CHAP. VI. The State or Balance of the English Trade in the 28th Year of Edward III. as faid to be found upon Record in the Exchequer, with Remarks thereon. XP. One and thirty thoufand fix hundred fifty-one Sacks and a half of Wool, at fix Pounds Value each Sack, amount to Three thousand thirty-fix hundred fix-7 Whereof the Cuftom amounts to Eight thousand fixty-one Pieces and an half of Worfted*, after 16 s. 8 d. l. s. d. 189,909 00 0 6073 01 8 81,624 01 1 89 05 0 6176 9,549 00 0 6,717 18 4 Whereof the Cuftom amounts to 215, 13 7 Summa of the out-carried Commodities 294,184 17 2 in Value and Cuftom Imp. Worfted, a Stuff of Wool fo named from a Town in Norfolk, where this Species of Goods was first made. Camden's Britannia, 1695. p. 389. n. 15. I20. Summa of the Inplufage of the out carried, above the in-brought Com- 55,214 13 08 modities, amounteth to Altho' there is no avouching this Account to be genuine, nor much Reason to fufpect its being a Forgery, yet is it plainly imperfect, as wanting the two great Articles of Tin and Lead. It is taken from a Tract published an. 1623. P. 119, entitled, The Circle of Commerce. By Edward Miffelden, Merchant. Who fays he has it from an ancient Manuscript of a Merchant; which Manufcript was at that Time well known, and of good Authority, among Merchants. It has the Appearance of Antiquity, and fhews the Frugality of thofe Times, and in Confequence thereof, an extraordina ry Balance in favour of the Nation; fuch, I apprehend, comparatively, as no later Times can boaft of. This Year (according to common Accounts) was but the twenty-fecond, fince the Woolen Manufacture was first set up in England. And tho' it does not appear, that the English had then arrived to the making of the best and highest priced Cloths, yet were exported this Year (accord ing ing to this Account) Cloths of a lower Price, to a greater Value, by near one Third, than all the finer Cloths, imported that fame Year, amounted to: which is utterly improbable, had not the Woolen Manufacture in England been of a much longer ftanding than is generally represented. Again, the Value of Wool exported in this Year, appears to be above eight times as much as both Imports and Exports of Woolen Goods put together. And yet we fhall frequently find this Reign celebrated, not only for firft erecting the Woolen Manufacture in the Kingdom, as if no fuch thing had been practifed before; which is not true; but (which is equally falfe) for prohibiting the Exportation of Wool, by a fixed standing Policy, from the eleventh Year of this King; by which the Woolen Manufacture had been first established in the Kingdom. These are Instances of false History generally current upon this Subject, whereon great Strefs has been laid, and which therefore are needful to be corrected. N. B. The Wool, Woolfels, Cloths and Worsteds exported this Year, with their Cuftoms refpectively, amounted to 294,088 14 8; which, confidering that the Shilling then contained 213 Grains, was nearly equal to £737,021 16 11 of the prefent Silver Coin of Great Britain. CHAP. VII. From 28 Edward III. to the End of his Reign. A D. 1354. The Scots having taken Berwick by Surprize, a Parliament was called, who knowing the Neceffity of recovering Berwick, and the King's Want of Money to continue, the War with France, granted him fifty Shillings for every Sack of Wool fold in 1702. Sir Walter Rawleigh, in his Prerogative of Parliament, Remains, fays, it was only for every Sack of Wool transported for fix Years; by which Grant the King received a thousand P. 252. Marks a Day. Prýn in the Kingdom. It is faid this Subfidy amounted to more than 350,000 Marks a Year, fo confiderable was the Woolen Trade in thofe Days. 2. No Wool fhall be bought by Fraud to abate the Price thereof. Weights fhall be fent to all Shires. 31 Edw. III. C. 2. (See Chap. 11. §. 8. Note.) * What Refufe fhall be made of Wool. All Wools, &c. fhall be brought to the Staple. Cap. 8. † The Pryn. Pryn, in his Abridgment of Records, fays, the Lords 29 Ed.III. and Commons, after fhort Conference, granted to the King, for fix Years, the Subfidy of Wool, fo as during the fame Time, no other Aid or Impofition be laid upon the Com mons. N. B. The most ufual Subfidy of Wool was, only of Wool exported. *The A&t recites, That the Merchants buying Wools ' in Fairs and Markets, &c. by Covin and Confent between ⚫ them did abate the Price of Wools, and use other Weights ⚫ than ordained by the Statute, in Annoyance of the People.' It was therefore ordained, That Proclamation be 'made throughout the Realm; and that no Merchant do fuch Covin, upon a grievous Forfeiture; and that certain Weights be fent down to the Sheriff of every Shire as a common Standard.' Thus we fee not only that there has ever been a Propenfity in the Buyers of Wool to combine against the Growers and Sellers of it; but also, that the Gentlemen, i. e. the Parliament of England, at this Time, thought the latter not below their Care and Protection. It is accorded and affented (the Monday next after the Week of Eafter 1357) for the common Profit and Eafe of the People, that every Merchant and other, as well • Alien as Denizen, may bring to the Parts beyond the Sea, which be of the King's Amity, Wools, &c. from the fifth Day of May next coming, to the Feast of St. Michael next enfuing, paying for every Sack fifty Shillings for the Custom and Subfidy. No Merchant or other hall make other Refuse of Wools than was wont to be in Times past, that is to say, of Cote, Gare, and Villain Fleeces. Every Sack fhall contain 26 Stones, and every Stone 14 lb. according to the Standard of the Exchequer, and no more nor lefs. And all the Wools, &c. bought in the Country 'fhall be brought to the Staples, and there abide at the leaft fifteen Days. And those that may not there be fold ' within the fifteen Days, fhall be brought to the Ports ordained for the Staple, to pass from thence to the Parts • afore The King's Council ||, upon Caufe, may defer the tranfporting of Wool. Cap. 9. 3. Auncel Weight fhall be put out. Buying and felling fhall be by equal Balance. 34 Edw. III. c. 5. A Confirmation of Liberty granted by a former Proclamation to Denizens to transport Wool over the Sea until St. Michael next. Cap. 21. t 4. A. D. 1362. Parliament met for and for the Pryn. enhanfing the Prices of Wool. 36 Ed.III. 5. Sumptuary Laws in regard to Apparel, viz. of Servants, Handicraftsmen and Yeomen, Knights, Squires, Merchants, Citizens, Burgeffes, their Wifes and Children, Clerks, Ploughmen, &c. 37 Edw. III. c. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Clothiers to make Cloths fufficient of the forefaid Prices. So that this Statute, for Default of fuch, be in no wife infringed. Cap. 15. 6. Ordered, That Merchants Aliens fhould not tranf- Pryn. port Woolen Cloths, but that Merchants of Almain 37 Ed.III. might carry Worfteds and ftreight Cloths, and that the GermaMerchants of Gafcoin might carry Woolen Cloths to the "y Value of the Wines brought in. 7. That aforefaid, paying the Cuftom, &c. aforefaid. And no Wools vendible fhall be lodged, fhewed, or fold within 'three Miles of the Staples, but in the fame Staple; faving that every Lord and other Man, faving a Merchant, may freely lodge, fhew, and fell his Wools which be of his own growing, in his own House, and elsewhere, as fhall ' please him.' The Chancellor and Treasurer, by the Advice of other of the King's Council, may defer the Term of Paffage, when they see that need is. It seems that the Wool-buyers were very unwilling to forego the Fraud and Deceit this Method of weighing afforded them, in respect both to the Grower and the King's Revenue. See the Inftability of Laws and Counfels in these Times. By 27 Edw. III. it was made Felony for a Denizen to tranfport Wool. But now (34 Edy III) an Act paffes to confirm the Liberty granted by Prociamation to Denizens to tranfport Wool for a Term. This, I prefume, might be intended to alleviate the Burthen of 50s. a Sack, the prefent Subfidy upon Wool exported, by which the Price to the Grower appears to have been not a little affected. (See 5.4.) |