It was then ordered, that no Merchant of the Staple, should Transport Wooll, Woollfells, Lead, or Tin, without the King’s Licence, until they were brought to the Staple, on pain to forfeit the same.
It was then made Fellony to Transport Wooll, by the Statute of the Staples, as you may find it concerning the Transportation of Wooll, by _English_ Merchants, but this Statute for Fellony was repealed, the 38 of _Edw._ 3. _Stat._ 1. and 6. and the forfeiture for Lands and Goods, was still continued, and in _March_ the 37. of _Edw._ 3. the Staple for the sale of Wooll was fixed at _Callis_.
Then the Staple aforesaid was removed from _Callis_, and clearly put down, 43. _Edw._ 3. _Cap._ 1. and the Staples appointed and fixed in _England_, at the places following: _Viz._ at _Newcastle_, _Kingston +upon+ Hull_, _St. Buttolphs Boston_, _Yarmouth_, _Quinborough_, _Westminster_, _Chester_, _Winchester_, _Exeter_, and _Bristol_, and the Staples of _Ireland_ and _Wales_, were to be kept where first they were ordained, and several other good clauses were added concerning the Regulation of the Staples, as may be seen at large, in the Statute of the Staple, 27. _Edw._ 3.
It was there appointed, that all Merchants, Strangers, that bought wooll in _England_, to conveigh to the _West_ parts, or elsewhere, that did not bring them to some of the Staples to be sold, were to bring to the Master of the Kings Mint, for every sack of Wooll which contained ninety four pounds, an ounce of Gold Bulloin, or the value in silver Bulloin, on pain to forfeit such Wooll, or the value thereof to the King absolutely. I also find that great care was taken that no persons in _Norfolke_ should buy wooll there, and in divers other Countries thereabout, for fear they should Transport it, but only those Merchants which carried it to the Staples, or those which did convert it into Yarn, Hats, Girdles or Cloth: And that such woolls as were bought in _Norfolke_, and _Norwich_, and those Countries, were to be sold and retailed in the open Market, if not carryed to the Staples: And that those in _Hallifax_, were to sell what Wooll they bought to those poor people in the town, or parts adjacent; who to their knowledge did work up the same into Cloth, or Yarn: and if the Wooll driver did sell his wooll out of _Hallifax_, or if any of the town bought to sell again, unwrought, into yarn, or cloth, every such Offender did forfeit their double value of the wooll, so sold, or uttered, the one half to the King, and the other half to the Prosecutor, and the Justices of the Peace, in their Sessions, were to determine the same. Many sorts of wares and Merchandises were prohibited to be brought into the Realm, ready wrought, which were wrought and made by Hand-crafts-men.