Wool Act 1698

Act of the Parliament of England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wool Act 1698 (10 Will. 3. c. 16)[a] (or the Woolens Act) was an act of the Parliament of England, long titled An Act to prevent the Exportation of Wool out of the Kingdoms of Ireland and England into Forreigne parts and for the Incouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England.[1]

Long titleAn Act to prevent the Exportation of Wool out of the Kingdoms of Ireland and England into Forreigne parts and for the Incouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England
Citation
Territorial extent[c]
Royal assent4 May 1699
Quick facts Long title, Citation ...
Wool Act 1698
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Long titleAn Act to prevent the Exportation of Wool out of the Kingdoms of Ireland and England into Forreigne parts and for the Incouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England
Citation
Territorial extent [c]
Dates
Royal assent4 May 1699
Commencement24 June 1699[d]
Repealed5 July 1825
Other legislation
Amended by
Repealed byCustoms Law Repeal Act 1825
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
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Provisions

The act was intended to increase England's woolen product manufacturing by preventing Irish wool production, manufactures, and export; it also forbade the export of wool and products from the American colonies. Competing woolens from these areas had recently become more available in foreign and domestic markets. The act prohibited American colonists from exporting wool and wool products,[2] or export to markets outside the individual colony in which it was produced, or to be transported from one place to another in the same colony. The act did not forbid the making of woolen fabrics for private consumption, but simply forbade the making of woolens for the public market. At this time the woolens exported from England had to pay heavy export duties. The act, one of the Acts of Trade and Navigation, was mainly aimed at Irish woolens and established a policy to crush the Irish woolen industry.[3][4] It had little effect on the American colonies; at most it only slowed the potential industry.[5] Shopkeepers had a very hard time during this period when the Wool Act was in force. Some colonists opposed this act by buying more flax and hemp.

Subsequent developments

Quick facts Exportation (No. 2) Act 1698, Long title ...
Exportation (No. 2) Act 1698
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Long titleAn Act for continueing severall Laws therein mentioned, and for explaining the Act intituled An Act to prevent the Exportation of Wooll out of the Kingdoms of Ireland and England into Forreigne Parts and for the Incouragement of the Woollen Manufactures in the Kingdom of England.
Citation
Territorial extent 
Dates
Royal assent11 April 1700
Commencement29 September 1700[d]
Repealed15 July 1867
Other legislation
Amends
Repealed byStatute Law Revision Act 1867
Relates to
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Close
Quick facts Taxation (No. 3) Act 1698, Long title ...
Taxation (No. 3) Act 1698
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Long titleAn Act for takeing away the Duties upon the Woollen Manufactures, Corn Grain Bread Biscuit and Meal exported.
Citation
Territorial extent England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent11 April 1700
Commencement30 March 1700[d]
Repealed5 July 1825
Other legislation
AmendsWool Act 1699
Amended byTaxation (No. 5) Act 1706
Repealed byStatute Law Revision Act 1867
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Close

An exception to the act was passed the following year in the Exportation (No. 2) Act 1698 (11 Will. 3. c. 13 s. 9), which allowed these exports if they were for the use by the ship's crews and passengers.[6] Later in the year however, duties were abolished for English exportation of manufactured woolens and other products by the Taxation (No. 3) Act 1698 (11 Will. 3. c. 20).[7][4]

The whole act was repealed on 5 July 1825 by section 444 of the Customs Law Repeal Act 1825 (6 Geo. 4. c. 105), which formed part of trade liberation reforms.

See also

Notes

  1. This is the citation in The Statutes of the Realm.
  2. This is the citation in The Statutes at Large.
  3. Preamble.
  4. Section 1.

References

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