# Excise Act 1696, Section II: Brewer to declare how much Strong and Small Beer or Ale he intends to make of each Guile, otherwise the Whole charged as Strong, and Duty accordingly; and Penalty.


Brewer after such Declaration, increasing Strong Beer or laying off,; Penalty; Brewers Servants assisting; Penalty or Imprisonment; Increasing Beer by adding former Guile; Penalty.; unless added in sight of Gauger.
And for the more effectual preventing the Frauds of the Brewers which are now frequently practised by mixing Small Beer with Strong Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Co[m]mon Brewer who after the said Tenth Day of April shall brew or make any Guile of Beer or Ale shall declare to the Gauger or Gaugers appointed to gauge and take an Account of the same how much Strong Beer or Strong Ale hee intends to make of such Guile and also how much Small (if hee intends to make any Small) before any part of such Guile is cleansed or removed out of his Tuns and in case any such Brewer or his respective Servants brewing or making such Guile of Beer or Ale shall refuse to make such Declaration as aforesaid such Gauger or Gaugers shall charge and returne the whole of such Guile to be Strong and such Brewer shall pay the Duties thereof accordingly and shall also forfeit and lose for every Barrel of Beer or Ale contained in such Guile the Su[m]m of Twenty Shillings and in case such Brewer or his respective Servants after such Declaration made as aforesaid shall make any increase of the Strong Beer or Strong Ale so declared as aforesaid by any ways or means whatsoever or in case such Gauger or Gaugers shall find any Beer Ale or Worts of the same Guile laid off over and above the Quantity so declared as aforesaid such Brewer shall forfeit and lose for every Barrel so increased laid off or found over and above the Quantity declared as aforesaid the Sum[m] of Five pounds and the Servant or Servants of such Brewer who were any ways concerned or assisting in making such increase after the said Declaration or in laying off any Beer Ale or Worts of such Guile before such Declaration made as aforesaid shall also forfeit and lose for every Barrel so increased or laid off the Su[m]m of Twenty shillings and in default of Payment thereof shall suffer Three Months Imprisonment and in case upon any Information brought against such Brewer for the Penalties by this Act imposed for increasing his length of Strong Beer or Ale as aforesaid it shall appeare by the Evidence given in behalfe of such Brewer that the Strong Beer or Ale so declared as aforesaid was increased by adding to or mixing with the same any Beer or Ale that was left in the Brew house of a former Guile of his or her brewing such Brewer shall incurr all the said Penalties except it be also proved by the Oath of one or more credible Witnesses that the Strong Beer or Ale so added to such Guile was added to such Guile in the sight and view of the Gauger the said Evidence or any other thing to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/8-9/19/section/II (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/excise-act-1696/section-II
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.