A. D. 1463. 675 



T463, March 9"' — King Edward gave the merchants of the Teutonic 

 gildhall in London a confirmation of all the privileges granted by his 

 predeceflbrs ; and he alfo exempted them from all new taxes impofed, 

 or to be impofed, on imports or exports. Thefe privileges they were to 

 enjoy during two years and a half, to be computed from Chriflmafs 

 1462, provided they (hould not attempt to pafs the goods of others as 

 their own, nor commit hoflilities or depredations againft himfelf or his 

 fubjeds. [Fa'dera, V. x'l, p. 498.] 



April 29"" — The parliament, for the defence of the realm, and efpe- 

 cially for the guard of the fea, granted the king for life a fubfidy, called 

 tunnage, o£ ^/ upon every tun of wine imported, and 3/ more upon 

 every tun of fweet wine imported by any foreign meixhants, thofe of 

 the Hanfe not excepted. They alfo granted a poundage duty of twelve 

 pennies on the prime-coft value of all goods exported or imported, to be 

 paid by natives, as well as merchants of the Hanfe and other ftrangers, 

 who fhould, however, pay double poundage on tin. From this duty 

 were excepted woollen cloths, made by Englifli-born fubjeits, wool, 

 wool-fells, hides, and provifions for Calais, exported ; and alfo the flour 

 of all kinds of corn, frefh fifh, animals, and wine, imported. [Aci 3 

 Edw. IF*.] 



June — ^The parliament, confidering that the wool of England was the 

 principal commodity of the kingdom, and defirous of promoting the in- 

 duflry of the people and the profperity of the towns, prohibited foreigners 

 from buying or (hipping any wool, wool-fells, morlings,or Ihorlingsf ,from 

 England or Wales. But thofe produced in Northumberland, Cumberland, 

 Wefl;merland, Durham, and the dillrids of York-fhire called Alverton 

 and Richmond, might befhipped, at the port of Newcaftle only, for any 

 foreign port : and the wool, &c. of the reft of the kingdom might be 

 exported, by denizens only, and only to the ftaple at Calais. The 

 merchants of the ftaple at Calais were directed not to fell any wool or 

 other ftaple goods without receiving immediate payment, whereof one 

 half Ihould be in Englifli money, or bullion, which fhould immediately 

 be coined at the mint in Calais, and in three months be imported into 



England They alfo enaded fines to be levied upon thofe found guilty 



of fraudulent package of wool. — And they ordained, that no Englifh 

 merchant ftiould fhip any goods, outward or homeward, in foreign vef- 

 fels, unlefs fufficient freight could not be found in Englifh ftiipping. 

 l^^ils 3 Edw. IV, c. 1.] 



The importation of corn, except the produce of Wales, Ireland, or 



* This ad does not appear in its proper p'ace the Italians in 1476, wliich will be found in their 



in the cullcftions of the Ilatutes ; nor is it even pi opcr places. 



mentioned in CcttorCs Ahndgement of the records of f McrFiiig, wool taken from the Iliin of a dead 



pirLiment. But it is quoted in an ad 12 Ediv. flieep. 56o//m^, a fell after the the fljecc is fhotn 



IF, c. 3, in the grant of King Henry to the Ge- off. [_Col:s's Di2.'\ 

 nocfe in 1471, and in '.hat of K'ng Ed.vaid to all 



4QJ5 



