Protests against the importation of salt from abroad, and of salt-making by foreigners contrary to the liberties and ancient customs of the borough of Northwich, are recorded in the Harleian MSS. In response to a complaint made on behalf of the burgesses and inhabitants of Northwich concerning the mischievous irregularities committed in the making of salt by “p’sons forrayne and not inhabiting w/thin the Sḍ towne,” King Henry VIII issued an Order to the Justice and Chamberlaine of the County Palatine of Chester to the effect: “_WHEREFORE_ we will and command you that in any case such forrayne p’son or p’sons not inhabiting within the s/^d towne, do, or hereafter at any time shall attempt to use makeing of salt contrary to the lib/^{er}ties and ancient customes of the same within the same towne without lycence of the burgess and the rulers thereof. _THAT_ then without delay ye and ether of you from tyme to tyme upon complaynt or of the rulers and govnors of the same towne do send for all and every such forrayne p’sons as do or hereafter shall attempt to make any salt within the s/^d towne of Northwich contrary to the libties and ancient customes of the same, without the assent and agreem/^t of the s/^d Burgess and ruler by o/^r writts of subp: to appear before you in o/ Castle of Chester at there appearance to punish and reforme them: And also further to order them as right and good conscience shall require according to the lawes and customes heretobefore used now in other wyches there abts w/^{th}in o/^r s/^d County Palatyne, for the reformacon of such transgressions fayle ye not hereof as ye maye intend to please us.” In the time of the Tudors, the salt-makers of Cheshire were composed of natives and “forrayners,” or residents born outside the boundaries of the county, and in the Northwich Book of Orders is given a list of ten “outliers” in the town of Northwich who occupied between them no fewer than eighty-nine salt pans or leads. Although we have no information as to the exact size and capacity of the evaporating pans of the period, it is evident that they were made to a regulation scale, and we read that it was the business of an officer of the Court Leet to examine the leads and see that they conformed with the standard dimensions. If the prescribed measurements were exceeded, the official cut a piece out of the corner of the pan with a pair of shears with which he was furnished for the purpose, so as to reduce its capacity to the legal limit.