List: This was posted a few days ago........and I just found the answer ( knew I had seen it somewhere) " THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF SEARCHERS AND SEALERS OF LEATHER: " 1. They shall have two several marks or seals to be prepared by the town, with one of which they shall seal all such leather as they shall find well and sufficiently tanned, and with the other all such leather as they shall find wll and sufficently curried, according to the law. " 2. Sealers of leather have power ex officie to make search and view in any house,shop,warehouse, ot other places where they may conceive any leather to be, whether wrought into shoes, boots, or other wares or not, and seize all leather whether so wrought or not, which they shall find not tanned, curried,or sealed as the law directs; and may retain the same (if the owner submit not to their judgement) until trial thereof be had, and the judgement given....." "OF TANNING LEATHER" "It is provided by a law passed A.D.1698, and yet in force, that no person exercising this trade or mystery, shall put to sale any kind of leather which shall be insufficently tanned or which has been over limed, or burnt in the limes, or which shall not have been after the tanning thereof, well and thoughly dried, not set any of his fats in tan hills or other places where woozes or leather put to tan in the same, may take any unkind hears, norshall put any leather into any hot or warm woozes whatsoever, on penalty of 20 pounds for every such offense." "OF CURRYING LEATHER" No person exercising this mystery shall curry any kind of leather except it be sealed, nor any hide not thoroughly dried, after his wet season, in which wet season, he shall not use any stale urine, or any other deceitful or subtle mixture, thing, way, or means to corrupt or hurt the same, nor shall curry any kind of leather meet for outer sole leather, with any other than good hard tallow, nor with any less of that than the leather will receive, nor shall curry any kind of leather meet for upper leather and inward soles, but with good and sufficient stuff, being fresh and not salt, and thoroughly liquored till it will receive no more; nor shall burn or sealled any kind hide or leather in the currying, but shall work the same sufficiently in all points and respects, on pain of forefeiting, for each offense, every such hide marred or hurt by his evil workmanship or handling ....." Source: DIGGING FOR GENEALOGICAL TREASURE in New England Records; Ann Lainhart (this book can be bought at the New Eng.Historical Genealogical Society in Boston: http://www.nehgs.org Cynthia Moderator of : Ct-River-Valley-L@rootsweb.com VTWindso-L@rootsweb.com CTHartfo-L@rootsweb.com to research posted information on towns and counties in the mailing list go to http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl (put name of mailing list in the first box and in the 2nd box put what you are looking for) http;//archiver.rootsweb.com/Ct-River-Valley-L/ http:archiver.rootsweb.com/VTWindso-L/ http//archiver.rootsweb.com/CTHartfo-L/