148 



The Merchants of the Staple, 8fC. 



with the Exchequer seal, the seals appointed to be used by the said 

 " Custumers " for the Cocket in customing the wools and leathers 

 at Len. This occurred in the 26 Edw. L, and shortly afterwards, 

 in 1298, the same King after releasing to the community of the 

 realm, the subsidy of 40s, per sack of wool, which had been granted 

 the year before for a limited period in aid of the war with France, 

 directed the " Custodes " of his said customs to forbear receiving 

 the same, and also commanded the Sheriffs of the several counties 

 to make proclamation in their Bailywicks, " That all Merchants 

 and others who designed to export Wools, Wool-fels, and Leathers 

 might safely carry them to the several ports where the King had 

 a Cocket, paying the old duties, viz. : half a mark for every sack of 

 wool." By "Cocket" is meant a seal belonging to the King's 

 Custom-house, or rather a scroll of parchment sealed and delivered 

 by the officers of the custom-house to merchants as a warrant that 

 " their merchandizes are customed." In mediaeval Latin, " Cocketta 

 Lana " is wool duly sealed and authorized to be exported. There 

 is in the British Museum a ver} 7 fine specimen of one of the royal 

 seals used for this purpose at Norwich in the time of Edw. I. It 

 has on one side " Pro Lanis et corcis liberandis;" on the other 

 " Sigillum Edwardi Regis Angllze apud Norwicum." 



" The foreign staple was fixed at Antwerp at the commencement 

 of the 14th century. The ruling powers on the Continent were 

 soon convinced of its importance to themselves, and hence we find 

 several of them making request that it may be fixed in their 

 dominions. In 1315, at the solicitation of Louis X., a 'staple' was 

 established at St. Omer's. Shortly afterwards Robert Earl of 

 Flanders writes to our Second Edward acquainting him of peace 

 between himself and the King of France, and asking that it might 

 be at Bruges. It was, however, in the reign of Edward III. that 

 the most important steps were taken, and enactments framed, con- 

 cerning the staple of wool. For no sooner did that prince ascend 

 the throne of England than a statute was passed, which is not a 

 little remarkable in its character, because entirely contrary to the 

 policy hitherto adopted. By the 2nd Edward III., ch. 9, (1328) it 

 is enacted that all ' the staples beyond the sea, and on this side, 



