PREPARATION OF WOAD AT PARSON DROVE. 
153 
The earliest record of its importation into England is in the 
thirteenth century ; at that time it came from Normandy and 
Picardy in frailles or baskets made of wicker, and was retailed by 
the merchants by the fraille or in smaller quantities. In succeed- 
ing years its sale rapidly increased in importance, the merchants of 
Amiens, Corby, and other French towns making London their 
principal port ; they made an agreement with the civic authorities 
there in the year 1237. Some difference arising, partly from 
increased taxation and other impositions, on the merchants con- 
cerned in this trade, caused them to leave London and make 
Norwich the centre for this industry ; after many years, however, 
Norwich being found inconvenient, or from some other cause, 
London was again made the principal port for Woad. There are 
two agreements extant, referring to this trade with the merchants 
of Amiens and Corby, one with Norwich in 1 286, the other with 
London in 1334 (Liber Albus, Polls Series, III., 164): in each 
caso the same surnames occur, showing that this trade, like most 
others at that period, descended regularly in the same family. The 
Rev. W. Hudson has very kindly translated the agreement with the 
Norwich authorities from its original Latin (in the first Court Roll 
in the Guildhall). 
“Agreement between the Citizens op Norwich and the Woad 
Merchants of Amiens and Corby. 
“Ratified before the King’s Itinerant Justices at Norwich, 
29th June, 1286. 
“ Whereas of late a dispute has arisen between Nicholas le 
Monner, Peter Cokerel, John Fruyter, Firman Cokerel, Peter le 
Monncr, and Ralph le Monner, merchants of Amiens and Corby, 
complainants on the one part, and Adam de Toftes, Roger de 
Morleye, William But, and Geoffrey de Bungaye, bailiffs of 
Norwich, and other citizens of the same city, defendants on the 
other part ; because the said bailiffs and other citizens demanded 
from the said merchants of Amiens and Corby, for every granary 
[granario] of theirs of Woad fourpence, for every cask [doleo] of Woad 
fourpence, for every basket [fraillo] of Woad fourpence, for every 
barrel [barillo] of ashes twopence, and for every measure [mensura] 
of theirs four shillings; and because they sold their Woad [weydam] 
