26 A COMMERCIAL DAY BOOK. 



father was in a position to meet their wishes. In selecting 

 for apprentice the son of the dyer to the firm, he had a regard 

 to the sum which he would be willing to put down for the 

 purchase of the business connection. 



I have, I think, gone over all the more important points 

 of variance between the hitherto accepted evidence regarding 

 Mr. Richards and his family and the new evidence now brought 

 forward. I know that my attempts to explain the difficulties 

 are largely conjectural, and I am prepared to be set right 

 where my explanations are unsatisfactory by those whose local 

 knowledge is greater than my own. With regard to the vast 

 amount of information contained in this book, I will not 

 attempt to do more than to give a very brief summary under 

 a few heads. To do justice to the subject would require 

 all the skill and the patience of an expert in commeree. 



Mr. Richards 's largest transactions were in the Spanish 

 trade, and the most important item was Spanish wool, classed 

 as Leonesa, Segovia, Paullars, Santiago, &c., the price 

 varying from Is. 3d. to 2s. lOd. a pound-; but Vigonia, a wool 

 of superior fineness used in the manufacture of hats, com- 

 manded the price of 4s. 9d. a pound. The bulk of the wool 

 imported was re-exported to Spain and Portugal, as much as 

 9-10ths of the cloth manufactured in Colchester about 1656 

 going to those countries. It went in the form of long cloth, 

 serges, bags and sags, hose, &c. 



Bags and sags were introduced into the Eastern Counties 

 by the Dutch Strangers who in 1565 fled from the tyranny 

 of the Duke of Alva and were allowed to settle in Colchester 

 " for such services as are not usual with us." Their industry 

 went by the name of the " New Draperies," to distinguish it 

 from the " Old Draperies " (broad cloth, kersies, &c.), which 

 had long flourished in Essex. " Bags " was a kind of coarse 

 woollen stuff which was exported to Spain, its chief use being 

 for clothing the nuns and friars, and for linings in the Army. 

 " Sag " was much the same, but lighter. Perpetuana, in 

 trade " p.petts," Spanish for " durable," was also manu- 

 lactured chiefly for the Spanish market. 



