[1540/12/99]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Item, forasmuch as it was statute and ordained of before that no tallow should be had out of the realm for the eschewing of dearth of the same, nonetheless the tallow is carried out in great quantity, which has raised excessive dearth in the country, putting the stone of tallow to double the price it was before or above; therefore, it is statute and ordained in this present parliament that no person or persons take upon hand in time to come to carry any tallow out of the realm under the pain of forfeiture of all their goods movable who come in contrary hereof, and that all customs officers at every port of the realm where ships are freighted appoint searchers to search and seek all ships, and where any tallow is shipped or brought to the ships to be carried out of the realm, to escheat the same, that is to say, the one half to their own use who apprehends the tallow and the other half to our sovereign lord's use; and that the customs officers make account yearly hereupon in the exchequer and also that they advertise our sovereign lord's treasurer of the owners of such tallow escheated so that he may bring in the rest of their goods movable to our sovereign lord's use for their contempt; and similarly, that no manner of man, butcher or others to burgh or to land take upon hand to rind, melt or barrel tallow under the pain of forfeiture of all their goods.