his Commiffioners to travel with all Perfons within their Counties, to reduce Lands to their former Rents, whereat they were farmed forty Years before; and that Rents fhould be paid at Michaelmas then next enfuing, according to that Rate.

• Concerning their Complaint for Price of Wools, he would forthwith give Orders, that his Commiffioners fhall caufe Clothiers to take Wools, paying only two Parts of the Price, whereat they were commonly fold the Year next before; and for the other third Part, the Owner and Buyer fhould ftand to fuch Order as • the Parliament thould appoint.'

*

4. A. D. 1550. An Ambaffador arrived from Gufavus King of Sweden, and concluded a Treaty of Commerce with England.

5. An

*The Reformation of Religion and the Diffolution of Monafteries was, no doubt, one great Caufe of the general Murmurings at this Time. But more than that, the labour ing Part of the People perceived themselves to be pinched, and could not tell what to attribute it to, with more adfibility, than to Inclofures. And fo much is true, that in Confequence thereof, Rents were raifed, and Corn probably was dearer, and Labourers in Hufbandry had for the prefent, lefs Employment. But Dearness of Wool we find alfo to have been equally a Topic of Complaint; and this could not be a Confequence of Inclofures; yet this Circumftance we find to have operated, as much as any, towards these Infurrections, which, it is to be observed, were chiefly in the Clothing Counties. But the principal real Grievance at this Time, of the poorer Manufacturers, they don't appear to have been fenfible of, (and Hiftorians finçe have overlooked it) which was, the State of the Coin. A Shilling, at this Time, contained but 40 Grains of Silver; fo was not equal to one of our prefent Sixpences. This debafing of the Coin, which was now of near five Years ftanding, had undoubtedly given a nominal Advance to all things vendible; and tho' perhaps to Wages too, yet probably nothing near in proportion to the Difference of the Coin. And as the Money in which they were paid, not contain. ing half the Silver as fome little Time before, would not purchase half the Neceffaries of Life as it was wont to do; that, in courfe, muft needs have bore hard upon the lower Sort of People especially, who had every thing to buy, and nothing to fell, befides their Hand-Labour.

5. An Att for the true making of Woolen Cloths. 3-4 Edw. VI. c. 2. t

6. An Act for the true making of Woolen Cloths. 5-6 Edw. VI. c. 6. ||

7. What Perfons may buy and fell Wool, and who not, and at what times. c. 7.

8. An Act limiting what Perfons fball weave or make broad Woolen Cloth. * c. 8.

9. An Act for making of Hats, Dornecks and Coverlets in Norwich and Norfolk. c. 24. ..

10. A. D. 1552. In thefe Times, it was conceived Sir J. Hayby many, that by erecting a Mart in England, or rather ward's Marts, one at Southampton, the other at Hull, the Realm Life and would be much enriched. Long Confiderations were had Reign of about it. And in the End, the Thing was concluded upon. Edw. VI.

But 1552.

+ Defcribing fundry Abuses, and for Reformation of the fame, in 15 Sections.

Confifting of no less than 53 Sections, and fhewing as well the vast Extent of, and Improvements in, the Woolen Manufacture, as the Increase of Abuses therein. It speaks of it in Kent, Suffex, and the Town of Reading; at Coventry and Worcester; in Suffolk, Norfolk and Effex, Wiltfhire, Gloucestershire and Somerfetfhire, Devonshire, Taunton, Bridgewater, Wales; of Northern Cloths, Manchester, Lancashire and Chefpire.

This Act not printed.

• Perfons who have been Apprentice to the Occupation, or who have been exercised or practifed in and with the fame, for the Space of feven Years.

.. This Act recites, That the Manufacture of thefe 'particular Goods had been lately fet up within the City of Norwich; fince which, Perfons not legally qualified for the fame within the City, had withdrawn themselves ⚫ into certain Towns nigh and about the fame, and there • followed that Occupation.' And therefore it provided, that no Perfon who had not ferved feven Years Apprenticeship to thefe Bufineffes in the City or County, fhould follow the fame, unlefs licensed fo to do, by the Mayor, • Recorder, Steward, and two Juftices of the Peace of the City of Norwich, or by four of them. And that no Perfon fhould follow the faid Occupations, out of a Corperation or Market Town, except within the Town of Pulbam.'

But the Execution was delayed, because the WOOL Fleet of SIXTY Sail was lately before departed for AntBurnet. werp, and could not poffibly be called back. The King's Sickness next protracted the Defign; and his Death put an End to the Project.

Rapin,

vol. 2.

p. 24, 25.

Burnet,

tom. 2. P. 207.

Strype,

tom. 2. P. 5.

I.

CHA P. XVII.

Concerning the Merchants of the Stillyard.

AD. 1552. About this Time, the Corporation

of German Merchants, who lived in the Stillyard, was diffolved, because it was become detrimental to England, by engroffing the whole Woolen Trade. It was proved that the Stillyard Men in the Year 1551, fhipped 44000 Cloths, and all the English Merchants together did not export above 1100. The Regent of Flanders and the City of Hamburgh, earnestly follicited to have the Company reftored, but it was to no Purpose. * 2. Sir

It is not certain that this Fleet, perhaps anciently fo called, was now freighted entirely with Wool; the contrary is more probable; it being certain that Cloth now, notwithstanding the allowed Exportation of Wool, made a confiderable Article in the English Trade, as may be seen in the following Chapter.

See Chap. 12. §. 18.

Henry the Third had been much fupported in his Wars by the Affiftance he received from the free Towns in Germany; in Recompence whereof, he gave them great Privileges in England; they were made a Corporation, and liv'd together in the Stillyard near the Bridge. They had gone fometimes, particularly in the Reign of Edward IV. beyond their Charters; which were thereupon judg'd to be forfeited; but by great Prefents they purchased new 6 ones. They traded in a Body, and fo ruined others by ⚫ underfelling them. Trade was now rifen much. Courts began to be more magnificent; fo there was a greater ⚫ Confumption of Cloth than formerly. Antwerp and Hamburgh + About the Year 1550, it was a common thing to fee 2500 Ships in the Scheld laden with all forts of Merchandize. Memoirs of the Dutch Trade, p. 12.

2. Sir John Haywood in his Life and Reign of Edw. Life of VI. gives fomewhat a more diftinct Account of this Edw. VI, Matter. He fays, the English Merchants exhibited a 1552. Bill at the Council Table against the Merchants of the Stillyard. After Anfwer by thofe of the Stillyard and Reply by the Adventurers, it was conceived, upon view of divers Charters, that the Merchants of the Stillyard were no fufficient Corporation, and their Numbers, Name and Nation, could not be known.' Alfo that when they had forfeited their Liberties, King Edw. VI, reftored them upon Condition that they should cover no Strangers Goods; which they had not obferved. And whereas at the Beginning, they fhipped not above 80 Cloths, after that 100, after that 1000, after that 6000: At that Time 44000 Cloths were shipped in their Names every Year, and not above 1100 by all Strangers befides.

The material Difference between the two Accounts of Rapin and Sir John Haywood is, the former fays, That the Stillyard Company exported in the laft Year $ (viz. 1551) 44000 Cloths, and all the English Merchants together, not above 1100.' According to which Account, I conceive it is to be understood, that the whole English Woolen Exportation amounted, in that Year, to 45, 100 Cloths, and no more. Whereas by the latter, there was exported that Number of Cloths by them and other Foreigners every Year, over and above what was exported by the English Merchants; which makes a wide Difference in the State of the English Cloth Trade at this Time.

3. Now the Merchant Adventurers, particularly, not only long before this had been, † but at this very Time

were,

Hamburgh had then the chief Trade in thefe Parts of the World; and their Factors in the Stillyard (fo called from the Steel imported by them) had all the Markets of Eng land in their Hands, and fet fuch Prices both on what they imported and exported, as they pleated, and broke ⚫ all other Merchants. Whereupon the Merchants Adventurers complained of them; and after fome Hearings, it was adjudged, that they had forfeited their Charter, and that their Company was diffolved.'

+ See Chap. 14. $. 13, 14.

P. 10.

were, a numerous and rich Company I, and therefore confidering how great a Share that of Cloth then bore in the Trade of England; and that this Company profeffedly traded in Cloth chiefly, it is utterly improbable, that they did not ordinarily export at that Time, vastly more than their Parts of 1100 Cloths, as according to Rapin.

4. Wheeler fpeaking of this Company and that particular Branch of their Trade in the Time of Hen. VII. fays, Whereas alfo the Eafterlings, meaning the Merchants of the Stillyard, at this Time had entered into the faid Trade, the prudent Prince Hen. VII. did not only ftraightly inhibit them fo to do, but also took Recognizance of twenty thoufand Marks of the Alderman of the Stillyard at London, that the faid Eafter lings fhould not carry any English Cloth to the Place of Refidence of the Merchant Adventurers in the Low • Countries, or open their Fardelles of Cloth in the faid Countries, to the Prejudice of faid Company, by See the putting the fame to Vent there.' But indeed it appears Decree. by the Decree made against them, that they had not Wheeler, obferved even this Condition. What follows will ferve p. 132-5. to make this whole Affair more intelligible.

Wheeler, p. 87.

5. Among other Privileges granted to these German Merchants in England, one was, that they might carry out and bring in their Wares and Merchandizes, for an old Cuftom of one and a Quarter upon the Hundred, and thereby were exempt from all perfonal and real Charge

Wheeler, who was Secretary to the Company, in his Treatife of Commerce, published in 1601, (p. 154-5.) tells, how that in September 1549, (which was but two Years before this Complaint) when King Philip of Spain came to take Poffeffion of the Low Countries, Maifter John Sturgeon, at that Time Governor of the Company, was at the receiving in of the faid Prince, accompanied with thirty Merchants of the Company on Horfeback, all richly equipped, and handfomely attended, nothing inferior to the Merchants of other Nations, namely, the Germans, Eafterlings, Italians, Spaniards and Portugalles, and furmounting fome of them in coftly Apparel, &c. whereby they wanne great Honour and Commendation to themfelves and the whole English Name.'

In 1601. This Writer reckons the Number of the Company of Merchants Adventurers to be not less than 3500. (See Ch. 25. §. 4.)