486 A. D. 1318. 



teen fliippers, which was bound from London to Antwerp, had been 

 taken near Margate by the commander of a French fleet, who alfo land- 

 ed at Margate and carried off the fail and rudder *, which the feamen 

 had brought on-fhore. Compenfation not being obtained, though fen- 

 tence had been given in favour of the Englifh owners by the conftable 

 of France, then the regent of the kingdom, and the king of France 

 had been repeatedly applied to on the bufinefs, King Edward at length 

 ordered the French property in England to be arrefled, which produced 

 a promife from the king of France that the merchants fhould be fatisfied 

 before the firft of November. But they had received no compenfation 

 even in A.\)ril 1323, the reafon afligned for which was, that the veffe-i 

 and caig, ■ were the property of the Flemings, who were at war with 

 France at the time of the capture ; and, indeed, it is reafonable to fup- 

 pole, that a capture, made by a commiflioned officer of high rank, 

 could not be a mere a6l of piracy. [Fcedera, V. iii, pp. 730, 10 14.] 



October 20"' — ^By the ftatute of York [c. 6] the officers of cities and 

 burghs, whofe duty it was to keep affifes of wines and vi6tuals, were 

 prohibited from dealing in thofe articles. 



The king being defirous of confulting with judicious and prudent 

 merchants concerning the eftablilhment of the ftaple of wool in Flanders, 

 and other commercial matters, John of Cherieton, citizen of London 

 and mayor of the merchants of England f , who was furniihed by the 

 king's council with a particular flatement of the matters to be coniider- 

 ed, together with two merchants chofen out of every city and burgh 

 throughout the kingdom, were fummoned to meet at London in the 

 odaves of S'. Hilary, in order to deliberate upon thofe matters. [Foed- 

 era, V. iii, p. 740.] This is, properly fpeaking, the earlieft council of 

 trade known in Englifli hiftory or record, as the merchants appear to 

 have formed a board of themfelves, whereas thofe fummoned to Lin- 

 coln in the year 13 15 feem to have been called only to give informa- 

 tion, and perhaps advice, to the king's council, or parliament. 



December 7"' — As the merchants of England fuffered great hardftiips 

 in confequence of the wars between the earls of Flanders and Holland, 

 King Edward fent ambafladors to endeavour to bring about an accom- 

 modation, and alfo wrote to both of them, and even to their friends, 

 £arneilly exhorting them to make peace. {Fadcra, V. ni, pp. 744, 745-] 



J 31 9, March 25'' — King Edward wrote a long letter to Robert earl 



■♦ * Velum et guberiiaculum.' Vtlum, in the fin- appointment to tlie ofScc of mayor of the Staple, 



gular number, muft mean only one fail. [Rol. pal. fee. 15 Ei'.<w. II, m. 3 ; and 20 EdiL\ 11, 



f The ftvtral notices concerning this gentleman m. 27. J He nuill not he confounded with another 



put it out of doubt, that mayor of the nierchonis of John of Cherieton, his contemporary, who was a 



England, the official title here given to him, and courtier and fomctimes a rtbcl. But he is probably 



mayor of the Staple were I'yiwnimQus Urms. In the the perfon from whom tlie king demanded a loan 



year 1321 he is called mayor of the Staj>le; and on of £l,oco in the year 1 5^6. IFailrra, V. v,/. 



thf 30" of July 1326 the king gave htm a new 492,] 



