1 of them, and who, even if they were Drapers, were dealing like the English Draper in other goods as well. But time was on the side of the Englishman. The foreign merchant was jealously watched, and could only sell his wares by wholesale, and then under severe restrictions. Before long the English Draper threatened to displace his rival not only in the English, but in the foreign markets. It is also most probable that many of these more opulent Drapers were money-lenders as well, like their contemporary Mons. Broke of Douai. The number of foreigners dealing in England in wool, cloth, cloth of gold, and other commodities, and also lending money on credit, more especially in the latter part of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century, was very large. Amongst others, we hear of: The Societies of the Bardi, Bianchi, Cerchi-Bianchi, Frescobaldi, Mozi, Peruzzi, Scali, Spina of Florence, Veluti, the Spinelli of Genoa; the Societies of Pulci and Rambertini of Florence and Perugia; the Bellardi and Ricardi of Lucca; the Bonsignori and Galerani of Siena; the Chiarenti; the Portinari; the Rustigath of Placentia; the Amenetti of Pistoia; also numerous merchants from the Low Countries, especially from Antwerp, Amiens, Arras, Douai, Malines, St. Omer, also from Abbeville. Cf. Close Rolls, Indexes; Dehaisnes, Essai sur les relations commerciales de Douai avec l'Angleterre (Mémoires lus à la Sorbonne, Paris, 1866); Letter Book A, fos. 46, 72 b; Close Rolls, 1288-96, pp. 204, 255, 382, 383, 384, 647; 1296–1302, pp. 269, 271, 487 ; 1302-7, PP. 5, 34, 87, 172, 290, 319, 343, 357, 360, 426, 483; 1327, PP. 43, 49, 223; 1329, PP. 445, 463; 1330-1, pp. 14, 72, 267, 373, 385; 1332, P. 459; 1333, P. 7; 1337, p. 206; 1338, pp. 548, 568; 1339, p. 225; 1346, p. 175; Archaeologia, xxviii. 206; Owens Coll. Historical Essays, p. 137, 'Italian Bankers and their loans.' 2 On Merchant Strangers, cf. p. 25, note 2, of this vol. CHAPTER II THE HISTORY OF THE DRAPERS FROM THE OPEN- fourteenth century. NTERESTING and startling changes The work of in the activities of the Drapers meet us the Drapers as we enter the fourteenth century. They in the early import but little foreign cloth, and are deeply engaged in the export of English wool. The causes of this change before the year 1337 are not very clear. It is possible that the explanation is to be found partly in the more active competition of the foreign merchant, partly in the increase of the home cloth industry. We know that there were many foreigners still engaged in the import trade, while there is good evidence to show that the home industry was advancing. Posssibly also the Drapers were during these years the agents of the Crown in the export of wool, as they certainly were subsequently. However that may be, with the year 1338 we come to surer ground. (1) 1 The initial comes from the Ordinance Book, p. 96. 2 I have only come across three definite notices of the purchase of foreign cloth by a London Draper between 1300 and 1363. In 1304 Stephen de Abyngdon buys cloth and other merchandise to the value of £1,100 in Antwerp and Malines for the King's Wardrobe. Close Rolls, 1304, p. 143. Again, in 1310, he buys cloth at Lans in Artois. Close Rolls, 1307-13, P. 245. In 1338 John Blakeneye loads 'Le Paternoster' of London with salt, wine, and cloth in Normandy for England. Ibid., 1338, p. 455. But there are plenty of instances of the Drapers selling cloth in England, and some of this was probably of foreign origin before the Statute of 1337, which prohibited its import. It will be remembered that in the previous year an Act of Parliament had been passed forbidding the import of cloth, and insisting that all, except the King and the royal family, should clothe themselves in homespun. The export of wool was also forbidden, until the king and his council provided otherwise'. Of this proviso Edward III took advantage, when in 1338 Parliament granted him the right of the pre-emption of 20,000 sacks of wool at his own price. The chronicler Knighton tells us that he, or his agents, bought it at £6 the sack and sold it abroad for £20. Again, in 1341, a grant of wool was made to the King, no one being allowed to export until the King was 'served of that granted to him' Thus the King during these years had a large amount of wool to export, and he accordingly made use of the larger merchants for this purpose, and, among them, of some of the more wealthy Drapers, who, owing to their earlier dealings in foreign cloth, had the necessary knowledge and equipment. But here arose another complication. Since he was unable to get all the wool which he had been allowed to buy, or which had been granted, as speedily as his necessities demanded, he borrowed money on the wool from the merchants, transferring to them his right to buy or to seize the wool, and gave them licences to export, often reducing, and in some cases surrendering to them, the customs payable. Finally, when the King was heavily indebted to foreigners 5 for loans, the merchants would export the wool for the King and hand it over to his creditors, although in some cases the foreign merchants who had lent money were allowed to export on their own account." 2 1 Cf. Order to Sheriff of York, 1338, Rymer, ii. 1022. Knighton Coll. 2570. Ramsay, however, gives evidence to show that he did not on this occasion ever pay the purchase money, and that much of the wool was seized. Genesis of Lancaster, i. 256. 3 15 Ed. III. iii, cc. 2, 3, 5. The was of grant had been apparently raised in the previous year. i, p. 291. 30,000 sacks, of which 20,000 Ramsay, Genesis of Lancaster, Cf. Evidences in Appendix, vol. i, No. III B, and especially the cases of John de Lincoln, Darcy, Pulteney, and Botiller. In 1350 Edward even pledges his 'great crown' to Thomas Swanlond and others. e. g. the Bardi and Peruzzi. Close Rolls, 1330-1, PP. 14-72, 267-373, 385; 1338, p. 421; Merchants of Malines, 1338, p. 568. Cf. Patent Rolls, 1337, PP. 537, 543, 554. In August 1345 we find some of these merchants, including the Draper John Swanlond, petitioning that, whereas the King, in return for £50,000 a year lent to him, had, in 1343, granted to them all the customs for three years, and whereas the war had, by checking the export of wool, seriously reduced the customs and otherwise injured them, they should be released from their bond from Midsummer last. Their petition was conceded, and £7,000 was granted to them in recompense for their losses, to be paid by the third penny of the customs; the merchants on their part promising to find another 10,000 marks, for which the tenth and fifteenth, just voted by Parliament, should be pledged. In the following year the same John Swanlond takes the ferm' of all the customs with a few exceptions. Thus the character of the Drapers' work was temporarily altered. Checked in one of their most important functions, that of importing foreign cloth, they became the agents of the King for the export of his wool, and meanwhile supplied him with loans upon the customs for his wars. This also is the probable explanation of the frequent appointment at this time of Drapers to the post of Collector of Customs on wool, woolfells, and hides, since they would then have the regulation of the customs under their control.3 So too we find that in 1362 Edward III farmed to Richard de Oxenford, a Draper of London, the subsidy which had been granted to the King in return for his having remitted his share of the forfeitures or fines arising from the aulnage of London." Meanwhile, there is good evidence to prove that the home cloth industry is growing. We hear of a much greater variety of English-made cloths, while the appointment of a Broker in 1 Close Rolls, 1343-6, p. 649; 1346-9, pp. 72, 73, 185, 557. 2 Cf. Rymer, ii. 988, 989, 1022, 1051, 1054, and references given in the Appendix. 3 4 Between 1311 and 1339 four Drapers held the office. Cf. Appendix, vol. i, No. III B. Rymer, Foedera, Pars II, p. 678. 5 Thus cloth of half grain (scarlet) and whole grain: Andley, Hawes, Haydok, Kersey, Lumbard, Marbury de flur de vesz, Mendeps, Menuet, Porreye, Rayed cloths, Russet, Says of Causton, Louthe, Norwich, Worstede, and other places, Verten Veyr, Wadmol or Wadynell. London-made cloth: Rye and green cloth of Candelwickstrete. Cloths of Beverley, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Kent, Lincoln, Norfolk (worsted cloth of), S. Osyth, Stamford, Suffolk, Winchester, York. Letter Book E, pp. 53, 54; C, p. 163; Close Rolls, 1346, p. 126; |