Ships Act 1685
1685 CHAPTER 18 1 Ja 2
An Act to encourage the Building of Shipps in England.

A more than ordinary Decay in building Ships in England.
Whereas for some yeares past and more especially since the laying a Duty upon Coals brought into the
River of Thames there hath beene observed a more than ordinary Decay in Building Shipps in England
and particularly in New Castle Hull Yarmouth Ipswich Alborough Dunwich Walderswick Woodbridge and Harwich
where many stout Shipps were yearely built for the Coale and other Trade which were of great use to his
Majestie in time of Warr and a Nursery for able Seamen but by the Discouragement that Trade hath ever since
laine under occasioned chiefely by the freedome which foreigne Shipps and Vessells bought and brought into
this Kingdome have enjoyed in the Coale and other Inland-Trade equall to that of English built Shipps the
Merchants Owners and others have not beene able to build as formerly which hath caused many of our English
Shippwrights Calkers and Seamen to seeke their Imployments abroad whereby the Building-trade is not onely wholly
lost in severall of the aforementioned places and in others very much decayed but alsoe the Importation of
Timber Plank Hemp Pitch Tarr Iron Masts Canvas and other Commodities used in building and fitting out Shipps
are greatly lessened to the apparent p[re]judice of his Majestyes Customs the losse of a considerable Imployment
for Shipping and consequently of all other Trades depending thereupon to the too great Advantage of Forreigne
Nations.

II. 
Foreign-built Ships employed in the Coasting Trade to pay 58. per Ton for every Voyage above other Duties; Duty applied to the Chest at Chatham and Trinity House at Deptford.
Bee it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the advice and consent of the
Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parlyament assembled and by the Authoritie of the
same That all Foreigne-built Shipps and Vessells which shall henceforth be bought and brought into the Kingdome
of England Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede and be imployed in carrying or transporting any
Goods or Merchandize from Port to Port as aforesaid for every Voyage shall pay to his Majestie his Heires and
Successors at the Port of delivery of their respective Ladeing (before the Delivery thereof) over and above all
Dutyes now paid or that shall hereafter be payable by English-built Shipps the Summe of Five shillings per Tun
to be collected and received by such Person or Persons as his Majestie shall appoint in that behalfe One moyety
whereof to be for the use of the Chest at Chatham the other moyety to the Master Wardens and Assistants of
the Trinity House of Deptford Strond for and towards the Reliefe of wounded and decayed Seamen their Widows and
Children
Foreign Ships already in English Hands 18. per Ton above other Duties.
III. 
Duty applied as the 58. Duty.
And whereas there are now in England belonging or pretended to belong to English Owners many Forreigne-built
Shipps and Vessells which doe transport Coals and other Goods from Port to Port in England as aforesaid paying noe
more Duty than English Shipps pay Bee it further enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That all such Forreigne Shipps
(which are not free) for every Voyage shall pay after the Feast of St. Michaell in the yeare of our Lord One thousand
six hundred eighty and nine at the Rate of Twelve pence per Tun over and above all Dutyes now paid or that shall
hereafter be payable by English-built Shipps to be disposed of unto the Chest of Chatham and the Trinity-House of
Deptford-Strond by Moyeties as aforesaid and for the uses before-mentioned which said last mentioned Duty of Twelve
pence per Tun alsoe shall be collected and recieved in manner aforesaid at their respective Ports of delivery of their
respective Ladeing before the delivery thereof
The said Duties to be recovered as by 12 Car. II. c. 4.
IV. 
And bee it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That his Majestie shall have the same remedy for receiving
and recovering of the Dutyes above mentioned as are provided in a certaine Act of Parlyament made in the Twelfth
yeare of the Raigne of our late Soveraigne Lord King Charles the Second Entituled A Subsidie granted to the King
of Tonnage and Poundage and other Summes of Money payable upon Merchandize Exported and Imported.
The said Duties not to be farmed.
V. 
Provided alwayes That the said Dutyes of Five Shillings per Tun and Twelve pence per Tun or any Part thereof
hereby imposed upon such Forreigne built Shipps which have beene heretofore or shall hereafter be bought or brought
into England shall not be sett to Farme to any Person or Persons for any terme or time or for any Rent or certaine
Payment whatsoever but that the severall Persons who shall be appointed to receive the same shall actually receive the
said whole Duty payable by every such Shipp and account for the same as by this Act is directed.