; and the moity of all other Felts so to be imported, to be to the use of the Company of Felt-makers of London, and their successors.

And to the end that the said Corporation of Bever-makers, Our naturall born Subjects, may be constantly imployed in their said Trade, We do hereby straightly charge and command, that no person or persons whatsoever within Our said Realme of England, or Dominion of Wales, at any time or times hereafter, do presume to use or execise the Trade or Mystery of making or working of Hats or Caps of Bever-stuffe or Bever-wooll, to be sold or put to sale, unlesse such persons have commonly used the said Trade by the space of two yeers last past, or have served an Apprentiship to the same by the space of seven yeers: And that no person or per­sons whatsoever, for the time to come, shall use or practise the said Trade, unlesse he or they have been or shall be first bound and brought up as Apprentice or Apprentices in the same Trade by the space of seven yeers at the least, and are or shall be members of the said Corpora­tion, upon pain of Our high displeasure, and such punishments as shall be meet for the of­fenders herein, for such their contempts of Our Royall commands, and the losse and for­feiture of all such Bever-hats and Caps as shall be so made, to be seized to Our use, the one moitie to be to Vs, Our Heirs and Successours; and the other moitie to be to the Company of Bever-makers and their successours. And we do hereby declare, that there is no Intention by the said Charter made to the said Bever-makers, or any Grant therein concerning search to be made by them, that the power of search formerly granted to the Company of Haverdashers of London, or to the Company of Felt-makers of London, should in any sort be impeached.

And for that divers of Our Subjects have heretofore found inconvenience in the use of Bever-Hats intermixt with other hair or stuffe then Bever, Wee do therefore straight­ly charge and command, that no Bever-makers whatsoever from henceforth shall make any Hats or Caps but of pure Bever, and that in the making or working thereof, they or any of them shall not intermix, use, or work, or cause to be intermixed, used, or wrought, any hair, wooll, or stuffe whatsoever, other then good and perfect Bever, upon pain of the losse and forfeiture of the same, the one moitie to Vs, Our Heirs, and Successors; and the other to such as shall seize the same. And Our Will and pleasure is, that if upon any search to be made by the said Company of Haberdashers of London, or by the said Company of Bever-makers, there shall be found in any of the houses, shops, Ware-houses or Work-houses, of any of the said Bever-makers, or in any other place for their or any of their uses, any hair, wooll, or stuffe whatsoever used in making of Hats or Caps other then Bever-stuffe onely, [Page 3]That then the same shall be seized by such of the said Companies of Haberdashers and Bever-makers as shall so finde the same as forfeited, the one half thereof to be to Vs, Our Heirs, or Successours, and the other half thereof to such of the said Companies as shall so finde and seize the same. And Our further Will and pleasure is, That if the said Company of Haberdashers, or the said Company of Bever-makers, upon any search by them, or either of them to be made, shall finde any deceitfull Bever-Hats, or Caps, that then the same shall by them that shall so finde the same, be seized and carried to the Guild-Hall of Our Citie of London, there to be tried by Iury, and in case they shall be there condemned for such, then the same to be consumed by fire; The said Charter of Incorporation made to the said Company of Bever-makers, or any Grant, power or thing therein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

And forasmuch as a sort of Hatts called Demycasters, wherein some Bever is intermixed, are now found not to be usefull in Our Dominions, Our Will and pleasure therefore is, and We do straightly charge and command, That from henceforth no Haberdashers, nor makers of De­mycasters, nor other Hat-makers or persons whatsoever, after Midsomer day next, shall ut­ter, or sell any Hat or Hats called Demycasters, or other Hats wherein Bever shall be mixed or wrought, with other materials by retayl, or have any such Hats in their houses or Shops to utter or sell by retayl to any of Our Subjects, or others, to be worne within any Our Do­minions: And that none of Our Subjects after one yeer next ensuing, shall wear any Demy­casters, or other Hat wherein any Bever wooll, or Bever stuffe is mixt, or wrought with other materials within Our said Dominions, upon pain of the losse and forfeiture of the same to be seized and taken to Our use, the one half thereof to be to Vs, Our Heirs and Successours, and the other half to such as shall seize the same, and upon such further penalties as shall be meet for such their contempts.

Neverthelesse, being informed that the said Demycasters, wherein Bever is mixt with other materials, are usefull and desired in forrain parts: We are pleased that the said Makers thereof, and other Hat-makers (other then the said Bever-makers) may still make the said Demycasters; And that they, or any Haberdashers may sell the same to Merchants in grosse, and not otherwise, to be by them transported from the Port of London onely, into parts beyond the seas, & to be there vented. And that Our Royall intention herein may be duely observed, We do hereby straightly charge & command, That no Demycaster-makers, or other Hat-makers, that shall hereafter make any Demycasters or Hats wherin any Bever-wooll or Bever-stuffe is intermixed with other materials, shall directly or indirectly sell, or put to sale any Demycasters or Hats wherein Bever-wooll is mixt with other materials to any person or persons whatso­ever, before he or they first bring the same to the common Hall or meeting place of the said Be­ver-makers in Our said Citie of London, there from time to time (as they shall be so brought) to be immediately marked (without fee or dutie) upon the banding place of the same Hats with the letter D, that so they may thereby be known to be Demycasters, or Hats wherein Bever is mixt with other materials; And that no person or persons whatsoever, do hereafter buy, or cause to be bought any such Demycasters or mixt Hats before they have been so marked with the said letter D, upon pain of the losse and forfeiture of the same Hats, and such further penal­ties and punishments as shall be meet for contempt of Our Royall commands herein. And We do hereby further charge and command, that from henceforth no Merchants or others shall import or bring into this Our Realme any Bever-wooll, or Bever-stuffe mixted with sand, [Page]or any other stuffe whatsoever, to make it weigh heavy, or whereby the said Bever-wooll or Bever-stuffe shall be corrupted or impaired, under the penaltie of the losse and forfeiture there­of, to be seized to Our use, by such person or persons as shall discover the same, and to be further punished as shall be thought meet, the one moitie whereof to be to Vs, Our Heirs, and Suc­cessours, and the other moitie to be to the said Corporation of Bever-makers, and their suc­cessours, and also upon pain of Our high displeasure, and such penalties and punishments, as by the Laws and Statutes of this Realme, or otherwise may be inflicted on the offenders in the premisses for their contempt and neglect of Our Royall Will and Commandment here­in. And for the accomplishment of this Our pleasure, We do hereby straightly charge and command all Customers, Comptrollers, and other Officers of Our Ports to whom it shall ap­pertain, and all Farmours of Our Customes now, and for the time being, their Clarks and sub­stitutes, that they, and everie of them do forbear to take any Entries of any Bever-Hats, Felt-Hats or Caps, or any other Hats or Caps of what nature, qualitie, or condition soever made, wrought, or half wrought beyond the Seas, that shall be brought into this Realme, or Domi­nion of Wales, by any person or persons whatsoever. And likewise all Iustices of Peace, Mai­ors, Sheriffes, Customers, Comptrollers, Searchers, and other Officers and Ministers whatsoever, to whom it shall appertain, that they and everie of them, in their severall Offices and places respectively, be carefull to their and everie of their powers, that Our Intention herein before mentioned be fully executed by all lawfull means whatsoever; And that they, and every of them be aiding, favouring, and assisting to the Master, Wardens, Assistants and Comminalty of Bever-makers of London, or their Deputies, Agents, or Officers for the time being in the premisses according to Our pleasure herein declared, as they will answer for the contrary at their perils.

Given at Our Court at VVhitehall, this six and twentieth day of May, in the four­teenth yeer of Our Reign.

God save the King.