WHereas sundry great complaints have lately been made, and often renewed to Vs, and Our Privie Councell of the great abuses, damage and inconveniences which have and daily arise to this Our kingdome, bythe great waste, consumption and con­version of Wheat and grain of the growth thereof, fit for the food of man, into Starch, and by the anno yances occasioned thereby to Our people by the making thereof in places unfit and incon­venient for the same; Wee therefore having duly weighed the quality of the said complaints, wherein the Commonwealth is concerned, and considering that those former provisions and Proclamations made by Vs and Our Royall Father have not produced that good ef­fect as was expected; Have incorporated sundry meet persons by Letters Patents under Our great Seal of England, bearing date the six and twentieth day of December last, by the name of Master, Wardens, Assistants and Commonalty of the Society of Starch-ma­kers of London, with power and priviledge to them and their Successours to make and cause to be made in one joint stock and not otherwise, all and all manner of white Starch to put to sale, and therewith to furnish this Our Kingdome, Dominion of Wales, and town of Barwick at moderate and reasonable prices, and to search for and seize to Our use all such Starch as shall at any time or times be made for sale by any person or persons not being members of the said Company, except hee or they have served to the said Trade as Appren­tice [Page] [Page 2]by the space of seven yeers, or have seven yeers used the said Trade as a member of the late Corporation of Starch-makers of London, and shall be admitted & allowed under the common Seal of the present Society, and also to seize all such white Starch, as shall be imported in­to Our said Realm, Dominion of Wales, Port or Town of Barwick; And that no person or persons whatsoever should presume to make any Starch, other then for the wearing Linen of him, or them, and their families, as by the said Letters Patents of incorporati­on more at large appeareth.

Now to the end that all Our loving Subjects may take knowledge of Our Royall pleasure herein; Wee do hereby straitly charge & command, that no person or persons whatso­ever, other then such as are or shall be members of the said Company of Starch-makers, or shall have served seven yeers to the said Trade as Apprentice, or as members of the late Corporation of Starch-makers have used that Trade seven yeers, and shall be admit­ted into the present Society (which they are freely to do upon request) shall make any white Starch for sale, or otherwise then for the wearing Linen of him, them, or their families, as is limited by the said Letters Patents; And that no person or persons whatsoever shall presume to make the same of any Wheat-flour, Meal, or other Grain of the growth of this Our kingdome, or of other materials then of Pollard and Bran onely, or of grain to be imported from forreign parts: And to the intent that this Our Royall pleasure may be effectually performed, and the foresaid abuses discovered and reformed; Wee have ap­pointed a Surveyour, who being Our sworn Officer is to take care hereof, and render Vs an account from time to time, as there shall be cause.

And for that the former promiscuous making of Starch in divers parts of this king­dome, was a speciall reason that the said Trade could not be regulated in an orderly way, but that divers ill affected persons, living in remote places did convert and consume great quantities of Wheat and Meal into Starch; Wee for the future prevention of all such a­buses, do hereby straitly charge and command, that no person or persons being members of the said Society, shall make or work, or cause to be made or wrought any white Starch to put to sale in any other parts of Our Kingdome, but onely in or neer Our Citie of London, or in such other parts and places as are or shall be allowed, and approved of by Vs, or fix or more of Our Privie Councell, nor in any other manner then by the said Letters Patents of Incorporation is directed and appointed.

And Wee likewise do hereby straitly charge and command, that no person or persons, Our naturall born Subjects, Denizens, or Strangers, or others whatsoever, do here­after import or bring, or cause to be imported or brought into Our Realm of England, Do­minion of Wales, Port or Town of Barwick, from any the parts beyond the Seas, any white Starch whatsoever, upon pain of the forfeiture to Vs of all such white Starch, as shall be so imported, and of such further penalties and punishments as shall be meet to be inflicted upon the contemners of Our Royall Commands herein.

And for the better discovery of the said offences and offenders herein, Wee do hereby likewise authorize the said Master, Wardens, Assistants, and Commonaltie of the said [Page] [Page 3]Society, and such as shall be in that behalf deputed by them under their common Seal (for whom they will answer) with the assistance of a Constable, or other lawfull Officer to enter into any Houses, Shops, Cellars, or other places whatsoever, and also into any Ships, Barks, or other Vessels, and there to search for, seiz and deposite in the hands of a lawfull Officer all such white Starch as shall be found to have been unduly made or imported by any person or persons, and likewise to deface, destroy and make spoyl of all Stuffe, Pollard, Bran, Meal, and other materials prepared for the making of Starch contrary to Our said Letters Patents, and Our Royall pleasure herein declared; And thereof to give notice to Our Treasurer, or Vndertreasurer for the time being, within ten dayes next after every such seizure made.

And Wee do further straitly charge and command, That all Fats, Tubs, Stoves, Pans, Cesterns, and other Vessels or Vtensels whatsoever, which shall hereafter be used or imployed for the steeping, drying, or making of any Starch contrary to Our said Let­ters Patents, and Our Royall pleasure herein declared, shall by the said Society of Starch­makers of London, or their Deputies (whom Wee do hereby in that behalf authorize, by, and with the assistance of a Constable or other lawfull Officer) be pulled up, defaced and made unserviceable, and that the persons offending therein be further proceeded against and pu­nished as shall be meet for such their contempts.

And Wee do likewise further straitly charge and command, That no person or per­sons whatsoever, do at any time hereafter presume to withstand or oppose the said Com­pany, their Searchers or Deputies in searching for white Starch unduely made or import­ed, or the Materials prepared for the making thereof contrary to the tenour hereof, or seiz­ing of the same Starch or Materials prepared, or in the defacing, demolishing, or destroying of all such Fats, Tubs, Pans, Stoves, or other Vtensels whatsoever, as shall be erected or used contrary to Our said Letters Patents.

And Our further will and pleasure is, and Wee do hereby charge and command all and singuler the Officers of Our Customs within all and every the Ports and Havens of Our said Kingdome of England, and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Barwick, and the Creeks and members thereof; and also within Our Cinque Ports and the members thereof, That they and every of them do not onely forbear to take any Entrie or Entries, or give any Bill, or Warrant for unlading of any forreign white Starch, prohibited to be imported contra­ry to Our Royall pleasure herein declared, either by the name of Starch, or by or under any other name or title whatsoever; But do also cause stay, and seizure to be made thereof to Our use, and within ten dayes after such seizure or stay so made, to give notice of the same to the Master, Wardens and Assistants of the said Society for the time being, or their De­puties, upon pain of Our displeasure, and such other punishments as their contempts or neglects herein shall be found to deserve.

And Wee do further straitly charge and command, That no Grocer, Chapman, or o­ther person who useth to buy Starch to sell again, shall buy, utter, sell, or otherwise bar­ter, or vent any Starch which they shall know to have been made by any person or per­sons [Page] [Page]who is not a known member of the said Company of Starch-makers; So as alwayes the said Company and the members thereof be ready to sell the same, at and for such reasona­ble prices, as by their Indenture under their common Seal, bearing date the six and twen­tieth day of December last past, they have undertaken, and covenanted with Vs to sell the same.

And that no person presume to sell any white Starch as a huckster or hauker from door to door, in private or in secret, or otherwise then in their own proper and open Shops, or Warehouses.

And whereas divers persons of mean and needy condition are and may happen to be imployed in the making of Starch, and preparing Materials for the making thereof by persons of better ability and estate, not under the Rule and government of the said Socie­tie; Wee do hereby therefore declare, that the Owners, Lessees, and Inhabitants of all and every the House and Houses wherein any such Starch for sale shall be made, or Ma­terials prepared for that use, by any person or persons whatsoever not by and under the rule and government of the said Society, as well as the owners of such Starch or Ma­terials; and such as by, or with their Moneys, Stock, Materials, or otherwise imploy or set them to work, shall be proceeded against, as contemners of Our Royall Commands.

And We do likewise straitly charge and command all Iustices of Peace, Mayors, She­riffes, Bayliffs, Constables, Headboroughs, Tythingmen, and all other Our Officers and Ministers; and also the Officers and Ministers of Our Court of Admiralty and Cinque Ports, and all others to whom it shall appertain, that they and every of them at all times hereafter, and from time to time without excuse or delay, be ayding and assisting to the said Society of Starch-makers of London, their Searchers, and Deputies, and to all Our Cu­stomers, Waiters, and all other person and persons in the due execution of all, or any the pre­misses, when they shall be thereunto required, as they will answer to the contrary at their perils.

Given at Our Court at VVhitehall the ninth day of February, in the fourteenth yeer of Our Reign.

God save the King.