Page:The statutes of Wales (1908).djvu/271

A.D. 1554] wise be prejudicial or hurtful to any Lord Marcher in, but that they and every of them, and their Heirs, and the Heirs of every of them, shall and may have like Liberty Interest and Pre-eminence, as they and every of them had might or ought to have had before the making of this Act, and as though this Act had never been had nor made; any Thing in this Act mentioned to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

A.D. 1548]

Provided nevertheless where heretofore such a custom hath been in many parts of Wales that on such cattle and other goods as hath been given with the marriage of any person their tithes have been exacted and levied by the parsons and curates in those parts, which custom being dissonant from any other part of this Realm as it seemed when the said country of was through civil dissension uncultivated for want of other sufficient profits that might otherwise grow to the curates and ministers there to have been for that time tolerable; So now the country being well manured and husbanded and that tithe is duly paid there of corn hay wool and cheese and of other increase of all manner of cattle as it is commonly in all other parts of this Realm, the same custom seems to be grievous and unreasonable especially where the benefices are else sufficient for the finding of the said Ministers and Curates; that it be therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid that from and after the first day of May next coming no such tithes of marriage goods be exacted or required of any person within the said Dominion of  or Marches of the same; anything in this Act contained or any other Act custom or prescription had or made to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.

A.D. 1554]

Where in the xxiii. year of the Reign of the Excellent Prince of famous memory King Henry the Eighth, It was enacted and