726 
W O 
28th of Edward III., said to be found in a record of the 
exchequer, was published by Edward Misseldon, merchant, 
in the year 1623. 
Exports. £. s. d. 
Thirty-one thousand six hundred and fifty- 
one sacks and a half of wool, at six 
pounds value each sack, amount to . . 189,909 0 0 
Three thousand thirty-six hundred and 
sixty-five felts at 405. value, each hun¬ 
dred at six score, amount to .... 6,073 1 8 
Whereof the custom amounts to ... . 81,624 1 1 
Fourteen last, seventeen dicker, and five 
hides of leather, after six pounds value 
the last, amount to. 89 5 0 
Whereof the custom amounts to .... 6 17 6 
Four thousand seven hundred and seventy- 
four cloths and a half, after 405. value 
the cloth, is. 9,549 0 0 
Eight thousand and sixty-one pieces and a 
half of worsted, after 165. 8 d. value the 
piece, is. 6,717 18 4 
Whereof the custom amounts to .... 215 13 7 
Summary of the out-carried commodities in 
value and custom. 294,184 17 2 
Imports. 
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two 
cloths, after six pounds value the cloth 10,922 0 0 
Whereof the custom amounts to .... 91 12 0 
Three hundred and ninety-seven quintals 
and three quarters of wax, after the 
value of 405. the hundred or quintal . 795 10 0 
Whereof the custom is. 19 17 0 
One thousand eight hundred and twenty- 
nine tons and a half of wine, after 405. 
per ton .. 3,659 0 0 
Whereof the custom is. 182 0 0 
Linen cloth, mercury, and grocery-wares, 
and all other manner of merchandize . 23,014 16 0 
Whereof the custom is. 285 18 3 
Summary of the in-brought commodities, 
in value and custom, is. 38,970 13 3 
Summary of the impulsage of the out- 
carried above the in-brought commo¬ 
dities, amounteth to . 255,214 3 11 
Admitting the correctness of this statement, which we have 
no reason to doubt, we must observe, that the cloth imported 
was of a higher value per yard than the cloth exported. 
Hence it may be inferred, that for several years after the 
arrival of the Flemish weavers, we were partly dependent on 
foreigners for our fine cloths; the coarser kinds then, as at the 
present day, forming the larger quantity of our exports. It 
is obvious also, that worsted goods had become an article of 
manufacture, nearly equal in importance with the woollen ; 
and hence it is not improbable, that the greater part of the 
Flemish manufacturers were makers of stuffs and worsted 
goods, which was probably an entirely new trade in England. 
In the third year of Edward IV. the woollen trade had in¬ 
creased so much, that the importation of woollen cloth, caps, 
&c., was prohibited. Woollen caps or bonnets were then 
universally worn ; they were either knitted or made of cloth, 
and a large quantity of wool must have been consumed in 
their fabrication. About the year 1482, hats made from felts 
were introduced; but the manufacturers of caps, called the 
cappers, continued a powerful body a century afterwards. 
In the same reign, the wardens of worsteds at Norwich were 
doubled, or increased to eight. 
The manufacture of fine broad-cloth must have been con¬ 
siderably improved about this time; for in the fourth of 
Henry VII. it was thought prudent to fix a maximum on 
the price of fine cloth, by which every retailer of cloth who 
should sell a yard of the finest scarlet grained cloth above 
O L, 
sixteen shillings, or a yard of any other coloured cloth 
above eleven shillings, was to forfeit forty shillings per yard 
for the same. 
In the year 1493, in consequence of a quarrel between 
Henry VII. and the archduke Philip, all intercourse between 
the English and Flemish ceased, and the mart for English 
goods was transferred from Antwerp to Calais. This inter¬ 
ruption to the regular course of trade was severely felt by the 
woollen manufacturers. Lord Bacon, mentioning the re¬ 
newal of the trade with Flanders, which took place again in 
1496, says, “ By this time the interruption of trade between 
the English and Flemish began to pinch the merchants of 
both nations very sore. The king, who loved wealth, though 
very sensible of this, kept his dignity so far as first to be 
sought unto. Wherein the merchant adventurers likewise 
did hold out bravely ; taking off the commodities of the 
kingdom, though they lay dead upon their hands for want 
of vent.” The merchant adventurers he describes as “ being 
a strong company, and underset with rich men.” It is not, 
however, very probable, that this company would continue 
to purchase goods without a prospect of gain. These mer¬ 
chant adventurers were divided into two bodies; those of 
London, which,were the most powerful; and the merchant 
adventurers of England, who paid a fine to the former on all 
goods sold at the foreign marts. 
In the reign of Henry VIII. the woollen trade, and parti¬ 
cularly all kinds of worsted manufactures appear to have 
been in a very flourishing state, though trade suffered several 
severe checks from the wars in which we were engaged. 
In the year 1527, Henry, having entered into a league with 
France against the emperor Charles V., all trade with Spain 
and the Low Countries ceased. The goods sent to Black- 
well-hall found no purchasers, the merchants having their 
warehouses filled with cloths; the poor manufacturers being 
thus deprived of employment, an insurrection took place in 
the county of Suffolk, where four thousand of them assem¬ 
bled but were appeased by the duke of Norfolk. The mer¬ 
chants were summoned to appear before cardinal Wolsey, 
who in the name of the king reprimanded them in an angry 
tone for not purchasing the goods brought to market, and 
threatened them that his majesty would open a new mart at 
Whitehall, and buy of the clothiers to sell again to foreign 
merchants; to which menace one of them pertinently re¬ 
plied, “ My lord, the king may buy them as well at Black- 
well-hall if it pleases him, and the strangers will gladlier re¬ 
ceive them there than at Westminster.”—“ You shall not 
order that matter,” said the cardinal; “ and I shall send into 
London to know what cloths you have on your hands, and 
by that done, the king and his council shall appoint who 
shall buy the cloths, I warrant you.” With this answer the 
Londoners departed. 
The interference of the cardinal raised the spirits of the 
manufacturers for a time, but originating in ignorance of the 
nature of trade, it could only have a temporary effect, and 
goods fell again till a truce between England and Flanders 
was made for the benefit of trade. This fact shews the de- 
pendance of England, even at that time, on the export of 
manufactured woollens. In this reign we find Lancashire 
and Cheshire first named as seats of the manufacture of 
coarse woollens; they are mentioned, together with Corn¬ 
wall and Wales, as districts where friezes were made. It ap¬ 
pears from various references, that Norfolk and Suffolk were 
then flourishing seats of the worsted manufacture, and of all 
goods made with a worsted warp. Wardens were allowed 
to the towns of Yarmouth and Lynn, but with a selfish re¬ 
striction, that the pieces were to be dyed, spun, or callen- 
dered in the city ot Norwich. In the last year of this reign, 
an act was passed to prevent any persons besides woollen 
manufacturers, who bought wool for their own use, and 
merchants of the staple, who bought for exportation, to pur¬ 
chase wool with the intent to sell again. This act extended 
to twenty-eight counties, and secured a monopoly of the wool 
to the merchants of the staple, and to the rich clothiers. In the 
first year of the following reign, Edward VI., it was repealed, 
so far as to allow every person dwelling in Norwich and Nor- 
