WHereas several good Laws and Ordinances have been heretofore made, as well by the Court of Lord Ma­ior and Aldermen, as by this Court, for the wel-ordering of the Markets of the City of London, for the re­dresse of severall abuses of But­chers, Victuallers, & others there­unto resorting, for sale of their Flesh victuals, and other Com­modities in the severall Markets of this City, and assigning places and times for the said Markets to be kept and held; Which said Laws and Ordinances by daily expe­rience are found not effectual to pre­vent some present and growing in­conveniences, nor have wrought [Page] that good effect, as was intended thereby.

For redresse whereof, be it enacted by the Right Honorable the Lord Maior, Aldermen, and Commons in Common-councell assembled, and by authority of the same, That no Butcher or Country Farmer, Victualler, or other person or per­sons whatsoever, either free of the City of London, or not free of the said City, from and after the first day of December next, after the pu­blication of this Act, shall sell, ut­ter, or put to open shew or sale in the Streets or White-markets with­in this City; that is to say, Leaden­hall street without the Hall, Cheapside and Newgate-market, any Beef upon pain that every person or persons that from and after the time afore­said, shall sell, utter, put to sale, or shew in any of the said Markets any Beef, shall forfeit and lose [Page] Twenty shillings for every time so offending or doing contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act, And further be it enacted by authority aforesaid, that all and every Butcher, free, or not free of the City of London, who keepeth no Butcher Shop or Shops within the said City and Liberties there­of, or within two miles distance of the Liberties thereof, shall, and may fell, utter, shew, and put to sale, his, or their Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Pork, and other Butchery ware, at certain stalls and places in that behalf appointed in Leaden­hall and the Greenyard there, and that onely upon Wednesdays and Sa­turdays weekly, and not in any other place or places within the said City of London and Liberties there­of, upon pain that every such But­cher or Butchers who shall sell, ut­ter, or put to sale, or shew any Beef, [Page] Mutton, Veal, Lambe, Pork, or, any other Butchery ware in any other place or places within the Ci­ty of London, or Liberties thereof, then in Leadenhall and the Greenyard there, shall for every such offence or doing forfeit Twenty shillings And whereas of late times, many of the stalls and standings within Leaden­hall and the Greenyard there, have, and yet are in the occupations of severall persons who are not But­chers by Trade, nor use or exercise the Trade of a Butcher, who let them out at dear rates to others; And likewise many of the said stalls are in the possession of Butchers who live within the City of London and Liberties thereof, who keep the said Stalls and likewise their Shops, By means of which said doings, the Country Butchers, and other Butchers who keep no Shops within the said City, or within two [Page] miles of the Liberties of the City of London, and would furnish the said Markets with Butchery ware, can get no convenient room there, and so are necessitated to fell and utter their Commodities in the White-markets and other places, or to for­bear the Markets, whereby prices are inhaunsed and the said Market disfurnished.

For remedy whereof, be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all the ground where the standings and places for sale and uttering of Flesh and Butchery ware within [...]eadenhall and the Greenyard there, be resumed and taken into the Ci­ties hands and actual possession, be­fore the said first day of December next insuing.

And further that no Stall, stan­ding, or place within Leadenha [...]l or the Greenyard there, shal from thence­forth be letten or farmed out unto [Page] any Butcher or Butchers, who doth, or shall keep any Butchershop or shops within the City of London or Liberties thereof, or within two miles of the Liberties of the said City, for so long time as he, or they shall keep any Butchers shop within the Limits aforesaid.

And that from thenceforth the Stals, standings, and places in Leadenhall and the Greenyard there, be let unto Country Butchers, or such Freemen who are Butchers, and keep not any Butcher shop or shops within the City of London and Li­berties thereof, or within two miles distance of the Liberties of the said City, and for so long time only as he or they shall furnish the said stalls, standings, and places with wholsome Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Pork, or other Butchery ware upon Wednesdays and Sa­turdays, being the usuall Market [Page] daies there, in his or their own rights, and not as Servant or Ser­vants to others.

And further, That no Butcher whatsoever shall have and enioy more then one stall, standing, or place within Leadenhall or the Green­yard there at one time.

Provided alwayes that the But­chers Freemen of the City of Lon­don, shall and may at all times con­venient, sell utter, shew, and put to sale their Flesh and Butchery wa­res in their Shops within the said City of London, and Liberties there­of, as formerley they have done and accustomed; any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

Provided that the Country Far­mer, Lader, or Kidder, as to all wholsome Flesh victuals and other Commodities except Beef, may have liberty to sell, shew and utter the same in the Common and pub­lique [Page] White-markets within the City of London and Liberties there­of in Market times this Act, or any thing therein contained to the con­trary notwithstanding.

And forasmuch as of late the Fo­rain Butchers, Victuallers, and other people resorting to the Mar­kets of the City of London to sell their Flesh victuals and other Com­modities, do continue and keep their Markets all the day, and un­till night, not observing the hours appointed for their departure by for­mer Acts and Ordinances, To the end the streets may in due time be cleansed for the health of the Inha­bitants of those places; which doing of theirs tendeth much to the disorder of the said Markets (pe­stering the streets where those mar­kets are kept) inhaunsing the prices of Commodities, disturbance and hinderance of Passengers and Tra­desmen [Page] dwelling near the said places, and by reason thereof the streets cannot be cleansed as they ought to be, to the scandall of the Government of the City of London and is very necessary to be refor­med.

And whereas it is pretended, that the formerly appointed times for raising of the Markets is too soon; by reason whereof the parties re­pairing thereto cannot have suffi­cient time to sell off their Commo­dities: To the end therefore that such persons may have a convenient time to vend their Commodities, and be rendered without excuse and that there might be also a conve­nient time afterward for cleansing of the streets;

It is enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Market-bell in the severall Markets within the City of London shall ring twice eve­ry [Page] market day (that is to say) the first ringing (from the five and twentieth day of March yearly, un­till the twenty ninth day of Septem­ber) at seven of the clock before noon; and from the twenty ninth day of September yearly, untill the five and twentieth day of March at eight of the clock before noon, and not before: And that before that time no person or persons shall sell, shew, or put to sale his Flesh, Victuals, or other Commodites.

And that the second ringing of the said market-bell in the severall markets aforesaid, for raising of the said Markets, shall begin to ring, from, and after the five and twen­tieth day of March yearly, untill the twenty ninth day of September year­ly, half an hour after four of the clock in the afternoon, and to conti­nue ringing till five of the clock: And from & after the twenty ninth [Page] day of September untill the five and twentieth day of March, to begin to ring half an hour after two of the clock, and to continue ringing till three of the clock in the afternoon, And that no Butcher and But­chers, or other market people what­soever resorting to any publique or Common-market within the City of London or Liberties thereof, shall utter, sell, or put to open shew or sale any Flesh, Victuals, or other Com­modities whatsoever in the said Markets that day after the end of the ringing of the said bell, but shall immediately after the said bell hath done ringing as aforesaid, de­part from the said markets, upon pain that every person or persons who shall offend, or do contrary to this clause of this Act, shall forfeit the summe of Ten shillings for eve­ry time offending or doing contrary to this clause of this Act.

And forasmuch as the market is most principally intended for the be­nefit of Housekeepers, who buy for their own use and behoof; It is fur­ther enacted by Authority aforesaid, That at the beginning of the rin­ging of the market-bell for raising of the said market, and during the time of the ringing thereof, the Re­tailers and Traders of this City who buy to sell again, may law­fully enter into the said severall Markets, or any of them and make their Provisions, and buy the re­mainder of the said markets, and carry the same to their severall Houses and Shops, and not before, upon pain that every such Retailer or Retailers, or Traders, who shall buy any Commoditie in the said markets to sell again, before the Ringing of the market-bell for rai­sing of the said markets as afore­said, contrary to the intent of this [Page] clause of this Act, shall forfeit for every time Forty shillings.

And forasmuch as all dead Flesh­meat ought be sold in open & com­mon markets, and not to be car­ryed up and down, and sold by way of Hawking; by means whereof much unwholsome Meat hath been vended and sold, to the great deceipt of the buyer thereof, and preiudice of the Common-wealth; And where­as by the Custome of this City, such Flesh and other things hawked are become forfeited; It is enacted by Authority aforesaid, That no But­cher or other person or persons whatsoever shall sell, utter, or offer to put to sale by way of Hawking, or as a Hawker, any manner of Flesh whatsoever; in any Street or Lane, Inne, or other place or places with­in this City of London or Liber­ties thereof, but onely in his, or their open Shop or Shops, Stall [Page] or Stalls, or in the usual Market place or places, and in Market time onely, upon pain of forfeiture of all such Flesh so carryed or offered to be put to sale by way of Hawking without any manner of favour, ac­cording to the ancient Custome of the City of London used and appro­ved.

And whereas divers Inhabi­tants dwelling in, or near unto the severall market places aforesaid, do exact and take severall summes of money of the Country people who bring Victuall to the said severall markets, for, & under pretence that it is in their power to hinder such market people from standing in the Markets before their doors to sell their Victuall; which pretence of theirs is utterly against Law, for that they have no power to hinder any the market people from stan­ding or sitting in the said Markets: [Page] Be it declared and Enacted by Au­thority aforesaid, That no such per­son or persons dwelling or inhabi­ting in, or near any of the said Mar­kets; or other person or persons whatsoever, other then the Clerks of the severall Markets, Beadles, and other persons for their ancient Fees, Duties and Allowances u­sually paid and taken, shall from henceforth directly or indirectly take, require or exact any summe or summes of money, or other thing or things, of any person or persons bringing any Victuall or other Commodities or Provisions to the said Markets to be sold, for, and in respect of any such place, standing, or sitting in the said severall Mar­kets, upon pain that every person or persons who after publication of this Act, shall exact, require, or take any such summe or summes of mo­ney or other thing or reward, shall [Page] forfeit and lose for every time so doing and offending Twenty shil­lings. And it is the true intent and meaning of this Act, That in the White-markets no Bag or Bags of straw be used or permitted, nor any Boards for that purpose, but such as shall not be above one Ell in length, and half an Ell in breadth, upon pain of six shillings eight pence to be forfeited by any person or persons for every time he or they shall do or offend against this clause of this Act.

And it is thought fit for the more conveniency of the Markets and market people, for the shew and sale of their Victuall, that such Boards as aforesaid may be used; and if any the market people aforesaid shall desire to use any such Boards pro­vided by any of the Clerks of the se­verall Markets, that then such Clerk of the severall Markets shall [Page] not take for any such board above Two pence for one market day.

Provided alwayes, this Act, nor any thing therein contained, shall extend unto such person or persons who shall bring Peascods, Straw­berries, Resberries, Roses, or milke to the markets or streets of the City of London to sell, but that he or they may stay, & tarry longer time then is before expressed, if they see occa­sion, so as the same persons that bring them first to market do con­tinue the selling thereof, and do not transfer them to any Huckster or Retailer to sell the same, any thing in this Act to the contrary notwith­standing.

And be it further enacted that all and every Act and Ordinance here­tofore made for the regulating and wel-governing of the markets within the City of London, not being contrary to this present Act, shall [Page] stand & be in their former strength and force, any thing in this Act notwithstanding.

All which pains, forfeitures and penalties, summe and summes of money to be forfeited by vertue of this Act, shall be recovered by action of Debt, Bill, or Plaint to be com­menced and prosecuted in the name of the Chamberlain of the City of London for the time being, in the Court holden before the Maior and Aldermen in the Chamber of the Guildhall of the City of London, where­in no Essoin or wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the De­fendant. And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being in all suits to be prosecuted by vertue of this Act against any Offendor or Offendors contrary to the same, shall recover the ordinary costs of suit to be expended in and about the prosecution thereof. And if the suit [Page] passe for the Defendant, then the said Defendant to recover his costs. And that the Chamberlain for the time being shall not have power to take lesse of any Offendor, then herein is limited to be forfeited for every offence.

And further, That one moity of all forfeitures to be recovered by vertue hereof, (the costs of the suit for recovery of the same being de­ducted) shall after recovery and re­ceipt thereof, at, or before the twenty fift day of March yearly be paid and delivered to the Treasurer of Christs Hospitall, to be imployed toward the relief of the poor children to be brought up and maintained in that Hospitall: And the other moity to him or them which shall first give information of the offences for which the forfeitures shall grow, and prosecute suite in the name of the Chamberlain of the said City [Page] for recovery of the same, any thing in this Act to the contrary not­withstanding.