Ten severall ORDERS OF THE Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, for regulating the price of Meale, and other Commodities.
THE generall dearth which of late hath beene on all sorts of commodities, both rich and poor are very sensible of, especially on the price of corn & chiefly of that which makes bread (the staffe of man life) which hath not only afflicted the needy but occasioned sunday queries from whence the cause should arise in the richest there appearing little visible cause for the same, the earth yielding a plentifull increase in all parts, and to excuse the matter some are pleased to aive their opinions, 1. That the store of the Kingdom in the time of the late warre is exhausted, 2ly. That the quartering of the Army neere this populous City was an em [...]ent cause thereof, And thirdly the great abuse of regrating and forestalling the markets was not of the least; which was chiefly done by those which would fain have woven themselves into a neerer Corporation who not only forestalled the market and keep [Page 2] backe the Countrey people for comming in, but set up meale shops in every corner (a new trade out of the standing of two Apprentishipps) which being lately taken into consideration by the present Lord Major and Court of Aldermen they found apparent abuse thereby and therefore thought good to order that no meale shopps should be kept in the City of London and Liberties thereof after the third day of this instant November and no meale should be sold but in open market the market dayes on forfeiture of such penalties as are inflicted on regraters and forestallers by severall good and wholsome lawes and statutes in that case provided.
There be also severall orders for the market ordered by the Lord Major and Court of Aldermen to bee observed.
The Lawes or orders of the Lord Major and Court of Aldermen to be observed in every market within the City of London.
FIrst in all the markets of this City no victuall shall be sold but by the price set by the Mayor of the City.
Secondly No man shall forestall any victuall comming to the market as for to buy in any Iune or other privy place, or yet comming to the market, whether it be found in the hands of the buyer or of the seller, under pain of forfeiture of the same, and no Inholder shall suffer any thing to be sold in his house upon pain of forty shillings.
Thirdly No man shall regrate any victuall which is in the market, or buy any victuall to Ingrate in the [Page 3] market, so that the Commons can or may have any part of of such victuall, as in speciall such as be known for Hucksters or other people occupying their living by such victuall as they would so ingrosse under paine of such victuall so regrated, provided alwayes that any steward for any noble feast may buy or in grate such victuall as is convenient ior the same feast.
Fourthly No butter shall be sold but according to the time of the yeare allowed.
Fifthly No Poulterers shall deceivably occupie the marke to sell any stale victuall or such as the Poulters of this City, for to stand in strange cloathing so to do under Pain of forty shillings and forfeiture of such victuall.
6ly No Hucksters shall stand or sit in the market but in Lower places and ends of the market to the intent they may be perfectly knowne and the stranger market-people have the preheminence of the market under pain of three shillings foure pence, if the Hucksters disobey the same.
Seventhly No unwholsome or stale victuall shall be sold under paine of forty shillings foure pence and forfeiture of the same victuall.
Eighthly No Butcher or his servant shall use to drive any oxe or oxen a trot in the streets, but peaceably, and if any oxe happen to be let go, when he is prepared to slaughter, the Butcher shall forfeit two shillings besides recompence, if any person be hurt thereby.
Ninthly No Butcher shall sell any Measell Hog, or unwholsome flesh under pain os ten pounds.
Tenthly No Butcher shall sell any old stale victuall, that is to say, about the slaughter of three dayes in the winter and two in the Summer under pain of ten pound.
No victules of ehe City shall give any rude or unfitting language or make any clamour upon any man or woman in the, open market for cheapning of victuall under pain of three shillings foure pence.
Memorandum, that every offence, found in this City It is accustomed that the office, a free man finding it, which is called Primm Inventor, hath halfe the penalty by the grace of the Court.
Having here given you the good orders of the Lord Major and Court of Aldermen for the well ordering of victvall that the prises of Commodities may not be inhumane nor the City and Country abused, It will not be amisse in the next place to give you a briefe account of the great penalty of wheat Rice, Barley, Mault, Oates, Beanes and pease was brought into the City by water of late in doing whea [...] of for better satisfaction I shall in the next place communicate to you a perfect List of all such corne ond Graine as hath beene entred in the custome house of London from the first of October last to the thirtieth of the same as followeth.
Entred in the Customes Book of Entries.
Of Wheat 1587 quarters. Of Rice. 6845, quarters, Of Barley 965 quarters. Of Mault, 1048 [Page 5] quarters. Of Oates 2275 quarters. Of Beanes and pease 1435 quarters, which in all amounts to 14175. quarters.
In which may likewise take notice that it is not the usuall course to certifie the whole quantity of the Lading at the first entry for sometimes neere a fourth part more is brought in for a post entry which together with what hath beene brought in since it thought cannot amount to lesse the twenty thousand quarters (in a matter of a moneth or five weekes) at the least which with the remainder th [...]t is expected and comes in dayly, with the care and well ordering thereof by the Governours of this City (who daily communicate to the poore out of the store laid every Companies the price of corne will probably be abated of which theac begins to appeare some earnest of our hopes though not so much informed might be for we have heard some affirme that wheat may be afforded at this time as in the bushell cheaper then it could within this fortnight.
| Wheat | 1587 quarters. |
| Rye | 6845 quarters. |
| Barley | 0965 quarters. |
| Mault | 1048 quarters. |
| Oates | 2295 quarters. |
| Beanes and Pease | 1435 quarters. |
| In the whole | 14175 |