(Vol. v., p. 414.)
Your correspondent the Rev. E. S. TAYLOR is referred to 30 Car. II. c. 3.,
and 32 ejusdem c. 1., for an answer to his inquiry respecting burials in
woollen. The former Act is entitled, "An Acte for the lessening the
importation of linnen from beyond the seas, and the encouragement of the
woollen and paper manufactures of the kingdome." It prescribes that the
curate of every parish shall keep a register, to be provided at the charge
of the parish, wherein to enter all burials, and affidavits of persons
being buried in woollen; the affidavit to be taken by any justice of peace,
mayor, or such like chief officer in the parish where the body was
interred: and if there be no officer, then by any {543} curate within the
county where the corpse was buried (except him in whose parish the corpse
was buried), who must administer the oath and set his hand gratis. No
affidavit to be necessary for a person dying of the plague. It imposes a
fine of 5l. for every infringement; one half to go to the informer, and the
other half to the poor of the parish.
I have not been able to ascertain when this act was repealed, but imagine
it to have been of but short continuance. Is there no mistake in the date
of the affidavit quoted by Mr. Taylor? Is 1769 a _lapsus_ for 1679? The
first entry in the book provided for such purposes in this parish bears
date August, 1678, and there is no entry later than 1681, which appears
also to be the limit of the Act's observance in the adjacent parish of
Radcliffe. There, the entries immediately follow the record of the burial
itself in the registers, and not in a separate book, as with us.
Under the year 1679 occurs the following memorandum in the parish registers
of Radcliffe:
"An orphan of Ralph Mather's, of Radcliffe, was buried y^e 9th day of
April, and sertefied to be wounde uppe in woollen onely, under the hand
of M^r William Hulme."
In the churchwardens' accounts of this parish (Prestwich) for the year 1681
is found the following item of receipt:
"Received a fine of James Crompton ffor buringe his son and not
bringinge in an affidavitt according to the Acte for burying in
woollin, 02.10.00."