Middlemen in English Business 141 



in their several jurisdictions and to pro\'ide for its sale in the interest 

 of the consumer.' 



It was in line with this anxiety for the metropolitan consumer that 

 Edward felt constrained to define more particularly who was fore- 

 staller, regrator and ingrosser, by this statute of 1552. It defined 

 Forestaller as " . . . whatsoever Person or Persons ... (a) 

 buy . . any Merchandise, Victual or any other thing whatsoever, 

 coming by land or by water toward any city, Port, . . . from 

 Parts beyond the Sea to be sold . . . (b) make any Bargain or 

 Contract or Promise for the having or buying the same . . . be- 

 fore the said Merchandise . . . shall be in the Market, Fair, 

 City, Port, . . . ready to be sold; . . . (c) make any 

 Motion by Word, Letter, Message, or otherwise, to any Person . . . 

 for the inhancing of the Price . . . (d) dissuade . . . any 

 Person coming to the Market or the Fair, to abstain or forebear to 

 bring or convey any of the things ... to any market, Fair, City, 

 Port, . . . to be sold . . . "- Regrator was defined as "what- 

 soever Person or Persons . . . shall b}- any Means regrate, 

 obtain, or get into his or their Hands or Possession, in any Fair or 

 Market, any Corn, Wine, Fish, . . . that shall be brought to 

 any Fair or Market ... to be sold, and do sell the same again 

 in any Fair or Market holden or kept in the same Place, or in any 

 other Fair or Market within Four Miles thereof . . . ."^ 



Lastly, it defined Ingrosser as "whatsoever Person or Persons 

 . . . shall ingross or get into his or their Hands, by buying, con- 

 tracting or promise-taking . . . any Corn, . . . Butter, 

 Cheese, ... to the Intent to sell the same again . . ."^ 



The statute prohibited all three practices under severe penalties. 

 But the exceptions^ specifically allowed to these general prohibitions 

 bring out the purpose of the law. For instance, a person might buy 

 corn to convert into malt or oatmeal in his own house; a fishmonger, 

 ])utcher or poulterer might buy materials used in his craft if he sold 

 them at reasonable prices; likewise innholders and other victuallers. 

 A list of prices for the different grains was fixed in the statute," at or 

 under which it was lawful for any person Oiot forestalling) to buy, 



' For illustration of such order see Acts P. C. XI\', 338; Leonaid, J18-26. 



2 5-6 Ed. VI, Cap. 14, Sec. 2. 



■' Ibid., Sec. 2. 



' Ibid., Sec. 3. 



'" Ibid., Sec. 7. 



« Ibid., Sec. 13. 



