Also he may not keep the apprentice bound to him. No
apprentice may be entrusted with a vessel until he is 16 if a
waterman's son and 17 if is he the son of a landman, and he has
had at least two years' experience. None but freemen (i.e. one
having served an apprenticeship of seven years) may row or work
any vessel for hire or be subject to the same punishment. This is
to avoid the mischiefs which happen by entrusting apprentices too
weak, unable, and unskillful in the work, with the care of goods
and lives of passengers. Later amendment required that apprentices
be age 14 to 20 and that there be no more than 40 passengers, with
the penalty of transportation if there were over 40 and one
drowned.
No boat on the Thames River may be used for selling liquors,
tobacco, fruit, or gingerbread to seamen and laborers because such
has led to theft of ropes, cables, goods, and stores from the
ships. Excepted are boats registered at the guilds of Trinity and
of St. Clement, but they must show their owner's name and can only
operate in daylight hours. The penalty is forfeiture of the boat.
All ships coming from places infected with the plague shall be
quarantined and any person leaving a quarantined ship shall return
and later forfeit 20 pounds, of which 1/3 may go to the informer,
the rest to the poor. This was later raised to 200 pounds and six
months in prison, and if the person escaped, he was to suffer
death.
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