TOLLS AND CUSTOMS Florilegium Urbanum


Keywords: medieval Sandwich customs fees revenues imports market tolls wine food hardware produce cloth wool leather
Subject: Customs levied at Sandwich on imports
Original source: Public Record Office, E122/124/14
Transcription in: N.S.B. Gras, The Early English Customs System, Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press, 1918, 167-172.
Original language: Latin
Location: Sandwich
Date: 1304


TRANSLATION

Custom receipts from Sandwich from Michaelmas 1304 to 9 December

Wednesday, 30 September. From anchorage, 4d. From William Burser for half a sack of wool, 1d. total: 5d.
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1½d. total: 1½d.
Tuesday following. From John de Wytsand for 3 tuns of wine, 12d. From John de Castro for 6 quintals of quicksilver, 2s.; for 2 bales of basan, 8d.; for 4 sacks of yarn, 8d. From William Pilli for 24 millstones, 4s. From Peter de Tartan for 1 pack of canvas, 4d. total: 8s.8d
Thursday, 8 October. From anchorage, 4d. From Henry de Darewell for 6 tuns of woad, 2s. total: 2s.4d
Friday following. From Bartholomew de Lenne for 27 tuns of wine, 9s. From anchorage, 4d. total: 9s.4d
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1¼d. From James de Wytsand for 8 tuns of wine, 2s.8d, for 2 weys of butter, 2d. total: 2s.11¼d
Sunday following. From passage, 6d. From John de Stinkerey and John Frere his associate for 4 packs, 16d. From Ralph Kethel for 100 thousandweight of iron, 3s.4d, for a hundredweight of almonds, 2d. From Christian Ram for 8 weys of cheese, 8d, for 9 dozen stockings, 9d. total: 6s.9d
Tuesday following. From John de Brue for 72 pipes of wine, 12s. From Hugh Do of Dartmouth for 5 tuns of wine, 20d. From anchorage, 2d. total: 13s.10d
Friday following. From Peter Platyn of "Wytsand" for 6 horseloads of garlic, 6d. From anchorage, 6d. total: 12d.
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1½d. From anchorage, 4d. From John de Wytsand for 8 horseloads of wheat, 2d. total: 7½d.
Sunday, 18 October. From Peter de Perure for 6 tuns of wine, 2s. total: 2s.
Tuesday following. From anchorage, 4d. From Hugh Do of Dartmouth for 20 skeins of yarn, 5d. total: 9d.
Wednesday following. For 47 horseloads of barley, 11¾d.; for 22 stones of canvas, 5¼d.; for 1 awning cloth ¼d. total: 17¾d.
Friday following. From William Peris of Bayonne for 6 frails of figs, 6d.; for 7 tuns of mead and 1 tun of grease, 2s.8d; for 1½ quintals of wax, 6d.; for 6 sacks of anise, 12d.; for 1 bale of onions, 2d. From John de Pic for 41 frails of figs, 3s.5d. From William de Buk for 4 sacks of wool, 8d.; for 1 bale of cloth, 4d. From John Leffyn for 13 tuns of wine, 4s.4d. From Martin de Bersele for 6 sacks of onions, 12d.; for 300 pelts, 1½d. total: 14s.8½d
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1½d. From master John de Wytsand for 5 tuns of wine, 20d. From anchorage, 2d. total: 23½d.
Tuesday, 27 October. From anchorage, 2d. From Peter de Moukerk for 2½ quintals of wax, 10d. From Stephen de Wendele for 4 sacks of almonds and rice, 8d. total: 20d.
Wednesday, 28 October. From John de Martre for 8 bales of tawed leather and 1 bale of basan, 3s. For 1 sack of cotton, 2d.; for 1 bale of saffron, 4d. From Martin de Horth for 50 pipes of wine, 8s.4d. From Pelegrin de la Gardage for 24 sail-cloths, 12d.; for 7 bales of tawed leather, 2s.4d; for 14 sacks of almonds, 2s.4d. From Domyng John for 15 pipes of wine, 2s.6d. From John de Bygogne for 1 quintal of wax, 4d. total: 20s.4d
Thursday following. From Peter Geraud of Paris for 18 bales of tawed leather, 6s.; for 12 dickers of leather, 2s.; for 2 quintals of grain, 8d. From John Froydecosine for 1 bale of cloth, 4d.; for 2 sacks of wool, 4d. From Thomas de Bonoy for 2 bales of canvas, 8d.; for 11 cloths, 11d. From John de Furnys and John his associate for 39 thousandweight of iron, 13s.; for 8 sacks of yarn, 16d.; for 7 quintals of quicksilver, 2s.4d; for 2 quintals of grain, 8d.; for 3 quintals of wax, 12d. From Thomas Gauge for 37 tuns of woad, 12s.4d. From John Stironn for 8 bales of almonds, 16d. From Adam Selde for 12 ferlings of salt, 3d. total: 43s.2d
Friday following. From Geoffrey Palmere for 9 skeins of yarn, 2¼d. From Denis Bell of Ypres for 9 tuns of wine, 3s.; for 4 sacks of wool, 8d., for 2 bales of tawed leather, 8d; for 1 bale of woad, 4d. From John Froydecosine for 2 sacks of wool, 4d.; for 8 horseloads of grain, 1¾d.; for 3 bales of canvas, 12d.; for 1 bale of cloth, 4d. total: 6s.8d
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1¼d. From John Leffyn for 19 tuns of wine, 6s.4d total: 6s.5¼d
Monday, 3 November. From anchorage, 6d. From John Grippe for 4 tuns of wine, 16d. From Henry Forneval for 6 tuns of woad, 2s. From James de Wytsand for 8 tuns of wine, 2s.8d; for 2 weys of butter, 2d. From Hugh Do for 5 tuns of wine, 20d. From anchorage, 2d. total: 8s.6d
Tuesday following. From Bernard Busard for 13 bales of cloth, 4s.4d. From John Placel for 24 thousandweight of onions, 12d. From William Byket for 4 sacks of wool, 8d.; for 1 bale of cloth, 4d. From Thomas Kock for 15 weys of cheese, 15d. From William Dawe for 7 weys of cheese, 7d. From John le Whyte for 26 horseloads of grain, 6½d. From Simon de Pampilon for 12 bales of tawed leather, 4s. total: 12s.8½d
Wednesday following. From master John de Wytsand for 5 tuns of wine, 20d. From John de Borgoyne for 1 quintal of wax, 4d. From Michael May for 7 sacks of almonds, 3s.8d. From Berard de Ros for 21 sacks of almonds, 3s.8d. From Peter de la Race for 16 sacks of cumin and rice, 2s.8d. From Gonsalvo de Radik for 4 sacks of rice, 8d.; for 2 quintals of quicksilver, 8d. From Laurence de Bonhurt for 4 sacks of almonds, 8d. From Ansado de Corensent for 9 tuns of mead, 6s.; for 39 frails of figs, 3s.3d; for 3 sacks of almonds, 6d. From Arnalton de Francia for 9 bales of tawed leather, 3s.; for 4 tuns of mead, 16d.; for 14 sacks of alum, 2s.4d.; for 4 dickers of leather, 8d. From Raymond Maynard for 12 bales of tawed leather, 4s. total: 32s.8d
Thursday following, that is, 6 November. From Martin de Berro for 4 sacks of yarn, 8d.; for 2 bales of pelts, 8d.; for 1 sack of wool, 2d., for 7 bales of basan, 2s.4d total: 3s.10d
Saturday following. From Roger de Fonte for 100 sacks of alum, 16s.8d.; for two pipes of grain, 4d.; for 4 tuns of mead, 16d.; for 44 sacks of rice, 7s.4d; for 19 sacks of cotton, 3s.2d; for 29 dickers of leather, 4s.10d. From market tolls, 2½d. total: 23s.10½d
Monday, 9 November. From Menald de Privoret for 24 thousandweight of iron, 8s. From Peregrine de Francia for 45 thousandweight of iron, 15s.; for 9 bales of tawed leather, 3s.; for 16 sacks of yarn, 2s.8d total: 28s.8d
Tuesday following. From Richard de Tinnemoutha for 64 ferlings of salt, 16d.; for 1½ thousandweight of iron, 6d. total: 22d.
Thursday, 12 November. From Isaac Lambert for 16 skeins of yarn, 4d. From Martin Johan for 1½ lasts of herring, 6d. From Peter Geraud for 5 thousandweight of iron, 20d. From anchorage, 2d. From Peter Geraud of Beausolers for 21 sacks of Spanish wool, 3s.6d; for 3 bales of tawed leather, 12d.; for 4 sacks of yarn, 8d.; for 4 cloths, 4d. From John Peris of Lisbon for 4200 pelts, 17d. total: 9s.7d
Saturday following. From market tolls, 1½d. From Rigo Salno for 1500 pelts, 6d. total: 7½d.
Monday, 16 November. From John Bron and Peter his associate, for 300 bacons, 25s. From Geoffrey Beauborgeys for 10 lasts of herring, 3s.4d. From anchorage, 2d. total: 28s.6d
Friday, 20 November. From Domingo de Monte for 6 frails of figs, 6d. From Moneto Lupard for 20 thousandweight of iron, 6s.8d; for 51 sacks of liquorice, 8s.6d; for 42 frails of figs, 3s.6d. total: 19s.2d
Saturday following. From market tolls, 2d. total: 2d.
Tuesday following. From Bernard de Horth for various customs, 20s. total: 20s.
Friday following. From anchorage, 2s. total: 2s.
Saturday, 28 November. From market tolls, 1½d. total: 1½d.
Monday, 30 November. From Matthew de Bark for 2 lasts of herring, 8d. From John Foget for 21 casks of figs, 18d. total: 5s.8d
Tuesday following. From John de Camys for 2 casks of figs, 4d. From Peter Anys for 3 tuns of mead, 12d.; for 12 cloths, 12d. From anchorage, 2d. total: 2s.6d
Friday following. From Bealcog de Donkerk for 10 horseloads of grain, 2½d.; for 1 bale of corn, 4d; for 3 weys of cheese, 3d. From John Pierr for 6 casks of figs, 12d. total: 22½d.
Saturday following. From market tolls, 2½d. From anchorage, 12d. total: 14½d.
Monday following. From Dany Coc for 28 horseloads of grains, 7d. From Peter Johan of Exue for 17 horseloads of grain, 4¼d. From anchorage, 2d. For 3 weys of cheese, 3d. From Robert de Brug for 3 sacks and 1 bale of wool, 7d. From a certain Fleming for various customs, 20d. total: 3s.2d
The customs from ten weeks in 1304.


DISCUSSION

Sandwich was one of the Cinque Ports, and was one of the busier ports serving international trade, although nowhere near the scale of London, of course. Unlike the trade of the north-eastern ports, that of the southern coast ports involved more merchants from France and Italy; the Italians in particular made heavy use of Sandwich in the fourteenth century for shipping wool.

This document appears to be a record of local tolls imposed, both on goods and on ships (for anchorage, or for passing through the port), as well as on merchandize brought by road – if the references to horseloads imply the actual mode of transportation, rather than just quantities – and tolls imposed on outsiders for retailing in the weekly market. It is not specified whether the goods were being exported or imported; probably some of both – it was of no difference for purpose of the tolls – although most of the items look like imports.

flourish

NOTES

"quintals"
A quintal was a measure equivalent to 100 lb.

"basan"
Leather made from sheep-skin; inferior to cordwain.

"thousandweight"
Presumably half a ton.

"Wytsand"
Whitstable?

"frails"
A frail was a large wicker basket, commonly used for transporting fruit and woad.

"dickers"
A dicker (possibly from the Latin decuria) was a measure of ten hides.

"ferling"
A term perhaps derived from the French ferler, to tie or wrap something up; does not seem to fit the context well, but better than the alternative hypothesis of an association with "furlong".

"alum"
Used in dyeing cloth.




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Created: August 18, 2001. Last update: December 22, 2002 © Stephen Alsford, 2001-2003