A. D. 1662. Anno decimo tertio & quarto Caroli II. C. 26. 259 CAP. XXVI. An Afl: for Reforming of the Abufes committed in the Weight and falfe Packing of Butter, ' -rp Orafmuch as Butter is one of the principal Commodities of the Produft of this Kingdom, and is not & vj e 'J? only of an univerfal Ufe and ExpenCe at Home, but very great Quantities thereof are traniported be- 2r. "* ' ' '^' ' yond the Seas: (2) And whereas, by Cuftom Time out of Mind u.ed, every Kilderkin of Butter ou^ht ^'"^/^■'"'*""f ' to weigh one hundred thirty and two Pounds Grofs at the leall ; that is to fav, one hundred and tvvcTve s!^^"'^'" °^ ■ •• Pounds of neat Butter, and the Calk twenty Pounds : (3) The Firkin of Butter ought to weigh lixty " *^.' ' and four Pounds, viz. fifty and fix Pounds of good and merchantable Butter neat, and the Calk eight "^^^ ^'f'""- ' Pounds; (4) and the Pot of Butter ought to weigh twenty Pounds, viz. fourteen Pounds of good and xhc Tot ' merciiantable Butter neat, and the Pot lix Pounds : (5) And whereas great Complaint hath been made ' by the Traders in Butter and Cheefe, That by the fraudulent Dealing and Practice of feveral Farmers, ' Owners and Packers of Butter, and by their irregular Manner of weighing with Stones, Iron Wedges, ' Bricks and other unwarrantable Weights, the fame Quantities of Butter are not put up into the refpec- ' tive Cafk and Pots aforefaid, and the Kilderkin is commonly made to weigh fix and twenty Pounds and ' fometimes eight and twenty Pounds, and the Firkin to weigh ten Pounds or twelve Pounds, and fome- ' times thirteen or fourteen rounds Weight, and the Pots are made generally to weigh feven Pounds, and ' feme of them eight Pounds or nine Pounds Weight; (6). and much bad and decayed Butter is mixed ' and packed up into Kilderkins, Firkins and other Cafii and Pots, with found and good Butter, and im- ' moderate Quantities of Salt intermixed, to the Spoil of the fame, .and to the great Wrong and Abufe of ' his Majefty in the Vi<5lualling of his Navy, of Merchants in the Vidualling of their Ships, and of all
- Traders in the faid Commodity, andof all Houlholders who buy the fame for their: Expence, and to the
' great Dilhonour of the Englijh Nation in the Parts beyond the Seas, and to the Bringing of tiie faid ' Commodity into great Difrepute abroad, whereby, it yields not that Price nor is vented there in fucii. ' Quantities as otherwife it would.' n. For Remedy whereof, Be it enadled by the King's mod: Exc:llent Majefty, by and with the Advice a Kilderkin of and Confentof the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembJed, Butter mail con- I'hat from and after the firft Day oijune which (hail be in the Year of our Lord one thouiand fix hun- '^'" "/Jl; 'l^' dred fixty and two, every Kilderkin "of Butter do and (hall contain one hundred and twelve Pounds neat ' ^' 1 or above, every Pound containing fixteen Ounces, befides the Tare of the Calk, and not lefs, of good and merchantable Butter : (2) Every Firkin of Butter do and Ihall contain fifty-fix Pounds neat or above. The Fiifcin befides the Weight of the Calk, of good and merchantable Butter: (3) and every Pot of Butter do ands^'b. ' ihall contain fourteen Pounds neat or above, befides the Weight of the Pot, of good and merchantable ^^^ '*°' '*"'• ijvitter : (4) And that no Butter which is old or corrupt ihall be mixed or packed up into any Kilderkin, No old Butter Firkin or other Calk, Vefiel or Pot vvhatfoever, with any Butter which is new and found ; nor any Whey- n^aii be mixed Butter (hall be packed or mixed with any Butter that is made of Cream, but that the faid refpedtive Sorts ^^^-neiw nor of Butter (hall be packed up feverally and apart by themfelves, and fhall not be mixed one with another j ^^ "' "' and that every Calk or Pot of Butter (liall be of one Sort and Gpodnefs throughout fuch Cafk and Pot; (5) and that no Butter fliall be falted with any great Salt, but that all Butter (hall be falted and faved with fmall Salt, nor more Salt Ihall be intermixed with it than fhall be needful for its Prefervation ; (6) The Penalty,
- upon Pain and Penalty that every Owner, Farmer or Packer of Butter not putting up in each Kilderkin, AmenHed by
! Firkin and Pot nf Butter to be fold or to be expofed to Sale refpecStively, fuch Quantities as aforefaid, or * ^' * ^' ^- 7* Koffending in falfe packing as aforefaid, for every fuch Offence Ihall forfeit the Value of all the Butter fo 'falfe packed ; (7) and for every Offence where any Kilderkin, Firkin or Pot lliall be found to contain a ! iefier Quantity of Butter than by this Adt is appointed, fix Times the Value of every Pound of Butter that Ihall be wanting in any fuch Cafk or Pot. lit. Aiid to the Intent that the Benefit intended .by this A61 may be extended with full Effed to all
- j Peifoiis who. do either cut out Butter by Retail or expend it, (2) Be it further enadled by the Authority
faforefaid,' That every Cheefemonger or other Perfon whatfoever, which (hall fell to any Perfon or Per- cheeremongm/ ifons any Kilderkin or Kilderkins, Firkin or Firkins, Pot or Pots, or other Cafk of Butter made after the and all Sellers of (laid firft Yivj oi 'June which iliall be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred fixty and two, fhall Kjiderki'"^' ideliver in every liich Kilderkin, Firkin and other Caflc and Pot refpeiiively, the full Qviantity and due&c, m iTdtHver ! Quality appointed by this Adt and not lefs ; or in Default thereof ftiall be liable to make Satisfadtion to the full Quan- . him or them that buy the fame, for what ihall be wanting, according to the Price for which the fame,'^^i[g"*'° '^'^' 'Was fold, [Farther provided for by 4 & 5 W. & M. c. 7.' §. z.] _ _ " See g'Geo. i, IV. And be it further enadted- by the Authority aforefaid, Tliat from and after' the faid firft Day of =• j/- June which ihall be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred fixty and two, no Cheefemonger or j, ^ .. ! other Perfon or' Perfons whatfoever -fiiall repack for Sale any Butter in any Kilderkin, Firkin or other pack^Butfeif" I Cafk or Pot whatfoever ; (z) upon Pain and Penalty that every Cheefemonger or other Perfon whatib- ,,, i ever which ihall repack any Butter into any Kilderkin or Kilderkins, Firkin or Firkins, Cafk or Cnfks, '* "la ly. |Pot.orPots, to fell the fame again, (hall for every Firkin, Cafk or Pot fo packe:!, forfeit the Sutn of doy- ble the Value of all fuch Butter. , _ ■ ' V. And for the better Dilcovfery of all Frauds and Abufes which fliall be committed againft this AcljFaimer* and I Be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid. That every Farmer and other Perfon and Perfons' pack- otiur .Sciu-i.s ling up Butter in Kilderkins, Firkin.s or any other Caflc whatfoever, for Sale, do from and afrefthe faid ^j'"^.*^' of f,'g firft Day of June which ihali be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred fixty and two, pack up weight upo-. ' , his Butter into good and fufficient Cafk made of found, dry and well feafohed Timber, and- fhall fet upon g?o^ 9nJ«fii- . ievery Firkin and Cafic whatfoever, when the fame is throughly and fully feafoned in- Water, a continu-^|j^J','^^;'*]^,ji'j^jj- ' ing vifible M-ark of the jull; Weiglit of the empty Cafk, and do likewife fet upon every Kilderkin, Firkin ' ' ' ! ' and Cafk when the fame is filled with Butter, the firft Letter of his or their Chriftian Name and his or their Surname at Length, with an Iron-brand; (2) upon Pain and Penalty that every Farnier or other Perfcn or Perfous whatfoever offending in not putting -cm the Mark of fuch Weight of Kilderkin, Firkin Liz o'r - -
