HHC CBRB2f269v
[Hull Bench Book Four f.269v.] Tempore Magistri Willelmi Richardson Maioris 1592.
Whereas by the late extraordinaire and badd dealinges of dyvers Londonners who sende hither their goodes & marchandizes, as iron, hopps, soape, pitch tarr flaxe hempe, & such other commodities most saileable, from that citie, for the moste part in shipps craiers or other vessels belonging to this towne, and from hence have their said goodes & marchandizes conveyed to Gainesbrughe, Bawtrie and other places uppon Humber westward, where they have their factours or servantes as legeers to receve & sell the same whereby great prejudice and hindrance hath and daleye doth growe to the marchantes of this towne, of whom the inhabitantes in Gainsbrugh Bawtrie and other places westward from Hull dyd in times past buy all such commodities and marchandize, as now they have of the sayd Londonners [f.270v.] to the great decay and utter overthrow of all trading with this towne, as is by experience daily to be seene. For some reformation wherein and that the said Londonners maie be the lesse able to serve the said places with such commodityes and marchandizes, as the marchantes of this towne doo adventure for from the partes beyond the seas. And that the said inhabitantes of Gainesbruges & Bawtrie and other places West from Hull maie be brought hither to buy their commodities, as they have accustomed to do heretofore. It was the xxth daie of Aprill in the yeare afforesaid, by Mr Maior and his brethren thaldermen with one full consent & assent enacted ordered established & agreed that from henceforth, no maister, owner purser or maryner of anie shipp, craier, keile or other vessell now belonging, or which hereafter shall belonge to this towne, shall bringe cary transport, or cause or consent to be brought caried, or transported in anie such shipp craior keile or other vessell from the said citie of London or from anie other place nere the same citie, anie suche goodes marchandizes or commoditie as the same Londonners shall after convey or cause to be conveyed to the said townes of Gainiesbrugh Bawtrie or anie other places westward there to sell and utter the same, as aforesaid. And for the better execution of the premisses, it is further with the like consent and assent ordered condesceded and agreed, that no maister, owner or purser of anie shipp craier keile or other vessell, belonging to this towne, shall make any voiage in or with anie such shipp, craier keile or vessell, for the said Citie of London, except everie such maister, owner and purser, doo before the said voiage or departure hence, enter into bond before the Maior of this towne for the time beinge in the somme of xxli with condicion that the same shalbe forfeyted to the Maior and Burgesses of this towne, if they the said maister owner purser or any of them shall carrie transport or bring, or cause or consent to be caried transported or brought in the said shippes craiers keiles or other vessells anie goodes marchandizes or commodities belonging to anie Londoner, or inhabitant of the said citie, from the said citie, or from anie place nere thereunto; which afterwardes the same Londonners or other inhabitantes shall convey, or cause to be conveyed to the sayd townes of Gainesbrugh Bawtrie as other places westward, to sell or utter the same, contrary to the meaning of this act, Upon paine that everie such maister owner or purser to forfeit for every time so offending fortie powndes to the said Maior and Burgesses &c.
[f.271] Forasmuch as of late time, the unaccustomed traffique of dyvers Londonners, who bringing downe sundrie wares & marchandise hither to Hull, & the same conveying from hence downe the ryver to Gainsbrughe & other places westward, & there selling the same both by retaile & by great, hath not onely bene contrarie to the auncient customes of this towne, but hath greatly hindered all trading within the same, and daily more & more likely to doo in repect of the faires lately graunted by hir Majestie to the foresaid towne of Gainsbrughe, if some remedie be not had theirin; therefore somewhat to stopp the said mischeife, and nowe certaine iron of one Pulson of London marchant being so brought into this haven & from hence to be conveyed to Gainsbrughe &c. It was by the full assent & consent of the Maior & Burgesses agreed, that the sayd iron should here be staied, & taken up at the weighhouse, upon the which staie so made, the sayd Pulsone exhibited his complaint & petition to hir Majesties honerable counsell, to the which peticion answeare being made on the part of the said Maior and Burgesses consonant unto law & equitie, it was ordered in the Starchamber as followeth.
Wee have ordered this daie upon due consideracion of the reasons alleudged of all parties at the counsell bord, That the Towne of Hull shall from henceforth retaine the traffique and trade in that Towne, amongst them selves, as in former times they have bene accustomed, without impeachment of any, in as lardge manner as they dyd before the graunt of the faires made by hir Majestie to the Towne of Gainisbourghe: And that no Foreiners shall resort up that ryver in other sort, then in former times they have don: At the Starchamber the 14th of June 1592.
Jo:Cantaur, Jo Puckeryng CS, W Burghley, C Howard, Hunsdon, Chobham, Buckehurst, J Hennage, Ro Secyll, J Wolley, J fortescue
