20 



to York in the reign of King Edward III. — " The slaughter of 

 the Jews at the commencement of Richard the First's reign 

 seems to have been fatal to the trade of York, which declined 

 so fast that it was able to send only one small ship with nine 

 mariners to the fleet of Edward III." ' That there was a mas- 

 sacre of the Jews in York during the reign of Richard I., and 

 that heavy pecuniary penalties were inflicted upon some of the 

 inhabitants who were concerned in the outrage, are facts esta- 

 blished by unexceptionable evidence. ^ But it seems highly 

 improbable that the trade of York should not have overcome 

 the effects of these disastrous circumstances at the distance of 

 more than 170 years from the time when they occurred. " The 

 Roll of the huge Fleet of Edward III. before Calais in 1359," 

 is given in Hakluyt's Voyages ; ^ and on this list, whilst York 

 appears as having furnished only 1 ship and 9 men, New- 

 castle is stated to have sent 17, Hull 16, and Grimsby 11 

 ships. But the largest number was sent from the port of Great 

 Yarmouth, which furnished 43 ships and 1905 mariners, whilst* 

 London itself sent no more than 25 ships and 662 men. As it 

 would be absurd to infer from this account that Yarmouth then 

 exceeded London in commercial importance, it is obvious that no 

 just conclusion can be drawn from it, as to the condition of the 

 trade of York at this period. ' The Pictorial History of Eng- 

 land,' a well-known publication of the present day, is compiled 

 upon a, plan similar to the work of Dr. Henry, and in the chapter 

 which professes to give an account of the national industry of the 

 English during the 14th century, the following passage occurs : 

 *' In the provincial towns trade was of course conducted on a 

 smaller scale than in London. The exchange of commodities 

 was effected to a great extent at the fairs and at the markets, and 



» Vol. VI. p. 266. 



2 Warinus de Cuningstrat' r. comp. de xl s. xd. pro occis. Judeormn. 

 Erkenbaldus le Waisdier r. comp. de xx s. pro eodem. 

 Walterus filius Eemij r. comp. de xxxij s. pro eodem. 



Eobertus de Selebi r. comp. de xxxj s. viii d. pro interfectione Judeorum. 

 Jleoricus d« Fiskergat r. comp. de ij m. pro eodem. 



Eot. Cane. 3rd John. 



3 Vol. I. p. 132. 



