SOME REMARKS ON BRITISH FOREST HISTORY. 1 93 



potential source of supply for masts, pipe-staves and clap- 

 boards, 1 an expectation soon to be realised. - Evelyn urged 

 the removal of iron mills "into another world, the Holy Land 

 of New England " : " it were better to purchase all our iron of 

 America, than thus to exhaust our woods at home." ■ But any 

 such development was yet in the future : and throughout the 

 sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the chief supplies of imported 

 timber into the British Isles came from North-eastern Europe. 



This trade was not only in boards, planks, wainscot, staves, 

 scantling and round timber, but in manufactured articles. 

 One of the grievances which led to Evil May-day was that 

 "the Dutchemen bryng ouer Iron, Tymber, Lether and Weynskot 

 ready wrought, as Nayles, Lockes, Baskettes, Cupbordes, 

 Stooles, Tables, Chestes, gyrdels." " If it were wrought here," 

 said the contemporary protectionists, "Englishmen might have 

 some worke and lyuynge by it."'* Even pikes for the English 

 garrison at Boulogne were purchased in Antwerp " of Flemish 

 ash, very fair, with long heads."'' There is no evidence, 

 however, that the trade in manufactured articles ever assumed 

 relatively large proportions. 



While hardwood, particularly oak, was imported in quantity, 

 softwoods grew rapidly into greater prominence. '' In the 

 sixteenth century imported oak timber was of such importance 

 in Scotland that the prohibition of its export by Denmark was 

 held to demand " that ane man of honour be send to the said 

 King of Denmark vpon the expensis of the Burrowis with letters 

 supplicatouris direct be the Quenis Maiestie for renewing of the 

 auld amitie and kyndnes" between the two countries and for 

 reinstating trade upon its former basis. " England was better 

 off for native hardwoods than Scotland, but oak wainscot was 

 imported largely from Denmark. '' The trade was to a great 



' Coke MSS. , i. 449. 



■■^Taylor, Common- Good, pp. 45, 48: Petty, Political Arithmetic, Economic 

 Wi-itiiigs, p. 296: Evelyn, Sylva (1670), p. 103: Weeden, Economic History 

 ■ of New England, pp. 142, 156, 164. 



•' Sylva (1812 ed.), ii. 279 ; early editions omit first phrase. 



■* Hall's Chronicle (1549), 1819 ed., p. 587. 



■'' Letters and Papers, xxi. i., 182 (1546). 



" There are notices of fairly large quantities early in the sixteenth century. 

 P. R.O., A)icient Deeds, A. 2944 ; igoo spars and 1000 boards called " fyrsden 

 deles " at Lynn : Letters and Papers, xix. i. 96-7. 



■^ Acts of Par It. of Scotland, ii, 544 (1563, c. 27). 



^ Harrison, op. cit., p. 200. 



