WHereas for the better securing to Us the preemption of the Tin of this Kingdom, being an ancient and undoubted hereditary Re­venue annexed to Our Crown in right of Our Duchy of Cornwall, divers good Customs, laws and ordinances by the wisdom of for­mer times have been established, amongst which it is specially pro­vided, That all the said Tinne should be duly brought to Our Coynage Houses in Our Counties of Devon and Cornwall, there to be Tried, Assayed, Prized and Sealed, before the same be put to sale within the land, or offered to be shipped for forreign vent; And howsoever by Our Proclamation of the two and twentieth of Ianuary, in the ninth yeer of Our Reign, Wee required of Our Subjects a just observa­tion of those ordinances; Yet finding that by secret practise and combination of sundry ill minded owners, and workmen of the said Tin and Tin-works, a great part of the said Tinn hath been, and still is bought and sold, received, delivered, and carried away uncoyned, aswell in ships and other vessels (which under colour of coming to buy Cornish Slate and Stone, and such like occasions upon the coast of Cornwall, do imbezill much uncoyned Tin in Blocks) as also by Mariners and Sea-faring men, who buy up the Tin in Barres com­monly called pocket Tinn, of blowers and melters of Tin, and others, contrary to the an­cient ordinances of Our Stannaries, to Our prejudice and wrong in Our said Revenue, and disgracing of the commodity, and abuse of Our Subjects buying the same untried, and not assayed; For reformation of which disorders and abuses for the time to come, We have thought fit once more to declare Our Royall pleasure in the premisses, wherein as Wee ex­pect all due conformity and obedience, so Wee shall extend the rigour of Our lawes, and all just severity against such as shall hereafter offend therein.

And therefore Wee do by these presents straitly charge & command, aswell all and singuler Our loving Subjects, as all other person & persons whatsoever, that none of them presume upon any colour, shift, or pretence whatsoever, at any time or times hereafter to utter, sell, deliver, or put to sale, or to receive, ship, carry, land, or contract for any Block Tin un­blown, but such as cause the same to be Cast, Melted down, and Blown, and brought to [Page]the place of Coynage before it be sold for use, nor to sell, give, barter, or utter any White Tin or Cast Tin, before it be first coyned and stamped with Our Seal or mark appointed for that purpose, as aforesaid.

And that no person or persons whatsoever, other then Our Farmors of the said Tin, do from henceforth presume to ship or lade any Tin, of what kinde soever to be transported or carried out of this Our Realm or Dominion to any forreign parts, without the assent of Our said Tin-Farmers, therein first had in writing, under the pain of the losse and forfeiture aswell of the said Tin, as also of confiscation of the Ships, Hoys, Barques, Lighters, and other vessels wherein any such prohibited Tin shall be shipped or laden for transportation contrary to the intendment of this Our Proclamation, and also upon pain of Our high dis­pleasure, and of such further penalties, forfeitures and punishments, as by the Statutes and Ordinances of Our said Stannaries, or any other Law or Statute whatsoever, or by the Censure of Our high Court of Star-chamber, for disobeying this Our Royall Com­mandment and Injunction, or otherwise may be inflicted upon the offenders in this be­half.

And where We have lately granted to some of Our loving Subjects the emption or pre­emption of Tin, during a term unexpired, and for relief of poor Pewterers of the Citie of London, have provided, That if the said Lessees or Farmers shall be minded to transport any Tin in Bars, they shal imploy the said Pewterers of London, or some such of them whom Our said Farmers shall nominate, for the casting of Tin out of Blocks into Bars, at such places as We shall appoint: And in default of such appointment at such places as Our said Far­mers shall appoint; sithence which time many have presumed to cast Tin into Bars, both in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, and elswhere, which is a means that a great part there­of is the more easily conveyed from place to place, and vented before the Coynage of the same. And also divers Pewterers of London who have not been authorized by Our said Far­mers, have (contrary to Our agreement with them) presumed to cast Tin into Bars, and others then our Farmers have by means thereof opportunity to transport the same contra­ry to Our Covenants with Our said Tin-Farmers. Wee do therefore straitly charge and command all person and persons whatsoever, that none of them (other then such of the Pewterers of Our City of London, as shall be nominated by the Farmers of the emption or preemption of Tin for the time being) do presume hereafter to cast any Tin into Bars, and that none of them do cast any Tin into Bars, but in the Citie of London; And that onely in such houses and places of melting, as shall be designed or allowed of by Our said Farmers, upon the pains to be inflicted upon contemners of Our commands, in Our Court of Star-chamber, and otherwise.

And Wee do further hereby straightly charge and command, That no Merchants, Ma­riners, or other person or persons whatsoever, do hereafter import, convey, or bring, or cause to be imported, conveyed, or brought into our Realm of England, and Dominion of Wales, or either of them, any Tin of what kinde soever from any the parts beyond the Seas, up­on pain of the losse and forfeiture, aswell of the said Tin, as of the ships or vessels wherin the same shall be shipped or conveyed; and upon such further penalties, and punishments as shall be meet for such contempt, or neglect of Our Royall commands.

And lastly, We do require and command, That Our said Proclamation formerly publish­ed concerning Tin, be hereafter duely observed in all the particular Branches and parts thereof, under the pains and penalties therein expressed.

Given at Our Palace of Westminster, the nineteenth day of February, in the four­teenth yeer of Our Reign.

God save the King.