The Celys and their World: An English Merchant Family of the Fifteenth Century

THE CELYS AND THEIR WORLD

THE CELYS AND THEIR WORLD An English merchant family of the fifteenth century

ALISON HANHAM Reader in History, Massey University

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CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS London

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CONTENTS

List of figures and tables Preface Acknowledgments List of abbreviations PART I THE CELYS AND THEIR CIRCLE, I474-82

1 2 3 4

The Cely family and their background 'Japes and sad matters' Alarms and tribulations, 1480-1 Two black sheep and a nuisance

PART II THE WOOL TRADE

5 6 7 8 9

The trade in fleece-wool Wool-fells Monetary matters Customers and marts Calais and the Staple Company

vi vii xii xiv I

3 30 62 82 IO9

111 148 164 203 224

PART III RICHARD AND GEORGE CELY, I482-9

10 11 12 13 14 15

Richard and George, 1482-3 'The world goeth on wheels', 1482-5 Marriage and housekeeping Warfare and trade, 1486-9 The Margaret Cely of London Charge and discharge, the Celys' finances, 1482-9

255 284 309 340 361 398

vi

Contents Postscript on later family history Select bibliography Index

423 431 435

FIGURES AND TABLES

Family tree

2

Figure 1 Exchange rates in Flanders and Calais Figure 2 Proportionate share of wool export among shippers from London Table 1 Table 2 Tablet Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8

Custom and subsidy as percentage of price at Calais Price of wools at Calais, 1472-99 Sample scales of coinage valuations Distribution of outlay on certain items in domestic accounts Proportionate expenditure on drink, bread-stuff and other foods Expenditure as proportion of estimated budget, 1486-8 Proportionate estimated expenditure in various accounts Volume of Celys' trade, 1478-88

Vll

182 243 127 146 177 328 337 337 339 420

PREFACE

Some time after March 1490, Richard Cely the younger, landed proprietor, ship-owner and wool-merchant, sued the widow of his brother George for debt. Richard and George had been trading partners from 1476 until George's death in June 1489, and as evidence in the suit, which was subsequently prosecuted by Richard's widow, a mass of account books and other papers were delivered into the Court of Chancery. Commercial experts were appointed to investigate the respective claims, and clerks sorted through the material and drew up statements of account. But after this had been done, only some business ledgers were returned to the heirs, and everything else was retained by the court. When the Public Record Office was established the surviving documents, in varying states of decay, were rescued from storage in the Tower of London and eventually properly conserved and catalogued among the national collections. George Cely had kept papers indiscriminately. There are now two volumes containing some 242 letters (a few more became separated and are bound up in other volumes of 'Ancient Correspondence 'V while nine files in the class of' Chancery Miscellanea' now contain about 232 separate accounts and memoranda by or relating to the family.2 There are large chronological gaps in the surviving material, but these losses are partly compensated for the historian by the fact that George kept documents of the most personal or trivial kind, and the Chancery officials failed to return even those that had no conceivable bearing on the finances of the partnership. For variety of content, the Cely papers are therefore among the most interesting, as well as the most disorganized, of the English family collections that have come down to us from the 1 2

Public Record Office, Ancient Correspondence S.C.i vols 53 and 59, and 51/2, 60/94, 63/309. Public Record Office, Chancery Miscellanea C.47/37 Files 10-16, 20 and 21. The last file was in process of arrangement at the time of writing.

ix

x

Preface

fifteenth century. With all their deficiencies, they also constitute much the biggest surviving archive of a medieval English firm. A selection of the letters, with a few other documents, was published in 1900.3 Subsequently, a further bundle was discovered, containing some of the most lively items of the collection.4 A complete edition, in the Celys' rather idiosyncratic spelling, appeared as an Early English Text Society volume in 1975.5 The letters have therefore been known to scholars for a much shorter time than the far more extensive Paston collection, and have received less general attention. The Celys' business papers have been studied chiefly for the information they give about the export trade in raw wool, although they have also been quarried for evidence on such subjects as shipping, numismatics, credit instruments and the salt trade. But thanks to George Cely's unmethodical habits, his papers contain far more than the routine records of a business firm. There is certainly much about the business of a stapler, and a series of full accounts for the rigging, provisioning and voyages of a trading ship. But here too may be found catering bills for dinner parties, funeral feasts and a wedding, accounts for daily household expenditure, lists of family silver plate, a love letter, the casual record of a cosy hour or two spent with a mistress in Calais, details of music lessons, a challenge from the married men to the bachelors of the Staple for a contest in archery, a note about the rumours current shortly before Richard III ascended the throne, items galore to be shopped for at the marts in Flanders and Brabant, and news of the horses, hounds and hawks which provided sport. The aim of this work is to present this large amount of varied material in coherent form, and at the same time to make accessible as much information from it as possible. Deficiencies in the evidence mean that no orthodox biographical study of the Celys can be attempted. Rather, they have been left, as far as feasible, to speak for themselves, in copious extracts from their papers. In these, spelling and punctuation have been freely modernized, but the original syntax and vocabulary are preserved, with explanations where necessary inserted in square brackets. Square brackets have also been used where matter had to be supplied in the 3

4

5

Henry Elliot Maiden, ed., The Cely Papers: Selections from the Correspondence and Memoranda of the Cely Family, Merchants of the Staple, A.D. 1475—1488 (Royal

Historical Society, Camden Third Ser. 1, 1900). Two of these letters had previously appeared, with some other material, in Henry Hall, 'The English Staple', The Gentleman's Magazine, CCLV (Sept. 1883), 255-75. P.R.O. S.C.I vol. 59. One was published in C. L. Kingsford, Prejudice and Promise in Fifteenth-Century England (Oxford, 1925), and four others in Laetitia Lyell, A Mediaeval Post-Bag (1934). Alison Hanham, ed., The Cely Letters, 1472-1488 (Early English Text Society No. 273, Oxford, 1975).

Preface

xi

interests of sense. But in the innumerable places where words or letters have been lost through damage to the manuscripts, editorial reconstructions are offered without notice. (They are duly marked in the Early English Text Society edition of the letters.) Roman numerals have generally been replaced by arabic, and sums of money are given in modern form. As a rule, place-names and Christian names have also been modernized and anglicized, and some attempt has been made to standardize spellings of surnames, especially foreign ones. Thus Gysbryght or Gysbreth Van Wynesbragg, Wynbarow, Wynsbarge, Whenysbarge, Wynesberghe, etc. is rendered as 'Ghijsbrecht Van Wijnsberg'. The nature of the material has dictated the peculiar organization of the book. The correspondence, and some of the other papers, lent themselves to a chronological narrative, although there are some major gaps where a whole series of letters are missing. Some of the accounts and memoranda deal with neatly defined topics, such as the expenses of housekeeping or the operation of the ship Margaret Cely. These subjects were best given chapters of their own, but could still find a roughly chronological place in the account of the activities of Richard and George Cely after the death of their father. There remained much material which was, in general, of more interest to the specialist in economic history than the student of social history. The great importance of the Celys5 papers for the history of the English wool trade is that they elucidate many financial and technical details of the staplers' dealings at this particular period. Some of their evidence has long been known, thanks mainly to the pioneering work of the late Professor Eileen Power. But details have been misunderstood, and some aspects have not been fully investigated. In a work based on the totality of the Celys' papers it was essential to give a comprehensive account of their activities as staplers, but impossible to do so without interrupting the narrative of events. The solution chosen was to break the story at the death of Richard Cely senior in January 1482, and insert a section of five chapters concerned with the details of trade and organization. The reader who is more interested in the 'social history' aspect of the Celys' lives may wish to skip this central section, and to take the story up again at Chapter 10. But the final chapter again concerns financial affairs, because it was a quarrel over money that brought the family papers into Chancery.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is impossible to name all the people to whom I have turned for advice on different aspects of my work on the Cely papers over the past thirty years. But I owe special debts of gratitude to the late Miss Susie I. Tucker of the English Department of Bristol University, who, all unaware of the extent of the subsidiary material, first suggested that I undertake an edition of the Celys' letters and supervised the resulting dissertation; to my former husband, Dr H. J. Hanham, for his unstinted support and encouragement, and to Professor Norman Davis, who has saved me from many errors. The late Professor E. M. Carus-Wilson displayed most kindly tolerance towards a student of language who, blundering rudely into the field of economic history, appealed to her for guidance. Professors Philip Grierson and John H. Munro corresponded at length about their subjects of speciality and generously shared materials with me. Professor J. D. Gould, while disclaiming expertise in the area, graciously agreed to read a draft of Chapter 7, and made helpful comments. My own university has, happily, a special concern with sheep and wool, and Mr W. R. Regnault, of the Wool Department, helped to elucidate some puzzles about fifteenth-century practice. In addition, I should like to acknowledge the very useful criticisms that I have received at various times from the editors and advisory readers of the Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research and Speculum, and from the anonymous readers who commented on the typescript of this book for the Cambridge University Press. For access to Richard Hill's commonplace book (Balliol College, Oxford, MS 354) I am indebted to the kindness of Mr E. V. Quinn. Reference to the courteous assistance of the officers of the Public Record Office in Chancery Lane is almost axiomatic, but special thanks are due to Miss M. Condon and Dr E. M. Hallam-Smith who in 1980 arranged for me to see and transcribe some previously unknown Cely manuscripts which were still in the process of conservation and xii

Acknowledgments

xiii

cataloguing. Nearly all of them produced valuable new information. Study-leave in that year was supported by Massey University, which also made grants towards the purchase of photocopied materials. Modern-spelling quotations from the Cely letters are based on the text published by the Early English Text Society in 1975, and given here with the permission of the Society, which holds the copyright in the edition.

ABBREVIATIONS

A.C.M. B.I.H.R. Cal. Papal Letters Campbell, Materials C.C.R. Cely Papers

C.L. cl.

Cots. C.P.R. di. 'Discourse5 E.E.T.S. E.R.O. Fl., Flem. Foedera

Acts of Court of the Mercers' Company, 1453-1527, ed. Laetitia Lyell (Cambridge, 1936). Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research. Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland. Papal Letters 1471-1484 (1955)3 1484-1492 (i960). Materials for a History of the Reign of Henry VII, ed. W. Campbell (Rolls Series, 1873-7). Calendar of Close Rolls. The Cely Papers: Selections from the Correspondence and Memoranda of the Cely Family, Merchants of the Staple, A.D. 1475-1488, ed. H. E. Maiden (Camden 3rd Ser. 1, 1900). The Cely Letters, 1472-1488, ed. Alison Hanham, Early English Text Society 273 (Oxford, 1975). clove (wool weight). Cotswold (wool or fell). Calendar of Patent Rolls, dimidium, half. 'A Discourse of Weights and Merchandise', British Library MS. Cotton Vespasian E. ix, fos. 86-io8v. Early English Text Society. Essex Record Office. Barrett Lennard papers, D/DLTi. Flemish; groot money of Flanders. Foedera, Conventiones, literae et cuiusque generis actapublica..., ed. Thomas Rymer, 3rd edn, 10 vols. (The Hague, 1739-45.) xiv

Abbreviations gr. MS. Harleian 433 ob. O.E.D. P.C.C. P.R.O.

qr Rot. Parl. s stg. st. ta.

xv

(i) groot money of account of Flanders or Calais. (2) denier(s) of this system. British Library MS. Harleian 433, ed. Rosemary Horrox and P. W. Hammond, vols. 1 & 11 (1979-80). obolus, halfpenny. Oxford English Dictionary. (Registers of wills proved in) the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Public Record Office, London. C.i Early Chancery Proceedings. C.47 Chancery Miscellanea. Cely material in this class (Bundle 37) is referred to by File and folio or document number. C.76 Treaty Rolls. E.122 Exchequer King's Remembrancer Customs Accounts. Prob. Wills and inventories from P.C.C. S.C.I Ancient Correspondence. S.P. State Papers. quadrans, farthing or quarter. Rotuli Parliamentorum..., Great Britain, Record Commissioners (1767-77). sack-weight, ss two sack-weights, sterling money of account, of England or Calais, sterling table, money of account in Calais.

PART I

THE CELYS AND THEIR CIRCLE, 1474-82

THE CELY FAMILY AND THEIR BACKGROUND

Sometime around the mid-fifteenth century the three Cely boys, Robert, Richard and George, were born to an established wool-merchant, Richard Cely senior, and his wife Agnes. The elder Richard was a worshipful citizen of London, proud to be designated ' merchant of the Fellowship of the Staple at Calais '. He was, it seems, in a minority among the larger exporters of raw wool, in that the wool trade constituted his main business interest. Many of the leading staplers of the period were also merchant adventurers, importing and exporting a variety of other goods in addition to their trade at the Calais wool staple, the only authorized point at which good quality English wool might be sold abroad. But although Richard was not one of the richest or most influential men in City politics, by the time that the Cely papers begin, about 1473, he was a man of substance, with a town-house in a desirable area of London, an estate in Essex, and other land in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, and was enjoying the seniority in his Company which past office-holding and long continuance conferred. There can be little doubt that merchants (that is, men engaged in wholesale trade) thought of themselves as forming a distinct class in society, however shifting the outer edges of the stratum, however realistic might be their hopes of marrying daughters into a higher class and of making their sons into landed gentlemen, well-beneficed clergy, or rich and influential lawyers, and however close the threat of the sickness, unlucky venture or political reversal which could overturn a man's fortunes and send him and his children into penury. Poets, preachers, legislators, civic authorities and the heads of his own Company reinforced the merchant's view of himself as a person of dignity, and one distinct from other orders of men. The table of precedence in the commonplace book of the early sixteenth-century merchant Richard Hill even put the merchant immediately after masters in chancery, parsons of churches and secular priests, and before 'gentlemen', artificers and 'a yeoman of good

4

The Celys and their circle

name'. 1 And citizens of London took pride in the claim that within the city their mayor ranked next to the king himself. William Gregory, himself mayor in 1451, recounted with relish the story of how one of his successors, invited to the feast for the Sergeants of the Coif, found that the Earl of Worcester had been given the place of honour. The mayor promptly walked out, with most of his aldermen. And such were his resources that when an emissary of the rejected hosts arrived at the mayor's quarters, he found in progress a far more magnificent banquet. It included swan, added Gregory importantly. 2 But one has only to read Peter Laslett's The World We Have Lost to perceive that the fifteenth-century merchant had a life-style which barely touches the world there depicted. 3 This is because, as its title suggests, the book reconstructs those aspects of a pre-industrial society which provide the greatest contrast to the twentieth-century picture. In so far as it is true to say that a 'middle-class culture' permeates western civilization today, the fact is that our links with the past extend through the Celys and their fellow citizens, not through the squirearchy of the Pastons and Stonors, endlessly preoccupied with their rights over lands and tenants, and not through the yeomen, husbandmen, and agrarian labourers from whom most of us genetically descend. For many ambitious young men who had no claim to the landed estates of the gentry proper, a successful career in some branch of overseas trade was as much a high road to fortune in the fifteenth century as it had been in distant Anglo-Saxon times, when a merchant who made three trading voyages with his own ship and acquired certain other signs of secure respectability was held to have earned the status of a thegn.* In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries manuals circulated which promised to turn the hopeful purchaser into a flourishing businessman. Then, as now, there was a receptive market for such sage advice as who some ever useth to buy any chaffer, he ought ever to buy it so that he may have reasonable winning thereof toward his living. And it is better a man 'to rue sold than to rear hold', that is to say, rather take a little loss than to lose all. For chaffer is ever more fresher when it is new, and more pleasant to see, than it is when it is old. And there is an old proverb that men say, ' Light winning make an heavy purse', and 'Many small make a great'. For he that hath money may renew his ware every day when he will.5 1 2 3 4 5

Balliol College, Oxford, MS. 354, fo. 203V. James Gairdner, ed., The Historical Collections of a Citizen of London in the Fifteenth Century (Camden Soc, 1876), p. 222. Peter Laslett, The World We Have Lost (2nd edn, London, 1971). Dorothy Whitelock, The Beginnings of English Society (Harmondsworth, 1952), p. 86. 'A Discourse of Weights and Merchandise' (commonly miscalled ' The Number of Weights'), B.L. MS. Cotton Vespasian E. ix, fo. 97V.

The Cely family

5

The writer of this offered a 'get-rich-quick' formula built around the key-words 'where, what, when, be ware and [in]quisitive' which at least one American business consultant was still employing, in essence, five centuries later.6 Such works reflected a buoyant mood in the later fifteenth century, created, it may be, by widening opportunities, a higher standard of living for many people, and greater availability of schooling. But it was all very well to claim that 'there be many poor beginners that prove to thrifty men [i.e. attain prosperity]' provided they remembered to buy penny wares, 'as purses, knives, girdles, glasses, hats', for no more than Sd the dozen, halfpenny ware for 4 and 3 english and 1 point into \d. Hill's book gave an example and proof: As thus: ye buy a sack of wool for 5 or 6 pounds. Then ye must divide the pounds into marks, and look how many marks ye buy the sack wool for, so many 3d o draweth the nail to. As thus: a sack wool cost 135 4J, and the 52[nd] part of a mark is after the rate 3d o, so it followeth that this reckoning is true. Or, in the similar words of the 'Discourse': To reckon justly [exactly] ye must look how many £ your sack wool cost, and ye must divide the pounds into marks. As [many marks as] the sack cost, so many 3d o draweth the nail or the clove. For like as the clove is the 52[nd] part of a sack wool, so is $[d] o the 52[nd] part of a mark, i.e. 135 4J, and so this rule is true.16 Thus at a price of 12 marks (£8) per sack-weight in England, one clove cost 35 \d o o 0. The rule for buying fells, where there were usually 10 dozen to the

long hundred of six-score, was that for however many shillings the dozen cost, one fell cost that number of pence. Equally, of course, from the price per dozen you could find price per long hundred by multiplying the shillings by 10.17 14 15 16 17

Ibid., fo. 102. Balliol M S . 354, fo. 182V. 'Discourse', fo. 1031:—v. Ibid., fos. 103V, 104; Balliol MS. 354, fo. 183.

Monetary matters

169

An interesting scrap of paper among previously unsorted ' Chancery Miscellanea' in the Public Record Office probably represents an exercise by some apprentice who was learning his way among these mysteries.18 He had been given a series of calculations to perform, starting with the buying price of six sarplers of wool at 11\ marks per English sack-weight, a feat that he managed with some initial inaccuracy. The results are recorded in a typical mixture of English, French and Latin. [Sarpler No.] [Weight] ss [i.e. 2 sacks] 14 [cloves] 1 2 ss dimidium 2 3 ss 22 4 ss di.2 5 ss 24 6 . . . . . . . ss 21 Summa pondem 14 sacc & dimidium 17 cloves [corrected later to 7 cloves]. La sacc 11 marke dimidium. Summa d'argent £113 135 6d. He then worked out the cost of 12 sacks 22 cloves at the same price, producing an incorrect total of £91 45 lod instead of £95 45 iod, and followed this with the note: Memorandum that the, naile is 7 lb., and 52 naile is a ss. At 11 marcz et dimidium the nayle is 25 nd qr & di. qr. Finally he worked out that at 11\ marks per sack the tod (4 cloves or ^ sack) cost 115 g\d (in fact with strict accuracy it would be 115 g^d or 115 g\d 0 0), and that a rebate of 4 tods would amount to 475 id in value. The next arithmetical skill that the apprentice had to acquire was the ability to convert a sum in sterling into its Flemish equivalent at a given rate of exchange. The recommended technique was to express the English noble of 65 8d stg. or 80d (' the certain') in the equivalent number of shillings and pence Flemish. Then to find, say, the equivalent of £4 stg. at 245 Flem. per £ stg., otherwise 85 Flem. for 65 Sd stg., you would multiply the sterling sum by 'the Flemish noble in pence' (85 x 12d = 96 J), and divide by the 80d i n ' the English noble', producing £4 165 Flem. In the other direction, of course, one multiplied by 80 and divided by the requisite number of Flemish pence. Or as Richard Hill's book puts it: For to bring Flemish money into sterling money, and sterling money into Fl. money. To bring ster. money into Fl. money bring all your ster. money into pence and multiply it with the Fl. noble in pence and divide it with the sterling noble 18

File 20 no. 41.

170

The wool trade

in pence, etc. And if ye will have your Fl. money be turned into ster. money, your noble must be the multiplier and the Fl. noble the devisor, and this is a general rule, etc.19 Hill then demonstrates the series of exercises needed to find the sterling equivalent of £49 105 Flem. at 105 6d Flem. for 65 Sd stg., and vice versa. This conversion was a very necessary exercise to master. Not only must it be performed in order to calculate how much the stapler's customers must pay in Flemish money for wool priced officially in sterling, but one currency had to be converted to the other in the exchange loans by which money was commonly transferred between London and the low countries and vice versa. In the loan transactions the rate was commonly expressed in the same way, as so much per noble. ' Bringing one money into another' was not the merchant's only monetary problem. Little sterling coin circulated at Calais at this date, when the mint there had been closed, and the legal tender was the same mixture of coin as circulated in Flanders and the other netherlands dominions of the Duke of Burgundy. This was manifold and various, and by no means confined to coin minted for the dukes themselves.20 In addition, therefore, to the ducal gold coins such as the Andreas gulden or florin of the cross of St Andrew, leeuw ('lion'), rider and old Burgundian noble, the Celys and their customers might employ French crowns (the old crown, or ecu a la couronne, struck before 1475, and the new crown, or ecu au soleil), English angels and rials, Venetian and Hungarian ducats, Rhenish gulden of the Rhineland Electors, Utrechts of the bishop of that city, and many other gold coins of varying degrees of debasement. As the 'Discourse' warned: It is right necessary a merchant to know the valure of the gold in [Flanders], for there be many diverse pieces of gold and diverse coins and many diverse names of them. And if a man know not the valure of them he may lightly ['easily'] be beguiled and lose money in them, etc.21 Silver coins seem to have been more manageable, the preferred ones being the Carolus groats, struck by Duke Charles betwee 1467 and 1474 and often purchased at a premium, or the double briquets (double patards 19 20

21

Balliol MS. 354, fo. 187. The coins used by the Celys were identified and discussed by Philip Grierson,' Coinage in the Cely Papers', repr. in Grierson, Later Medieval Numismatics (nth-i6th centuries): Selected Studies (1979). See also John H. Munro, 'Money and Coinage of the Age of Erasmus', in R. A. B. Mynors, D. F. S. Thomson and W. Ferguson, eds., Collected Works of Erasmus, 1 (Toronto, 1974), 312-32. 'Discourse', fo. 100.

Monetary matters

171

or doppel vuurijzer) struck between 1474 and 1485.22 The second of these were mysteriously known to the Celys and their friends as nymhekyn, nymhegyriy nemhegen, nymeryn, nymyng or nemyng, lemyng, lymon or lymmyn groats. In default of any better explanation of this name I have only been able to suggest that the various forms are corruptions of Middle Dutch limegnon or lemignon, 'match', in reference to the badge on the coins which furnished the other names of briquet and vuurijzer> the flint and steel used with a tinder-box. Coins might be hard to distinguish and sometimes had to be sorted into 'good' and 'evil' specimens. In August 1475 the young George was given 60 old groats and an old noble to pay costs on fells of John Ross. The noble was valued at 95 Sd Flem. and the groats were identified as Carolus groats at $d Flem., making an alleged total of 345 Sd Flem., but George noted ' There is eight of the said groats I trow be but new groats', or briquets.23 And in 1484 he drew up an account for his brother Richard of money in England: Item, the[re] is told ['counted'] of good groats Item, of bad groats Item, of pence with an half r i a l . . . Item, 2 rials . . . . . . . . Item, in [pence?] Sum And ye made it but Item, I paid Pasmer in groats Item, of good groats Item, of evil groats Item, in pence Item, in pence . . . . . . . .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

£15 £9 . . . £30 . . 205 22d £55 22d £54 25 id. £10 £6 £4135 £9 45 5 J . £IQ24

The pile of weights, amounting to 32 ounces, and the pair of balances which Richard and George left in their counter at Calais in 1482 were perhaps for weighing coins.25 For large sums, pence and groats might pass by weight not number ('tale'). Unlike modern currencies, coins of the time bore no inscription of value. The English sterling coinage maintained a fixed relation to the £ stg. money of account (e.g. 1 rial = 105,1 groat = 4J) during the years covered by the Cely papers. Not so the currency of the Burgundian netherlands, where the authorities notably failed to fulfil their aspiration 22

The ' Calais groats' in some late fifteenth- and sixteenth-century English documents appear to be Carolus groats in reality, e.g. File 10 fo. 8v.

23

File 11 fo. 6. File 12 fo. 33V.

25

24

File 2 0 n o

4 4

I7 2

The wool trade

' de avoir et entretenir bonne monnoye ferme et durable ',26 and valuations fluctuated quite wildly between 1474 and 1490. Here fiat valuations of the wide variety of coins that were accepted as legal tender were adjusted from time to time by official promulgations issued by the dukes. A number of these promulgations survive. Sometimes their prices were a belated attempt to catch up with movements in the market. At other times the authorities tried to call down the coins (i.e. reduce valuations), with very limited success. Valuations, whether ducal or at a more pragmatic market level, were proclaimed at the start of each of the major seasonal marts in Flanders and Brabant, and all coin received in payment was supposed to be accepted at the valuation imposed by the ruling tariff, ' according to the ordinance and proclamation made thereof, and as men give at the exchange at the places where the marts are held'.27 Consequently, when the stapler received deferred payments from a customer at one of the marts, or specie in exchange for a draft on a money-changer-cum-banker at Bruges or Antwerp, or when he 'made money over' to London from a mart, he had of necessity to take or give coins at their current mart valuation. In Calais, however, the English were not bound by any ducal tariffs. Calais had its own tariff, in which valuations were set by the king's council. Although these valuations ('money current in Calais' or 'Calais table money') were usually expressed in terms of the ' Flemish' money of account in which goods were priced in the town, coinage values in Calais did not necessarily coincide with values in force in Flanders. One example of how values might differ is found in a note written by George when he was about to attend the Cold mart (in 1476 ?):' I must give Roger Grantoffte in Andreus "gyldornus" at 45 4J Flem., £10, and I must receive of him Rhenish "geldornus" at 35 10d Flem. for the same sum - £10.'28 At ducal valuation, Rhenish gulden were usually worth id Flem. less than the Andrew. They were certainly not worth 6d less. George was pricing the Andrew at mart valuation, but the Rhenish (for use in Calais ?) at the Calais tariff. Some people used cFl[emish]' for the former and 'gr[oot]' for the latter. From a later period differing valuations for English coin are demonstrated when, in November or December 1539, Lady Lisle sent a sum in two English coins to Dunkirk in settlement of a debt. Her correspondent wrote back that the 'rozinbos' (rose nobles or rials ?) had recently been called down from 21 to 205, and the ' stoter' had also been reduced. She added ' Madam, I... beg you to send no more 26

27 28

Q u o t e d b y Peter Spufford, Monetary Problems and Policies in the Burgundian lands, 1433-1496 ( L e i d e n , 1970), p . 139 n . 1. Posthumus, Bronnen, 11, no. 577. File 15 fo. 45.

Nether-

Monetary matters

173

money for the time being, because the money is worth much more at Calais than it is here.'29 At the Celys' time, money - that is, coin - was usually' worth less' at Calais than in Flanders, in Flemish terms. In 1478, when Maximilian had not yet fulfilled his promise to call down the coinage and reduce valuations by I2| percent, there was a difference of 25 6d Flem. in the £ between money at Calais and in neighbouring Bruges. In September 1478 George left Richard at Calais 'in ready money in pence - £3 10s [Flem., valuation at Calais]. Item, it amounts as money goeth in Flanders - £3 185 gd Flem.'30 While the valuation of coins was linked with an exchange rate between the two moneys of account, in a sense the two things moved in opposite directions at Calais: what contemporaries saw as a lower exchange rate for the £ Flem., i.e. fewer Flemish shillings for the £ stg. at Calais, also meant that a lower valuation was placed on the coins in which payment was made, so that, for instance, the Andrew bought only 45 Flem. worth of goods instead of 45 4J worth. Thus whether the Staple customer saw the exchange rate at Calais as favourable or unfavourable could depend on whether he thought in term of moneys of account or coinage. Already before September 1476 numerous 'diets' had fruitlessly discussed the vexing question of 'the variety, true estimation, due price and fixed value' of the coinage employed by the merchants.31 The netherlanders had vainly (and unreasonably) attempted to get the Calais exchange rate reduced to a level which corresponded to the rate set by Duke Charles upon the coins back in October 1474. They complained that there had been 'ordained a fixed price or fixed value' for 'the pounds by which wools are bought', namely for every £ the price of 225 Sd Flem., but the staplers were disregarding this agreement and insisting on receiving 245 Flem. for every £1 Calais.32 The matter was left unresolved in the treaty that was signed in July 1478, because the English put the onus of monetary reform on the duke, replying that it was true that [in 1474?] the price of 225 Sd had been fixed for the pounds by which wools were bought, [and] that when the enhancements of the coinage current in the duke's dominions had been duly reformed, as agreed in the article about coinage in the present diet, they would wholly observe it and punish any transgressors. But otherwise they could not keep to the price of 22s $d, since it was necessary to ordain the price of the pound of Calais in accordance with the value of the currency in the duke's dominions, and its enhancement or reduction.33

So far from reducing 'the price of the Calais pound', in September 1478 the authorities there raised it further, to 255 ^d Flem., a rate which 29 32

Lisle Letters, no. 1588. Ibid., p. 92.

3

« File 15 fo. 39. Ibid.

33

31

Foedera, v (3), 72.

174

The wool trade

corresponded to the coinage tariff earlier established by ducal decree in Flanders in November 1477. This price of 255 4J for two rials had already been agreed as the exchange rate at Calais to be given in sales of wool to the Leiden merchants who had long been paying 245 Flem.34 The duke's attempt to strengthen the £ Flem. in a monetary ordinance of 12 October 1478, which would have reintroduced the same rate of 255 4^, had small effect,35 and on 18 December a further conference had to be set for 12 January 1479 because the monetary question was proving so thorny.36 Rates at Calais were thus controlled by government policy, which was sometimes influenced by agreements made in the course of trade negotiations. Eileen Power believed that wool prices were held steady for long periods by variations in what she supposed to be charges 'for the sale of time' in payment.37 In fact, prices appeared consistent only because they were expressed in Calais pounds 'sterling'. In practice, the price varied according to the exchange rate at which it was converted into 'Flemish' money, and the valuation placed upon the coins used in payment. The staplers at this period actually subsidized their wool prices, to the extent that they might use a devalued pound and sell on credit terms which sometimes cost them dear. The current table of coinage valuations in Calais was displayed in the lower hall of 'the Place' or Staple Hall. There is a description in the Johnson papers of how a stapler could get his own back on customers who had incurred disfavour, by staging an elaborate inspection of their proffered coin and ostentatiously comparing it with the specifications laid down by the table. Do ye take such moneys as they will pay you, writing [down] the contents of every sort, and then peruse them according to the table in rating their prices, weight and fineness. And so doing you shall gird the Hollanders well enough - as much to their displeasure as the taking of our fells against our wills.38 The Calais table rated all coin acceptable at Calais, both English and foreign, on a scale corresponding to a designated exchange rate between the two moneys of account, Flemish and English. In 1487, for example, the table specified ' the course of all manner of coins of gold and silver, as well of the realm of England as of all other parts', which it duly rated and valued. Every coin so listed was ' to have course within the said town 34 35

36 38

Posthumus, Bronnen, 1, no. 501. H. Enno van Gelder and Marcel Hoc, Les monnaies des Pays-Bas bourguignons et espagnols, 1434-1713 (Amsterdam, 1960), p. 24. 37 Foedera, V (3), 97. Studies in English Trade, p. 65. 'Johnson Letters', no. 472 (1547).

Monetary

matters

175

[of Calais] and marches, for every 205 sterling, 305 Flemish, and 305 Flemish for every 205, and not above \ 3 9 Since the ordained exchange rate for money of account at Calais frequently differed from that in operation at London, Bruges or Antwerp, in effect a £ Calais (known as ' sterling table' or st.ta.) was created which was often undervalued in relation to the £ sterling of England, or 'mere sterling'. Thus in a document thought to date from 1535 it was reckoned that the king profited by 'the 13th penny' or 7.5 percent from the fact that wages of the garrison at Calais were paid 'by sterling table, whereof 215 6d doth make a pound [mere] sterling'.40 Every £1 in wages paid at Calais was therefore at that date worth only about 185 jd mere sterling. But later, during the 'great debasement' period in England, the position was reversed. £1 sterling table at Calais was worth 215 mere sterling in August 1544, rising to 235 4d mere stg. about August 1546 as the £ mere stg. steadily weakened against the £ Flem. on the international exchange.41 The effect was that the £ Calais was held at 285 Flem. 'money current in Flanders' although the £ mere stg. had fallen to 245 Flem. The Calais exchange rate and table valuations had to be strictly observed by everyone in the buying or selling of merchandise or victuals, payment of house-rent, and all other business in the town.42 Accordingly, when in 1504 Henry VII indented with Sir Hugh Conway to act as treasurer of Calais the wages of his retinue were specified in' sterling after the rate of the table of Calais', which then corresponded, as it had in 1487, to 305 Flem. per £1 Calais.43 And thus the wage-bill for the garrisons of Calais and the neighbouring castles in 1500 was estimated at £9,920 135 4d 'sterling table'.44 In dealings at Calais, 'sterling', confusingly, could therefore include money minted abroad. It is so defined in the proclamation announcing the trade treaty with the Duke of Burgundy in May 1499, which laid it down that The merchants and subjects of the said archduke shall make their payments to the merchants of the Staple of Calais... in good sterling money [the Latin text of the treaty said more exactly 'good money to the value of sterling'], after the rate of a table made, which remaineth in the hall of the said Staple, except it be 39 40

42

44

Tudor Royal Proc, I, 553-4. Lisle Letters, n, p. 566. 'Sterling table' is defined as a weight by the editor, through 41 a misreading of O.E.D. s.v. Sterling sb. 2b. S.P. 46/5 fo. i82r. Or so it was stated in 1487 (Tudor Royal Proc, 1, 553). The Staple seems usually to have had some licence as far as exchange rate was concerned. Thus from March 1481 to c. April 1482 staplers sold at 265 Flem. per £ stg., but valued coins received at Calais 43 on a scale of 265 %d per £. C.C.R. 1500-1509, no. 359. J. G. Nichols, ed., A Chronicle of Calais in the Reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII to the Year 1540 (Camden Soc, 1846), p. 5.

176

The wool trade

otherwise agreed between the said parties [to the treaty]. And it shall be lawful to the said merchants... to receive of their debtors all manner of coins of gold and silver now having (or hereafter shall have) course within the lands and lordship of the said archduke.45

A list of the coins which were acceptable tender at the Calais Staple in 1499 includes as ' good sterling money' not only the rial, angel and Henry noble but also coins such as the golden fleece (to be taken for 65 stg.), the lion (at 55 3d stg.), the Andrew (at 35 6d stg.), and the old and new French crowns (at 45 id and 45 3d respectively).46 Some of the tariffs or scales of value employed variously at Calais and in Flanders in valuing coins at different dates between 1467 and 1487 can be reconstructed with reasonable completeness (see Table 3). Because the Calais exchange rate was fixed at 305 Flem. per £ stg. for a relatively long time, this scale is included, although I have found few of the relevant quotations. Other scales are based chiefly on ducal promulgations,47 supplemented by prices quoted in the Cely papers and in other, printed, documents. It will be seen that there was seldom total consistency in the rating of any given coin at different times. Thus, two separate scales have had to be included to correspond to a valuation of 145 Flem. for the rial. One relates to the unofficial scale in use on the market in August 1478, as reported by George Cely.48 The second is the scale employed after the death of the Duchess Mary in March 1482, which was officially adopted, with a few modifications, in an unsuccessful attempt to call down the coinage in the ducal dominions in December 1485.49 Market rates for particular coins could themselves vary: on one occasion when George Cely received two rials, worth together 275 Flem., he also took 11 Burgundian nobles from a customer at 115 Flem. each and paid them to a 'Lombard' at only 105 lod Flem., while Utrecht gulden kept the same value in both transactions.50 Although the first tariff given in Table 3, that introduced by Duke Charles in October 1467, valued the rial at 10s Flem., the scale as a whole does not correspond to an exchange rate of 205 Flem. to 205 stg., but rather to something like 205 gd Flem.51 45 46 47

48 49 51

Tudor Royal Proc, I, 50 and Foedera, v (4), 137. Munro, 'Money and Coinage of the Age of Erasmus', Appendix A. I am indebted to Prof. Grierson for details of valuations collected by him for Oct. 1467, Oct. 1474, Nov. 1477, July and Dec. 1482, Dec. 1485 and Sept. 1487. E.g. File 11 fo. 2ir-v. 50 Grierson, 'Coinage in the Cely Papers', table. File 15 fo. 17. The Calais 'sterling table' similarly kept English values for the rial and angel, but put local prices on other coin: see the 1499 list in Munro, 'Money and Coinage of the Age of Erasmus', Appendix A.

Monetary matters

177

Table 3. Sample scales of coinage valuations, in Flemish shillings and pence (For chronological alterations of scale, see Fig. i, p. 182. Where two quotations are given they refer to the operation of the scale at different times or places.)

Rial

28/- 1 28/29/-

30/-

i4/

15/-

15/6

^ U./6 9/4

—

10/4

12/-

12/4

—

14/-

[O/lO 11/8 [i/-

12/-

—

13/8

20/-

22/8

24/-

25/4

26/8

10/-

n/4

12/-

12/8

13/4

8/2

8/8

—

»/-

«/-

—

10/4

10/8

7/10

' • ! / -

][3/6

-(I4/;6

Angel

—

Old noble

8.8 f 9/8 10/4

Burgundian noble

8/4

9/4

—

Andrew

3/6

4/-

4/2

4/6

4/6

4/8

5/-

5h

5/4

5/6

Rider

4/6

5/-

5/4

5/8

5/8

5/10

6/4

6/4

—

7/2

Lion

5/2

6/-

6/4

6/8

6/8

16/7o

7/2

7/6

—

Philip

2/6

2/8

—

3/-

3/-

3/4

3/4

3/4

—

4/-

William

3/6

4/-

—

/4/6

4/6

4/8

5/-

5h

—

5/6

5/8

5/10

61-

6/4

Old crown

—

\ io/-

4/2

f 4/6

i:

(4/4

5/2

5/2

5/4

\ 4/io /4/8

(

5/6

8/2

5/5

5/4

5/4

5/6

5/8

5/10

6/-

—

6/6

4/10

—

6/-

5/6

—

6/2

6/2

—

7/-

4/4

5/-

5/2

5/6

5/6

61-

6/4

6/4

—

7/2

Hungarian ducat

—

5/-

—

5/8

5/8

5/8

6/2

6/2

—

7/-

Rhenish gulden

3/5

3/10

4/-

4/4

4/4

4/6

4/10

4/8

—

5/2

Utrecht gulden

—

—

3/8

4/-

u/-

4/2

4/4

—

4/6

—

N e w crown

—

Salute

4/4

Venetian ducat

I 5/-

U/2

178

The wool trade

Variations in the price of individual coins were not solely dependent on estimations of their fine gold content. They could be affected by political policy or market pressures. The fallacy in equating preciousmetal content with fiat value is shown by the fact that a coin like the old noble and the salute of Henry VI (which were no longer minted, so that there is no question of an alteration infineness)could change their market valuation in relation to other coins in a manner which does not reflect the current mint price for the metal.52 For example, when the rial was valued at 125 Sd Flem. in November 1477, the old noble was assigned a value of 115 Flem., a price it retained when, in 1480-1, the rial was current in Flanders at 135 4J Flem. Many, but not all, of the coins in circulation in the low countries also failed to reflect the increased valuation of the rial, the angel and the French ecus in this later schedule. The salute was actually called down. Consequently, the valuation of the rial and therefore the exchange rate for money of account cannot usually be deduced from the valuation put upon other coins. From the valuation in Calais st.ta. ascribed to the toison d'or in May 1499 compared with its valuation in the Bruges mint accounts, J. H. Munro derived an exchange rate of 275 gd Flem. per £ Calais. When, however, the Philippus is taken as a base, the rate appears to be 295 5 J.53 Such evidence is not sufficient to produce any certain conclusion about the parity fixed at Calais at that date. Moreover, the valuation of the rial in Flanders, if known, gives parity as estimated in Flanders between the £ Flem. and the £ mere stg., not the Calais rate for Flemish money against the £ Calais 'sterling table'. The requirement to pay cash at Calais in specie valued at a local price by the Calais table was one among many reasons why the Staple's customers sought to make deferred payments which would be in ' money current at the mart', and probably valued on a higher scale of prices. They then got the favourable exchange rate fixed by the stapler for his sterling pounds of account, and the more generous valuation of their coin that prevailed at the mart. In September 1478 when Richard Cely junior negotiated with some merchants of Rouen who wanted good Cotswold wool at Calais, the merchants offered to buy three sarplers, two-thirds to be paid in hand at an exchange rate of 255 ^d Flem for the £ stg., and wanted six months' credit for the third part, 'money current in Flanders'.54 Richard, preferring not to risk the future payment in coin 52

53

For criticism of attempts by Unwin and others to equate mint equivalents with par rate, see J. D. Gould, The Great Debasement: Currency and the Economy in Mid-Tudor England (Oxford, 1970), pp. 93ff. The difference between gold equivalents and exchange rates is also stressed by H. Van der Wee, The Growth of the Antwerp Market and the European Economy, I (The Hague, 1963), 117-21. 54 Munro, 'Wool-Price Schedules', p. 155, and private communication. C.L. 34.

Monetary matters

179

which might possibly be over-valued, made the unacceptable counterproposal of all the price cash down, part at 255 4 21; Hustings Roll 243 (28). *o Hustings Roll 204 (32). 42 Ibid., 218 (1). Ibid., 236(11). 44 Ibid., 153 (6). E.g. File 10 fo. 2v.

318

Richard and George Cely

ran down beside the next house to the south. Both Cely properties adjoined the road to the east. On this side of Mark Lane there were perhaps onlyfiveor six houses which belonged to St Olave's parish. Hart Street, in which the church is situated, runs east off Mark Lane, and would have been not far north of Richard's house. The advowson of St Olave's had passed from Isabel Arnold, widow of Robert Arnold, to Richard Cely senior and then to Richard junior.45 Until the church was bombed in 1940 there were ceiling bosses in the nave which bore the Celys' merchant mark. It now contains no memorial to them, although the association with a later and more famous parishioner, Samuel Pepys, is well marked. The customs house, adjoining the wool quays on the Thames, was a few hundred yards away, while Leadenhall, where stood the great beam for weighing wool when it came from the country, was reasonably convenient. The Celys lived almost literally in the shadow of the Tower of London, in an area of the city full of staplers and mercers, and probably well peopled also by the customs officials whose successors in the nineteenth century inhabited it along with all manner of merchants, warehousemen and tradespeople. Huge office blocks would now make the whole district unrecognizable to fifteenth- and early nineteenth-century denizens alike, though a revenant Christopher Rawson, brother of Anne Cely, could view his own brass in All Hallows. Richard's house was typical of a fifteenth-century merchant's in having shops and cellars, used for storing wine and other domestic supplies, and perhaps also for wool and fell which was awaiting shipment. The miscellany of goods for which Richard Stoke made a bill of sale in 1475 were 'lying in his dwelling-place in the parish of All Hallows Barking'.46 A hall,' parlours' and chamber are mentioned in Richard Cely's accounts, and Richard, like George, set about modernizing his properties by installing new glazed windows. There would have been stables attached to the houses, and both Richard and George had gardens and yards in Mark Lane. Before his death George also acquired the reversion of two tenements and two gardens in Mincing Lane, which adjoined his brother Richard's Mark Lane property.47 When his son George sold the Mark Lane garden to Sir John Dance in 1513 it was an oddly shaped piece of land, which extended north to south about 91^ feet on the west. It ran 45 46 47

Newcourt, Repertorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Londinense, I, 511-12. Cal. Plea and Mem. Rolls, 1458-82, p. 89. Hustings Roll 217 (27), June 1488. Between tenements of the abbot of Colchester on the N., the tenement of James Dryland and various gardens formerly of John Crosse and John Croke on the S., the tenement formerly of R. Cely and others on the E. and Mincing Lane on the W.

Marriage

and housekeeping

319

47 feet along the house itself, as far as ' a corner post of a gable-end of the said tenement'. 48 In the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1436 Isabel Arnold had been assessed on her properties in London and elsewhere at £26, which put her in a group of decidedly well-to-do London women. 49 Among her properties outside London were a number in Aveley, Essex, six miles north-west of Tilbury. 50 Of these, Bretts Place and another house in the village itself, next the poultry market, were acquired by Richard Andrew after her death, in 1446. In 1462 both properties passed to Richard Cely senior, who left them to his son Richard. Bretts Place, now known as Brett's Farm, still exists. The name is recorded from 1350, when it was held, perhaps, by a descendant of the John Le Brett who appears as early as 1206.51 The house had already become a mere farmhouse, albeit a handsome one, by 1768, when Philip Morant described it: The Manor of Bretts The mansion house is about a mile north-west from the Church, within sight of the road leading from Aveley and Romford. It is large, encompassed with a wide moat of clear water: and though long since converted into a farm house, retains signs of its having been once a Gentleman's seat The lower story is of brick, with very ancient Gothic windows: the rest is of plaister, or rough cast.52 There is a more technical description of the house in the early 1920s, which shows that it had two storeys, with walls of plastered timberframing and brick and slate-covered roofs. It was built possibly in the 14th century and is of half H-shaped plan with the cross-wings extending towards the E[ast]. Alterations were made in the 16th and 17th centuries The reset 15th century entrance doorway has a four-centred head with trefoiled spandrels, with a square moulded frame The hall was divided into three bays and had curved braces to the roof-trusses forming two-centred arches The moat is incomplete, the n. and w. arms remain and are stillfilledwith water, and on the e. side is a sunk wall of old brickwork which was possibly a retaining wall to the e. arm.53 Bretts and its surrounding land were protected from encroachment as part of a Green Belt scheme in 1936. Nothing, however, remains of George's place, Mallins, Little Thurrock, which was not far from Aveley 48 49 50 51 52 53

Hustings Roll 236 (11). Dance or Dauncy paid £100 for the garden. Thrupp, Merchant Class, p. 378. E.R.O. D / D L T i 441, 444. P. H. Reaney, The Place Names of Essex (Cambridge, 1935), p. 122 n. 2. Philip Morant, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (1768), 1, 83. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of England, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex (4 vols., 1916-23), iv, 6.

320

Richard and George Cely

and a little distance north-west of Tilbury. The name of his second property, 'Sacokkys' is now preserved only in the minor name of 'Socketts Heath'.54 In 1625 the family were still commemorated in 'Celyes Marshes' on the west side of Wennington creek in Wennington.55 Scattered and often uninformative references in the papers give indications of other Cely interests in land. At his death Richard senior owed 10s 'for farm of Fylpottys', and six months' rent of' Kennington', amounting to £4 135 4\d

• •

£7 %\d £7 145

. .

.

.

. .

. .

20d

£8 165 3\d . .

.

. .

Item, paid by me Paid to William Maryon pro me Paid to my brother by me Sum . .

.

235 ][O^d

•

£7 145.

20d

• £5 4*lid 255

•

6\d

235 ]io±d

• £7i4*- 54

Which was all very satisfactory, provided there had been no errors in the original estimation of costs. Richard and George had in fact had, by 16 March, respectively £ 1 4 105 Sd and £ 1 5 75 2d from their £ 1 6 135 4J profits. Richard was credited with 95 for his freight, and out of an instalment of £ 2 5 85 lod paid by Tibbot, he paid Maryon £ 1 0 and a further £ 1 75 2d which Maryon had expended, leaving himself £ 1 4 odd. George similarly had a credit of 275 for his own freight and 135 6d for Speryng's. He had received £ 2 0 from Tibbot, and paid £ 6 135 4J to Maryon. 5 5 Maryon does not appear to have imported any wine on his own account, and Richard had only the small quantity of one pipe (126 53

File 13 fo. 59V.

54

File 13 fo. 6iv.

55

File 13 fo. 60.

The 'Margaret

Cely of London'

375

gallons). George, however, had sent Speryng to France for the purpose of investing £15 115 Flemish in wine. Of this amount, given Speryng on 26 August, £5 stg. was adventured by George's wife Margery 'for her children'. 56 George had listed the more important English and other coins with a value in francs. First the rial [105 stg.] The The The The The The The The The The The The The The

The value of coins at Bordeaux . . . . . . .

half rial angel [65 85 stg.] old noble [85 4 J stg.] ducat, the half old noble, the salute . . . . new crown [45 stg., 65 Flem.] old crown Savoy crown Andreus gulden [55 4 J Flem.] Rhenish gulden Utrecht gulden [45 6d Flem.] is 27I sous . . leeuw [lion] . . . old [Flemish] groat new groat . . . . . . . . . ' N y n h e g y n ' groat

.

.

.

.

6 francs

3 fr. 4 fr. 5 fr. 20 hard. .2 fr. 40 hardits 2\ fr. 2 fr. 24 hard. 3 fr. 2 fr. 2 fr. . [1 fr. 50 hard.] 3 fr. 10 hard. 10 hard. . [blank] 8 hard. 5 7

In his list, George contemplated an exchange rate of 1 franc — 25 6d Flemish = 15 Sd stg., based on the Calais exchange rate of 305 Flemish to 205 stg. But, as mentioned, the rate at Bordeaux was 10 fr. to the £ stg., not 12 fr. Speryng's stock of crowns, Utrecht gulden, Andrews and groats, valued at 123 fr. 40 hard., was therefore the equivalent of only £12 75 4d stg. Some of this money went towards the ship's store.58 With the remainder, Speryng bought a barrel of sturgeon heads for 6 fr. (125 stg.), a gross of 'points' or fastenings for clothing for 40 hardits, and a ton, three hogsheads and two tierces of wine. The wine cost 87 fr. or £8 145 stg. Incidental expenses for the royal custom duty in France and the town custom of Bordeaux, rummaging (the payment for arranging casks in the cargo space), average for one ton carried in the Carvel a Dieu> and the purchase of a gimlet and marking iron, came to 4 fr. 21 hard., or 85 %d stg. At London, George paid a total of £2 25 for custom (35, his total of over if tons being allowed for one ton), certificates, lighterage, cranage, carriage, and freight-charge (of £1 16s).59 He also bought a further two hogsheads which were the 'portage' of one of the mariners, and two 56 57 58

File 13 fo. 35. File 13 fo. 64. Flemish values, at Calais tariff, from File 13 fo. 35 and File 21 no. 4. 59 File 13 fos. 36, 64. File 13 fo. 37.

376

Richard and George Cely

hogsheads and a tierce which Speryng had bought himself, and took allowance of Speryng's freight. The total cost of his 13 hogsheads (3J tons) of wine came to £17 45 lod or £5 65 per ton. Freight, at a preferential rate of 185 per ton, amounted to about 17 percent of the price at shipment at Bordeaux, or 11.25 percent of a selling price in England of £8 per ton.60 On 13 March George sold to Sir Thomas Tyrrell, an important person whose favour was desirable, a pipe of red wine and two hogsheads of claret, making in all a ton, at a price of £7. 61 On 24 August he sold the same quantities to Harry Brazier for £8. He thus made a profit of £4 Ss on two-thirds of his import, representing a net profit on the amount sold of 41.5 percent. The rest was perhaps Margery's share in return for her £5 investment. The intricacies of the Celys' transactions are illustrated by George's dealings with Harry Brazier. The wine was in fact given in part payment for six millstones (no doubt for George's mill), which cost £24. George made Brazier a bill for the balance of £16, payable to John 'Stodell' or 'Todell', Spaniard, at London, on 10 December 1487. On 8 January 1488 he paid this amount 'to Percyvalle for John Todell'.62 In his new capacity of ship-owner and small-scale wine merchant, George had now invented himself a second merchant's mark. Unlike his stapler's mark, which was his father's old quartered shield with a bar in the top right quarter and a circle in the bottom right, the new mark incorporated the initials G.C. with a cross flourished with the usual flags in a W-shape. This (perhaps accidentally) appears to form the mast of an outlined ship at the base.63 In the second year of her operation, the Margaret made only two voyages, to Zealand and to Bordeaux. Her new purser was George's servant John Speryng, who had been learning the ropes when he travelled with Aldridge the previous season. He now combined the two functions of ship's purser and merchant's factor. Some versatility was required of him. Besides keeping his accounts, in several currencies, and supervising all expenditure for the ship during her voyages, he had to be able to speak both Dutch and French. He must also have needed considerable stamina to endure the uncomfortable conditions aboard a small medieval vessel, especially in winter, though during her voyages the Margaret spent longer in port than at sea. A ship which contracted to take goods to and from one of the marts would be expected to wait until the selling 60

61

M. M. Postan (Medieval Trade and Finance, p. 123), estimated that costs of shipping a ton of Gascon wine to Hull or Ireland at the end of the thirteenth century were about 85, rather less than 10 percent of its f.o.b. price in Bordeaux, and that they were even lower in the fifteenth century. 6 63 File 13 fo. 38. 2 File 13 fo. 42. File 21 no. 4.

The 'Margaret Cely of London'

377

concluded. In 1472 Lord Howard's charterparty constrained his two ships to remain in Zealand for 30 working days, excluding Sundays and major saints' days. They in fact departed on 20 October, nine days before the agreed date.64 Neither Speryng nor Nicholas Best, who took over the duties of purser in 1488,figuresin the lists of 'men's hires' paid to the Margaret's crews. Evidently as servants of the owners they did not receive the usual purser's wage, and one hopes their remuneration was generous. Certainly Speryng received £3 35 stg. as part of his wages after the Bordeaux voyage of 1487-8.65 On the ship's return from Bordeaux in January 1487, she had lain idle for about three months. There was no question of a series of quick turn-arounds with new cargos, and this greatly restricted her owners' chances of profit from her operation. In 1532 the Mary Plantagenet did much better, on paper at least.66 In June her charterparty specified that she was to proceed, laded, from Topsham to La Rochelle, where she had 12 days in which to discharge and reload with salt. She would then return to Barnstable to victual, which should take no more than four days. Then, as soon as weather permitted, she should sail to the Isle of Man or Ireland for fish. She was to remain in those parts for 40 days, and then proceed to Bordeaux (for wine). Twenty days were allowed for the ship to discharge and take in wine at Bordeaux, after which she was to take her current cargo to Bristol. In the Thames, the Margaret's ' harness' was padlocked away, and one of the crew - first Richard Butcher and then James Taylor - was paid to remain on board to keep the ship.67 On 3 March Taylor was paid I2d 'for a week, and he find himself, i.e. provide his own food. On 2 March Mary on gave him 6d to buy fish for the caulkers for the annual major work. Five men, including a Spaniard and Peleger Larderys, by-named 'Caulker', who had been in the crew to Bordeaux, worked for a total of 2 i | days between them, up to 15 March. Mary on provided 13 stone of oakum and a barrel of pitch. Three quarters and 12 lb of tallow at 85 and 200 quarters of reed at 2s 3d were also used, and part of the large quantity of billet bought would be needed for heating the pitch. The ship also required three-quarters of a hundredweight of spikings at 40J the cwt, and the master was given 35 6d to buy 'board and quarters', while Maryon paid 3d for 'sawing of a tree for the waist of the ship'. Small 64 65

66 67

A.C.M., pp. 63-4. File 14 fo. 23V. Unfortunately, the space for sums is left blank in his note of 'costs at Bordeaux, 5 weeks', * my service Bordeaux voyage',' my costs in Flanders for a month', 'my service of the Flanders voyage': File 14 fo. 39V. Lisle Letters, 1, pp. 397-8. File 14 fos. 1-6: William Maryon's account for rigging.

378

Richard and George Cely

purchases for her included brooms, ioo small ropes bought from William Remington, 'lacheline' (cord for latchets), 12 bowstrings, a new compass and a running-glass for navigation, four shovels, a socket for the pump-staff, a snatch-pulley (for the quick attachment of a rope) and two catheads, a pair of pot-hooks, a salmon barrel, a tankard, two scoops, half a dozen platters and the same number of dishes, and two drinking bowls. Two lanterns were ' new horned' at a cost of Sd. John Speryng himself paid, according to his account,68 for a castinglead, two oars which, with the making, cost 2s iod, three for locks (wedges for bolts) and the pin for a gun, brimstone, taps, three pulleys, 'for the mizzen mast and the parrel', a plank for the orlop, 300 tampons, an axe, six more oars, the mending of the kettle, and 2s for striking the mast. He also 'paid unto the lighterman for his lighter for to lay in the wheat when the mast was a-striking', and in the week beginning Monday 14 May he paid 55 to the searchers before the ship's departure. While the ship was in port the diet provided was naturally more varied than that at sea. Besides the regular supplies of bread, bought by the dozen at 15 per dozen,fish,and meat after Lent was over, Speryng bought butter and eggs on six occasions between Easter and 23 April. There was one purchase of 3d worth of oatmeal, and Mary on provided at different times a hundred red (smoked) herring at 13d, six rochets, two salt fish, mustard and mussels for I5|d, a stockfish for 5 J, two half-barrels of white (salted) shotten herring for 115 and a cade of red herring for 65. He also 'paid to my gossip Sepam for fourteen couple of "aberdenys" [dried fish], the couple 295-6 places in: English Street, 217; 'Horse Shoe', 25, 217; 'howser', 217 purchases at, 80, 195, 210, 215, 355 Bermondsey, High Street of (Barmessay Strette), 83, 150 Bernard, Thomas, servant of John Reynold, 349 Berwick, Essex, 64, 77 priest of, 40 Berwick on Tweed, 23 Besancon, 39 Best, Nicholas, servant of G. Cely, 13, 60, 250, 323, 352 as purser of Margaret Cely, 377, 389—93, 411; personal costs on voyages, 390-1 household accounts by, 326ff; estimated weekly expenditure in, 326 shoes bought for, 322 spelling habits of, 330, 332 Besten, Robert, stapler, 44 Bethune, 37 Betson, Thomas, 35, 68n33, 83, 115, 121, 129, 137, 163, 197 and n i i 9 , 250 attempt to corner market in wool, 299 character of, 29 and niO3 death of, 61 and n i i 7 illness in 1479, 58, 60 value of his stock, 418

437

widow of, 247, 250; see also Rich, Katherine and Welbeck, William will of, 6 i n i i 7 , 250 Bettys, Thomas, workman, 334 Bevres, Monsieur De, 54 Bexwell, 276 Bietremiu, servant of G. Cely, 49 Billing, Great, Northants., 423 Billingay, Robert, capper, 317 Binche, 69 Bingham, John, stapler, 104 Bingham, Robert, stapler, of Calais, 72, 238, 239 Birevay, Garad, of Leiden, 207 Bishop, 352 Blackham (Blacham), Thomas, fishmonger, 7, 39, 53, 260 Blanch (Blaynche), Thomas, mercer, 400, 401, 407 Blaye (Bloy), 370, 382, 391 Bloke, Jacob De, money-changer of Antwerp, 187 the wisseler next door to, 189 Blyot (Blyet), John, wheat supplier, 336, 347 Blyot (Blyet), Robert, of Mucking, 336 Blyot, William, 336 Blysset, Thomas, 'upholster', 407 Bocher (Butcher), Richard, mariner, 370, 371, 372, 377, 379 Boleyn, Sir Geoffrey, 421 Bollonye, Aleamus De, 138, 206-7 Bond(e)man, William, stapler, 44, 45, 99, 216, 271, 273, 278,300 Boneffyse, Benet, 398 Bonke, carpenter, 321 books, 213-14, 282-3; legend, 256; Belial, 213-14; Formularium Instrumentorum, 213-14 Bor-, see also BurBordeaux (see also under Margaret Cely), 286, 368-9 petty costs and customs at, 375, 383, 39i purchases at, 375, 382, 391 valuation of coins at, 375 wine trips to, 332, 377, 381-4^ 389-92, 397 Borgesse, John, of Lille, 207 Borsse, Aran, broker, 404 Borwell see Burwell Boshe see Bush Boston, Lines., 130, 131, 216, 301 wool-fleets from, 235, 298 Bosworth, battle of, 24, 26, 350

438

Index

Botfisshe, Harry, mayor of Calais, 239 Botshead, 407; man of, 393, 395 Botton, 83-4 Bottrell (Botterell), 81, 264-5 wife of, 264 Boulogne, 66, 67, 298 Our Lady of, 37, 43, 84 siege of, 37 staplers' outing to, 43 Bourgchier, Henry, Viscount, 5; see also Essex, Earl of Bourgchire (Bourchier, Bouser), Roger, mercer, 19, 401 Bourgneuf, 386, 387 Bay of, 384 host at, 387 Bowell, Elizabeth, 6-7, 192 Bowell, Richard, stapler, 6-7, 225, 273 Brabant, 285, 357, 358, 359 English restraint on trade with, 293, 295 and n59 men of, 285 Bramanger, Hugh, clerk, 413 Brandon, William {see also gentleman, the?), 26-7, 41-2 and n36, 78, 264 accuses the Celys of poaching, 76—7 indicted himself, 77 ' p r e s t ' t o , 77 wife of, 26 and n93, 421136 Bray, Edmund, 427-8 Jane (Haleghwell), wife of, 427 Bray, Reynold, 4 2 7 ^ 7 Brazier, Harry, alias Vavasour, Vavyser millstones bought from, 376 supplier of grain, 347 wine shipped for, 383 wine sold to, 376 Breede, Gerijt De, of Leiden, 93 Brerel(e)y, William, see Brierley Bretayn (Breteigne, Breteyn), Thomas, stapler, 242 alderman of London, 296 Breten, John, 190 Breten, John, Salter, 190 Breten, William, wool-packer, 63, 116, 119, 132, 266 Brett, John Le, 319 Bretts Place (Berttis, Byrttys), Aveley, 8 and n24, 26n93, 53, 265, 279, 319, 425 as refuge from plague, 48, 352 descriptions of, 319 feoffees for, 321 inherited by R. Cely II, 255 sale to John Baker, 425

the new orchard at, 16 tiling for, 321 Brice, Hugh, iO3n8o Bridget, daughter of Edward IV, 68 Brierley (Brerel(e)y, Bryerley), William, stapler, 99, 100, 243 attorney of, 100 captured (killed ?) by pirates, 292 pledges given to, 100—1 wife of, 101 Briggs, William, 321 Bristol, 5, 377 Bristol (Bristall), Nicholas, stapler, 225-6, 243, 273, 287 Brittany (Bretagne), see also Bourgneuf Celys' trade with, 381 English relations with, 297 fishing-boats of, 361-2 fleet of, 290 purchases from, 381, 386-7 Britten, Master, see Bretayn, Thomas Broadway, Worcs., wool from, 83 Broke, John, stapler, 242, 244 Bromley, Kent Four Miln Lock at, 335 Broun, William, of Stamford, stapler, 104 man of, 289 Browmer, 49 Brown, Master, of the Chancery, 311 Brown, Christopher, kinswoman of, 268 Brown, E. H. Phelps, 336 Brown, Hugh, stapler and mercer, iO3n8o, 199, 408 Browne, Thomas, carpenter, 366 Bruges, 17, 42, 44, 50, 87, 92, 103, 156, 278, 355, 357 as trade-centre for staplers, 217 bankers at (see also wisselers), 27, 71, 75, 172, i87ff, 209 brokerage charges at, 200 Burse at, 202, 218, 352, 401 Celys' trade with, 28, 81, 308, 355-60, 403,421 courts at, 104, i n deferred payments for wool made at, 209 echevins (schepens) of, 26 English merchants in, 26, 217 English wools at, 111, 118 exchange rates at, 181-4, 200, 202, 352, 355, 357, 400-1 executions at, 292, 358, 359 foreign merchants in, 11, 26, 286 'frows' of, 37 gates of, 223, 358

Index Bruges (cont.) goods purchased at, 32-3, 51-2, 71, 216, 220, 281, 331, 345-6, 354 hosts at, 219, 281, 344 law-suit at, 208 'Lombards' at, 11, 201 merchants of, 206, 207 mint accounts of, 178 places in: Hotel de Male, 221; St John's church, 218; 'Sheep's Hoof (De Schaepsclaeuwe), 81, 219; 'Star', 54, 218, 219, 278; ' T w o Horns', 220, 281 price of gold at, 181 relations with Ghent, 284, 285-6, 358ff revolt against Maximilian, 202, 284ff, 308, 344, 357, 358-60 scheme to set up English wissel at, i86n78, 274 Scottish wool sold at, 142m58 Spanish community of, 221 streets in: Hoedemakers, 218; Rue Anglaise, 218; Vlamijnck Dam ('Flemings Dam'), 218 wytt (council) of, 358 Bruyn, Sir Maurice, 26n93 Bryan, Harry, mercer, 225, 287 acts as 'good solicitor' for G. Cely, 215, 274 goods bought for, 215, 216, 281 matchmaker for R. Cely II, 268 Buckingham, Henry Stafford, Duke of, 274 rebellion led by, 23, 281m 19, 287, 288 building and repairs costs of, 320-1 materials for, 331, 334, 335; tiles, 280; timber, 364; wainscot, 280 Burdeycke (Bordeycke, Bordeecke), John, ship-owner, 361 Burdon, Robert, 65 Burford, Oxfs, i n , 267 Burghley, Lord, 268 Burgoyn (Borgen, Borgon), Thomas, stapler and mercer, 189, 190, 192, 246, 311; man of, see Palmer, Gilbert Burgundy, Anthony, Bastard of, 220 Burgundy, County of, 287 Burgundy, Duchy of (Burgundian Netherlands) currency in, 170, 171-2, 173, 176-9 foreign relations of 23, 36-9, 284ff restraints on trade with, 246 Burgundy, Dukes of Charles the Bold, 22, 24, 28, 36-7, 206,

439

298; coinage tariff fixed by (1474), 173, 176; widow of, see Burgundy, Margaret, Dowager Duchess of Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, King of the Romans, 25, 37, 38, 53, 69, 291, 355; ambassadors of, 350; attempts to call down currency, 173, 174, 176-8, 183, 193, 194-5; attempts to maintain stability, 185-6; besieges Rotterdam, 359; dissension in army of, 7 1 ; imprisoned in Bruges, 358; marriage of, 37; movements of (1482), 285fT (1485-6), 344, 35O-I, 357; peace with Bruges (1488), 360; rejected as regent in Flanders, 284; treaties with England, 42; with France, 42, 287; 'troubling' by troops of, 137, 356; victory against French, 53 Philip the Good, 104 Philip, Archduke (Duke Philippus), 143, 175, 284, 291, 344, 360 Burgundy, Margaret of, daughter of Maximilian, 287 Burgundy, Margaret, Dowager Duchess of, 10, 66, 69 Burgundy, Mary, Duchess of, 37 death of, 11, 176, 186, 233, 284 Burne, John, draper of Calais, 293 Burnell, Agnes, hostess at Calais, 13, 42, 43> 47, 99 money owed to by Robert Cely, 85 Burton, Thomas, stapler, 229 Burwash, Dorothy, 362114, 378 Burwell, Thomas, of King's Lynn, 189 Burwell (Borwell), William, mercer, 88-9, 189, 190, 191, 192, 195, 198, 200, 402, 426 Bush, Alice (Alysche Boysche), 112, 119, 120, 122, 124 Bush, John, 112, 115, 121, 124 Bush (Boshe, Busshe), Thomas, 112, 403, 408 Bushey, Herts., 78 W. Maryon's properties in, 423 Busshman, John, of Bergen-op-Zoom, 25 Buttry, William, mercer, 197 Byfeld(e), Robert, stapler and ironmonger, 242, 245, 247, 310, 3131123 Joan, widow of, 247, 310 Byfeld (Byfylde), William, 45, 97, 99 Byrd(e), carpenter, 369, 389 Cabylian, Thomas, see Stabylyon

440

Index

plot to copy keys of, 222, 264-5, 285 Caen (Kaen), John A', mariner, 382 sea-battle near, 290 Calais sergeants-appraisers of, 101 aldermen of, 238 staplers resident in, 239 as place of refuge, 87, 239-40 sterling of (sterling table), see under burgesses of, 238 money of account captains of, see lieutenant(s) and treasurer of, 175, 237 Dynham, John, Lord; Hastings, victualler of, 5, 238 William, Lord; Warwick, Richard watches in, 45, 221-2 Neville, Earl of celebrations for victory over Scots at, 286 weigh-house at, 140; collector of, 238 wool-stores in, 45-6, 50, 64, 80 churches: Our Lady, 155; St Nicholas, wool-weights of, see weights and 155 measures citizenship of, 239 Yorkist stronghold in, 104 comptroller of, 238 Cambrai (area of channel), 292 Council of, 222, 233, 236, 237-8, 264, Camell, Philip De, of Ypres, 208 288 currency in, 170, 172, 185-6, 224; table Camfer, see Veer Campden, see Chipping Campden of tariffs for, 160, 172, 174, 175, Canon, tenant of G. Cely's mill, 335 I76n5i, 185, 227, 234; see also under Canterbury, Kent, 342-3, 362, 363 coinage, valuation of Cantlowe, Geoffrey, gent., 32on6i customs officials at, 238 defence of 22, 24, 37, 72-3, 104, 221-2, Cantlowe (Cantelow), Henry, stapler and mercer, 244, 246, 292, 32on6i 224, 236, 300; extra soldiers for Cantlowe, Thomas, gent., 32on6i (1483), 234, 284 Cantlowe, old Thomas, 320 expulsions from, 264-5 garrison of, 5, 26, 70, 72, 175, 185, 224; Cappe, Cornelius, of Malines, 207 Cardon (Car), Thomas, mariner, 370, G. Cely's acquaintances among, 70, 230, 309; officials of, 238; payment of 37i> 372, 392 Carpenter, John, Common Clerk of 226ff, 302 London, 3 1 7 ^ 8 Gascon wine at, 288-9 Carpenter, John, workman, 334 gates of, 221, 222 gentleman (master) porter of, 222, 238; Carpenter, Richard, ship's carpenter, 392 Carvar (Carver), Robert, mariner, 392, see also Radcliffe, Robert herring mart at, 221 393 lieutenant(s) of, 215, 222, 230, 237, Caryan, Fernando (Farand), 398 238, 264-5, 288, 294; deputy Cason, Benigne (Benyg) De, of Bruges, lieutenant(s), 73, 238, 274 202, 4 0 1 , 404 lodgings at: costs of, 34, 42, 289; for Casse, John, soldier of Calais, 230n27 foreigners, 73, 221; for staplers, 13, Castell, Peter, 403 35, 42, 289-90; without the gates, 73 Caster, John De, of Malines, 207 marshal of, 72, 73, 237; under-marshal, Castile, London merchants of, 201, 340; 222 see also Spain mayor(s) of, 239, 240; prison of, 222 Castrone, Diego (Dego) De (Decastron), mint at, 170, 189, 224, 227 398, 403 music-teacher at, 33-4 Catesby, William, 427 news and rumours at, 11, 39, 46, 53, Cattorne (Kattorn) [Katherine], 288 71, 263, 278, 292, 350,359 Cave, Anthony, 141m 56 Pale of, 38, 300 Caxton, William, 57, 214, 217 places in: Duke's Inn, 155, 158; east Dialogues in French and English, 57, 220 watch house, 80; New Haven, 238; Cely, Agnes, 8n23, 9n25, 32, 53, 67, 68, Newnham Bridge, 38; the Pane, 44; 70, 100, 255, 266 the searcher's house, 73; Show Street, accused of slanderous gossip, 39 45; Staple Hall (the Place), 45, 221; bequests of, 7, 89, 257, 269-70, 395 Trinity Lane, 80; the water bailiffs coffin for, 256 house, 73 executors of, 89

Index Cely, Agnes (cont.) family of, 8 funeral and month mind of, 257; ale at, 324; costs of, 312, 323 gives furnishings of house to son Richard, 269 godchildren of, 10, 3 1 3 ^ 3 , 423 household of, 255, 263, 265, 324 illnesses of, 55, 266 physician of, 266 plate and linens of, 260-3 purchases for, 58, 80, 90, 265-6 relations with George, 15, 32, 47, 70; with Robert, 89 reports great death at London, 46 rumoured remarriage of, 263 servants of, 32, 265-6, 269 will of, 256, 26on27 Cely, Alexander, 429, 430 Cely, Anne, nee Rawson, 268-9, 3 2 4, 3^o alleges extravagance by George, 311, 415 as executrix and widow of R. Cely II, 414, 424 death and burial of, 424 debt to mother and brother, 414 dowry of, 269, 270, 414, 415, 416 executrix of William Mary on, 423-4 holds stake in wager, 323 jointure of, 424 marriage to Walter Frost, 424 payments for husband, 405 petition to Chancery, 414-17 Cely, Anne, junior (Barbara), 9, 423-4 date of birth, 425 Cely, Elizabeth, wife of Walter Cely, 429-30 second husband of, see Smythe, Thomas Cely, George (George Silait, Jorge Sely, Jorge Sele) activities at Calais (1480), 63ff; (1482), 27lff acts as treasurer at Calais, 242 age of, 8, 13-14, 18, 32 alleged wealth at death, 422, 428 amounts allegedly spent out of common stock, 4 i 4 - i 5 5 417 arranges trip to Boulogne, 43 as factor for Cely family, 35-6, 42-3, 82; salary of, 36, 416 asked to arrange an admission to Staple Company, 248; to be good master to Elderbeck's servant, 239-40 bequests of, 412-13 blames assistants for idleness, 69

441

book-keeping of, 368, 381, 383, 384, 388, 408, 422 breaches currency regulations, 232, 274 character of, 16, 31-2 children of, 13, 16, 17, 79-80, 354, 412-13, 424; Avery, 332; Edmund, 332, 413; John, 332, 413; Richard, 13, 332, 354, 412, and see Cely, George, junior ciphers in correspondence with Weston, 12, 287 clothing bought for, 215, 322 contributes to cost of executing felons, 336; to Richard's household expenses, 323-4 dealings with wisselers, 187-90 death of, 360, 422 dinners at Calais (1482), 271-3 elected delegate of Staple Company, 240, 353 fails to: give William letter of attorney, 354; leave instructions for him, 349; reveal his whereabouts, 67-8; send R. Cely II promised money, 78-9; write letters, 82 falsifies accounts for wool sales, 306-8,409 furnishings of his chamber, 279-80 George, great-grandson of, 429 godfather of Robert Eyryk, 9 household: expenses of, 326ff; numbers in, 326-7 illness of: in 1479, 27-8, 55-61; at later dates, 61, 278, 288 imports by: cloth, 386-7; wine, 375-6, 383-4 5 393-4 indebtedness to R. Cely II, 395-6, 406, 413-7, 422 jewels bought by, 311 law-suit at Bruges, 208 list of family plate by, 260-3 marriage of, 309-15, 324; provisions for wedding, 312-15 matrimonial schemes of, 16, 74, 309 mistresses of, see Clare and Margery the pudding-maker musical studies of, 33-5, 50 note of rumours, June 1483 (?), 287 pawnbroking activities, 230 and n27 payment(s): as parents' executor, 257, 411; for work and materials on properties, 334-5 prices bullion at Bruges, 181 properties of 311-12, 318, 335, 413, 415, 428n33; see also Mallins; Sacokkys

442

Index

relations with William Cely, 348-9 Cely, George (cont.) sale(s): of grain to Alvaro, 347-8, 399; purchases by, 32-3, 51-2, 65-6, 71, 80, of salt, 387; of wool and fell 210, 214-16, 274-5, 281, 311 3 346, (1483-4), 299; (i486), 340-2 354; for Sir R. Hastings, 215, 236; of seeking compensation for wool seized in hunting and fishing gear, 323 quarrel about his horses at Calais, 1470, 343-4 69-70; see also horses shipments of wool and fell to Calais, receipts: at Bammis mart (1478), 187, 300, 408, 420 189; at Calais (1482), 273; from shipwreck of fells, 155, 397, 418, 421 operations of Margaret Cely, 368, state of account between the partners, June 1489, 406-7, 413-17 373-4>384> 394-5 Cely, George, junior, 17, 18, 317, 318, relations: with father, 14-16, 31, 36, 413 55-6; with Robert, 82ff; with birth of, 332 T. Kesten, 936° servants of, 322-3; foreign, 73 children of, 17, 429-30 statements of account for partnership Christabel, wife of, 428-9 with Richard, 273, 395-6 claims legacies under father's will, takes refuge in Essex from plague, 352 428 visit(s): to Calais after William's death, illness and death of, 429 360; to Continent (1484), 344-6, 349; Isabel, wife of, 428 (1487), 353~4> 404; to Richard and recovers manor of Aveley, 426 Anne, 288, 315 sues Elizabeth Punt, 428 will of, 396, 412-13 will of, 428-9 Cely, George and Richard, partnership of, Cely, Isabel (Elizabeth), daughter of 28, 30, 35, 161; after father's death, Richard Cely II, 424, 425ni2 340-60, 398-407, 411, 413-22; see date of birth, 425 also Margaret Cely marriages of, 425, and see Coke, account of borrowings and expenditure Anthony; Wareham, Robert (1487), 403-4 Cely, John, stapler and wool-gatherer, alleged amount of joint stock and 6-7, 12, 42, 63, 112, 256, 270, derived profit, 414, 415-21 271 contribution to King Richard at charge for gathering, 118 coronation, 287 exports of fells by, 111 dealings with John De Lopez (1483-4), Joan, wife of, 7 301-8; value of trade with, 308; see John, son of, 7 and n20, 256 also Lopez, John De Cely, Margaret, daughter of Richard Cely difficulties of (1485 on), 200, 202, II, 424 398-406, 421-2 burial of, 425 estimated income from wool-trade, date of birth, 425 396-7, 415, 416, 417, 419, 421 marriage of, 425, and see Ketylby, John expenditure on wool and fell (1482), Cely, Margery, nee Punt, 12, 60, 309-17, 416; (1483-5)5 418-19; (1487), 419; 330, 332, 350, 410, 424 as annual mean (1482-1488), 416, and N . Best's domestic accounts, 327, 417-21 332 and ni23, 405 exports: of grain, 336, 351, 365; of peas as widow of George, 427 to Spain, 347; of wool and fell, 418, bequest to servant Jane, 428, see also 419 Upton, Jane hunting party of, 288 churching of, 332 indebtedness of by June 1489, 413, 415: executrix of George, 412, 428 416 first husband of, see Rygon, Edmund inherited trading-stock of, 270, 412, George's expenses in obtaining her, 414, 416 415,417 livery of, 80, 265 invests money in imported wine, 375, loans: taken up at London^ 342, 348, 376 353> 399-406; to the Crown, 236, jointure of, 412 403,407,411 left £S to keep house, 360

Index

443

properties of, 8, 16, 317-20, and see Cely, Margery (cont.) Bretts Place and Mark Lane, under letter from, 315-16 London, streets in loneliness of, 316 refutes accusation of gossiping, 39 money borrowed from, 335, 404-5 relations: with Robert, 82-9; with Sir payment to midwife of, 332 John Weston, 11, 51, 52-3; with pregnancy of, 316 T. Kesten, 91, 93, 96rT refusal to pay George's debts, 415, 417 requests: for money to be sent, 201, provision for in George's will, 413 211; for news, 17, 40, 44, 82; for purchases for: household goods, 3266°; purchase of cart and salt-cellars, 52, shoes, 322, 354; velvet, 346; wedding ring, 311 63 third husband of, see Haleghwell, Sir sends news, 36, 53 John servants of, 256 wet-nurse of, 322-3 sister of, 6-7, 63 witnesses financial transaction, 335 'soul priests' hired for, 255, and see Cely, Mary, daughter of George Cely Wendon, John; Stephenson, William junior, 429 staple debentures of, 225-6, 273, 281 Cely, Richard, senior (Richard I) supports unmarried sons, 16, 151-2, accused: of arrest of R. Heron, 104; of 416 poaching, 76-7 told about George's bastard child, 79 advises George: about exchange-loans, tomb of, 7, 91, 250, 255, 256, 270 189, 191, 193, 194; on choice of value of wool and fell sales (1478 and customers, 206 1481), 416 age of, 17-18 visit to Calais (1476), 15, 36 and Richard Bowell, 6, 63 will of, 89, 255 anxiety about George: in case of war, Cely, Richard, junior (R. Cely II) 69-70; in illness, 55, 56; in accompanies Sir John Weston: to travelling, 209-10 Calais, 75; to France, 66, 89; to apprentice of, 41, 248, 249 receive Dowager Duchess of approves a plan for George's marriage, Burgundy, 66; to royal christening, 68 74 activities: at Calais (1476-8), 36, 45-6, as constable of the Staple, 241 132; in wool-trade (1478-82), 42, 43, background and career of, 3, 5-6, 18 63,162, (1482+ ), 266-7, and see Cely, careless supervision of wool-packing, George and Richard, partnership of 62, 63, 66, 117 acts as go-between of W. Mary on and cautious attitude to borrowing, 399-400 T. Kesten, 96 character of, 5—17, 63, 70 advice to George: about Robert, 48, 86; complains of lack of help, 67 to flee plague, 352; to write home, 63 death of, 81, 2556°, 264 and mother's remarriage, 263 delegate for Staple Company, 227 as executor of father, 7, 255ff, 321-2, delegates business to R. Cely II, 62 324, 326, 411-12, 414; of mother, illness of (1480), 66 256ff, 411 indentures for purchase of wool by, at his wit's end for money (1482), 270, 115-16, 119-20 298 inquisition post mortem on, 255 bargains with Hollanders over fell, 159 inventory of goods of, 255, 256, 269, character of, 16, 17, 30-31 273, 412, 416 children of, 351, 425 kept in ignorance: of George's claims against George's estate, 406, movements, 67-8; of Richard's 413,415,417,422 borrowed hawk and falconer, 79 commiserates with George on illness, leaves London during pestilence, 48 56,58 legacies of, 7,255-7,411 connections with north of England, 9 loan to Sir John Weston, 201 contributes to cost of executing felons, loss of wool-shipment (1470), 131, 343 336 month's mind of, 100, 256ff

444

Index

Cely, Richard junior (cont.) costs of household, 324ff, 411 death of, 412, 422 debts to Rawson family 413-14, 416, 417, 422, 425 enfeoffs lands to use of Rawsons, 413-14, 422 executors of 414 financial difficulties (1482), 270-1; (after 1489), 397, 406, 422 goes to Calais after death of William Cely, 360 hears sermon with Robert, 83 inspects possible bride for George, 74 legacy from W. Mary on, 423 lent money by George, 405, 408, 409, 410 marriage of, 269; marriage settlement, 411 matrimonial schemes of, 16, 267-9 mock will of, 45 obtains payment of debt from Celyer, 209 payments: on behalf of mother, 265-6; for Robert, 90, 411; on properties for George, 311-12, 320-1 pilgrimage to Camberwell, 408 plate belonging to, 260 produce from farms of, 326 properties of, 413-14, and see Bretts Place provisions bought for visit by George and Margery, 315 purchases: by George for, 346, 354; of land by, 320 and n6i receipts from operations of Margaret Cely, 368, 373-4, 394~5 relations: with father, 14—16; with George, 14-15, 30-2, 70; with Robert, 82ff; with Sir John Weston, 10, and see Weston, Sir John rides to a fair and to buy beasts, 324; to Windsor, 324 sends George budget of home news, 39-40 sent to buy fells for experience, 151 servants of, 323 shameful encounter with Em, 268-9 ship of {Anne Cely), 385, 388, 417 ships fells on own account, 416 sick in Essex (1479), 55, 56, 59 succeeds in quashing poaching-charge, 76-7 takes refuge in Essex from plague, 60, 352

tenants of, 320, 414 trip: to buy Margaret Cely, 362-3; to Cotswolds (1484), 316; to York and Leicester (1481), 74 visits to Sir John Weston, 40, 48, 51, 58,64 will of, 406, 413, 423 wine imported by, 374, 383 Cely, Richard, son of George, junior, 429-30 Cely, Robert, 7, 36, 43, 45, 46, 48, 62, 66, 68, 82-91, 95, 97, 198 accused of affray, 41, 84 age of, 82 apprentice of, 82 character of, 16, 82ff child of, 51, 85 death of, 91 deaths in household (1479), 58, 59 entanglement with Joan Hart, 87-8 exchange loans of, 190, 192, 196, 198, 199 fells exported by, 42, 163 grandmother of, 6, 87 items of plate belonging to, 260 legacies from mother, 89, 257 payments on behalf of, 90-1, 410 physician of, 91 pilgrimage to Compostella, 90 surgeon of, 90 wife of, 6, 82, 85-7; death of, 51, 58; family of, 86 Cely, Walter, son of George Cely, junior, 429-30 children of, 429 Elizabeth, wife of, 429-30 properties of, 429 and n37 will of, 429 Cely, William accompanies R. Cely II to Cotswolds, 63, 79; to France, 66 activities of and reports from, 72-3, 79, 121, 132, 136, 137, 159, 196, 206, 230, 233, 264, 275, 284ff anxiety over increase in board, 289—90 arrested at Dunkirk, 355 as middleman between Richard and George and John De Lopez, 301-6 attitude to John Dalton, 310 becomes permanent factor at Calais, 30, 281

bills of sale by, 307—8 blamed for indolence, 302 buys herring for Richard and George, 355

Index Cely, William (cont.) carries letters and messages, 83-4, 85 character of, 348-9 clothing made for, 322 death of, 360, 422 difficulties: in getting payment on warrants, 231-4; in meeting tax-dues, 235; in sending money by exchange, 202, 355~7> 359, 401 financial transactions at Bruges, 202, 235, 352-3, 356-7, 401 George complains about, 69 handwriting of, 348-9 host of at Calais, 271; hostess, 309 illness of, 288 indenture for goods at Calais, 281 keeps George's horse, 78 letters of payment sent to England by, 408, 417 linguistic habits of, 348 missing letters from, 234, 289, 349, 353, 36o money from, used for Margaret Cely, 368, 384, 385, 393 position and duties of, 7, 9, 13, 64, 67-8,71,249 report on market at Calais (1483-4), 299-300 requires letter of attorney, 353, 354 Richard senior misses his help, 67 sales of wool and fell by, 167, 186, 408 sent to help at Calais (1478-9), 42, 55-6 threatened by soldiers, 355 urges Richard and George to invest in madder, 355 Cely, also see Sely Celyer (Celyar, Seller), Philip, of Tournai, 59, 201, 208-9 daughter of, 209 pledge from, 209 will of, 208-9 censorship, see searchers Challey, John, stapler, 243 chamberlain, the lord, see Hastings, William, Lord Chambre, Harry, see A'Chamber Chancery, Brown of the, 311 Chancery, Court of arbiters (auditors, directors, viewers) of, in Cely suit, 406, 408, 410, 416; accounts of, 90, 101, 122, 165, 307, 397, 406, 407, 409-12, 418 suits before, vii, 92, 93, 250, 343-4, 397, 427-8 Chapman, John, caulker, 364

445

Chapman, John, of Bulphan, 336 Charles VIII of France, 357 Charles, 275; 'sayings' by, 389 Charles the Bold, see Burgundy, Dukes of Chawley, John, stapler, of Calais, 238 Chawry, Richard, stapler and salter, 18, 246 Chener, John, ship's cook, 370 Chester, William, 217 Chester's daughter, 16 Chetter, Thomas, drover, 335 Cheyne, Sir John, 5 Chichele, Archbishop, 8 Childs, Wendy, 340 Chipping Campden (Campden), Glos., 115, 116, 151,267 Chipping Norton, Oxfs., 115, 151, 271 churching of women, service of new clothing bought for, 79 payments to church for, 332 Cisneros (Sesseneros, Sessoneros), Alvaro (Alvard, Alvord) De, agent of John De Lopez, 201, 312, 340, 342, 343, 351-2, 393, 398, 399, 400, 404, 407, 410 sale of grain to, 347-8, 399, 419 Clare, 13 fell-chamber over, 64 love-letter from, 49 relations with George Cely, 49-50, 79 Clarence, George, Duke of, 8, 21, 22 Clark, carrier, 334 Clark, Thomas, lodging-keeper at Calais, 290 Clays, mariner, 382 Clays, servant of G. Cely, 322 Clayson, Maurin, of Leiden, 180 Clerk, John, 332 Clerk, William, servant of W. Mary on, 424 Clerke, Edmund, of 'Ashoby', 119 Cleves, Philip of (Philip Monsieur), 357, 359 Clopton, Hugh, stapler and mercer, Ii8n38, 245, 246, 295 and n57, 299; servant of, 357 cloth at marts, 212 buying of, 220 exported to Bordeaux, 383 for vestments, 269-70 imported from Brittany, 386-7 varieties of: bayards, 354; bayes, I49n5; blakelyng, 332; blanket, 344; buckram, 33, 214, 275; canvas, 51,

446

Index

cloth (cont.) 80, 117, 214, 354, 386; chamlet, 216, 282; changeable, 65; cotton, 383; damask, 216, 281, 288, 405; diaper, 214, 263; Flemish, 214, 256; fustian, 288, 3 3 3 ; - o f Milan, 214, 354; haustre, 212; Holland, 49, 53, 214, 216; in grain, 47; Kendal, 322; kersey, 383; linen, 32, 65, 214; musterdevillers, 72, 256n4; of Louvain, 112n9; - of Rennes, 8n23; painted, 283, 344; sarsenet, 65, 265, 322; satin, 32, 210, 216, 274, 333, 345; - of Cyprus, 322, 332; saye, 344, 346; - 'bastard feigned', 282; English- , 405; silks, 212, 282, 344; stammel, 80; taffeta, 430; 'tartrun' ('tartrum'), 212, 282; tuke, 288, 346; velvet, 288, 345; 'werkyn', 214; woollen, 66, 282, 288, 387; worsted, 66, 429 clothiers, in competition with staplers, 299 clothing, 32-3, 47, 51, 65, 71, 80, 90, 101, 210, 215, 216, 218, 220, 256, 265, 280, 281-2, 287-8, 322, 333,344, 346, 354> 387> 4O5> 429> 43© bill for dressing and cleaning, 333 tailor's bill for, 333 see also livery Cobold, Robert, weigher at Leadenhall, 124 Code, William, ship's carpenter, 364 wife of, 364 coinage, valuation of and exchange rate for money of account, 173, 176-9, 185 and mint prices for metal, 178 and n52 at Bordeaux, 375 at Calais, 172, i74ff; losses on, 139-40, 161, 173, 185-6, 227-8, 233; on 'mere sterling' scale, 228, 390-1 at market price in Flanders and Brabant, 40, 46, 137-8, 170, I76ff by ducal decree, 172, 176-8, 183, 198, 401 coins Breton, 386-7 premiums payable on, 170, 180, 183, 184, i88n87, 228, 402 tariffs for, 137-8, 160, 174, 175, I76n5i, 176-9, 183, 198, 233; criteria in establishing, 178 coins, varieties of Andrew (Andreas, Andreus gulden,

florin of St Andrew), 170, 172, 176, 177, 179, 180, 186, 193-4, 2O2ni43, 205, 219, 233, 375, 402; value in gr.Fl. and mere stg., 228 angel (noble), 165, 170, 177, 178, 375, 404; half- (angelet), 404 Arnoldus, 180 Bavarius, 180 brass penny, 180 briquet, double ('new groat'), 170, 171, 179, 180, 187, 2O2ni43, 228, 375; see also 'neming' groat Burgundian noble, 170, 176, 177, 180 Calais groat, see Carolus Carolus (Carleche groat, Carol, Carowlis, Carroldus, Garlis groat: groat of Charles the Bold), 71, 78, 85, 170, 171, 184, 188, 201, 233, 235, 375; price at London mint, 201 clemmergulden (clembar), 179 crown (unspecified), 137, 140, 170, 178, 179, i82n7i, 192, 2O2ni43, 229; mere stg. value, 228; price at London mint, 209 ducat of Hungary, 170, 177, 179, 375 ducat of Venice, 170, 177, 179, 201, 375 ecu, see crown English groat (stoter), 164, 171, 172, 184, 235 Flemish groat of 8d (of Maximilian), 385, 386 Flemish penny, 186, 219 golden fleece (toison d'or), 176, 178 groat of Maximilian ('regis Romanorum'), 386 Guelders, gulden of, 179, 180 lion (leeuw, lew), 170, 176, 177, 179, 180, 233, 375; value in mere stg., 228 Mylen (Mylleyn) groat (of Malines), 386 'neming' (nymeryn, lymmyn, etc.) groat (targe), 137, 171, 232, 233, 345, 353> 3755 385, 386; see also briquet new crown (ecu au soleil), 170, 176, 177, 179, 233, 375 new Flemish groat (briquet), 335 old crown (ecu a la couronne), 170, 176, 177, 179, 180, 205, 233, 375 old Flemish groat (Carolus), 375 old noble (Harry or Henry noble), 164-5, I7i 5 176, 177, 178, 205, 233, 375, 404; h a l f - , 228, 375 Petrus, 180 Philip (Philippus), 177, 178, 179, 180 plack, 34; double (patard), 180; old single, 233; philippus, 186

Index postulate, 45, 180 Rhenish gulden (Raynnes gylldorn, Rijns gulden, Ryan), 170, 172, 177, 179, 180, 181, 192, 2O2ni43, 205, 228-9, 375j 390; value in England, 390-1 rial (rose noble, royal), 85, 165, 170, 171, 176, 178, 179, 183, 184, 186, 191, 200, 228, 233, 356, 375, 401, 404; half- , 1 7 1 , 228, 404; quarter - , 179, 228, 404; see also exchange rate, valuation of rial as indicator of rider, 170, 177, 180, 186, 205, 233 rose noble, see rial 'rozinbo', see rial salute (salewe), 177, 178, 179, 180, 186, 233> 375 Savoy crown, 375 stoter, see English groat targe, see briquet; 'neming' groat Utrecht (Hewttrytus gylldorn, Utrit gildron), 44, 170, 176, 177, 179, 375, 385, 402 white money (small silver coin), 180, 205, 228, 233 William (Guilhelmus), 177, 179, 180, 233 Coke, cooper Roger, brother of, 335 Coke (Cook), Anthony, senior, husband of Isabel Cely, 425 Colard, of Bruges, 111 Colby, glazier, 321 Colchester, Essex St John's convent, properties of, 317, 3i8n47, 413 Coldale (Cowldall), Robert, of Rainham, 7> I3> 49> 53 wife of, 13, 49, 53 Colet, Henry, 24m 102 Colet, John, 3501143 Colet, John, Dean of St Paul's, 426 Collett (Kollett), poulterer, 257, 313-14, 325 Collins (Collyns), Christopher, draper, 240,289 wife of, 240 Collins (Colyns), John, servant of G. Cely, 250, 322, 331 Cologne, merchants of, 356 Colonea, John De, alias De Cassa, cheesemonger, 208-9 Colton, Thomas, stapler, of Calais, 238, 273, 286 Colyns, John, stapler, 250

447

Combar (?), tailor, 335 Compostella, St James of, 90, 92 conduct money, 131, 228, 242; payable on fells, 153 Conket, see Le Conquet Constable, Master, retained as counsel, 344 Constantyne, John, ship's master, 369 Conway, Sir Hugh, 175 Cooke, Isabel, see Cely, Isabel Coolys, Richard, of Preston, Glos., supplier of fells, 151 Copper, John, servant of G. Cely, 322 Cordes (Corddys), the lord, see Esquerdes Cordet, Farand De (Decordet), 351 Cornburgh, Avery, 325, 341 n8 Cornellisson, Clays, of Delft, 207 Corsy, Anthony, 401 Cortesse (Curtis) of the custom house, 388 Cortt, Matthew De, of Ypres, 208 Cossall (Cessale), 312 Cotswolds, the pestilence in, 48 trips to, to buy or pack wool, 16, 48, 62, 78, 79, 115, 116, 118, 119, 151, 266, 270 wools from, see fells; fleece-wool Cottillard (Cutlerd), William, 7, 342, 413 Cotyn, Roger, sea-loan from, 371 Coupar, Garrad, 190 Courtrai captured by Ghent, 357 wool-buyer from, 207 Coventry, Warwicks., 9 Cowlard(e), John, mercer, 83 executors of, 84 Cowldall, see Coldale Crane, John, servant of Edmund Rygon, 316 Craneford, Denise, 6 Crawschanke, mariner, 379 Crayford, Thomas, sale of wool to, 341, 406, 417 credit in purchase of domestic provisions, 325 in wine trade in England, 394 in wool-trade, 38, 39, 178, 203, 206, 232, 304; for sales to Hollanders, 159, 161, 233; terms of, 39, 399; to John De Lopez, for payment in England, 301-8 see also fleece-wool, terms of payment for

448

Index

Credit instruments bills of exchange, 190, 197, 198, 199 bills of hand, 137, 186-7 letters of payment: and assignation of debt, 403; in exchange loans, 83, 201; 'lewd payment' on, 84; in ordinary debt, 345 obligations (obliges), 137, 186-7 creditors, escape from: by exile, 250; by letter of protection, 14, 99-100; in sanctuary, 427 Crepayge (Kyrpayge), William, mariner, 364 Creusse, see Greves Crisp (Cryspe), Richard, mercer, 191, 192, 196, 200, 402 Crisp, Thomas, mercer, 196 Croke, baker, 257 Croke, John, 3i8n47 Croke, John, lawyer, 255 Crosby, Sir John, mayor of Staple, 240 Crosse, John, 3i8n47 'Crowhome', 333 Crowland Chronicle, the, 300 custom and subsidy analysis of G. Cely's payments towards (August, 1478), 228-9 cockets (customs certificates), 123-4, 129, 301, 343; cocket-silver, 367 conduct money deducted from, 131 deferred payment of, 154 king's surplusage from, 224, 230, 232; met by exchange loan, 235 obligation for payment of, 226 offset by Staple 'partitions', 225-6 on fells, 127, 153; calculation of, 152-3 on fleece-wool; calculation of, 125-6; payable by aliens, 123 payable on shipwrecked goods, 155 andn. payment of, 36, 97, 153, 224, 226ff, 404; at Calais, cash for, 188, 189, 302 relation to buying price: of fells, 126; of fleece-wools, 126-8; to selling price of wool at Calais, 126-8 see also Staple Company, agreements with the Council on — payments customs accounts back-dating wool shipments in, 232 discrepancies in, 300, 387, 388 customs duty: on salt, 388; on wheat, 347 customs house at London officers of, 124 tellers of, 129, 152 weighers of, 124, 125

Cutte, John, 412 Dagenham (Dagnam), Essex Scargellis in, 279 Dalton family, 16, 42, 74 Dalton, John, 198 (?), 207, 213, 244 accounts by, 140, 192 acts for G. Cely at Calais, 39, 73, 76, 80-81, 101, 155, 160-1, 188, 229, 231,273 asks for use of George's stable, 277 dealings in horses, 275 father of, 74 friendship with G. Cely, 31, 47, 79, 310 purchases on behalf of, 51, 215 sister of, 74 suspected of illegal bargaining, 159 Dalton, Ralph, 74 Dalton, William, 74, 188, 225, 229, 289 acts for G. Cely, 208, 232 ambassador for Staple, 293 apprentice of, 249 betrothal of, 268 fells of, 155, 158 goods of, 280 Joan, wife of, 349 letter from, 349-50 mother of, 74 presents sent from, 213, 349-50 sends horse for George, 278; news for his lord, 80 servant of, 350 treasurer at Calais, 242 Damast (Damaske), Master Jacob, of Bruges, 207 Damm, 289, 355 Dance (Dauncy), Sir John, 3 1 7 ^ 9 , 318, 3i9n48, 428 Darrald, Godfrey, stapler, 269 Dartford, Kent, 75, 77, 342 Dartmouth, Devon, 390 Daubeney (Dowbney), Giles, Lord, 236, 407 Dauber, John, 334 Davy, John, ship's master and pirate, 72, 294-5 a n d n54 Dawhe, Robert, mariner, 364 Dawson, John, importer, 380 Decason see Cason De La Marck family, 285 De La Towr, Guillaume (Gyllam), host at Sandwich, 362, 363 Dee (Dye), John [priest?], 345, 349 Delft lords of, 208

Index Delft (cont.) Staple customers from, 136, 149, 159, 160, 180, 207, 291; concessions to, 162, 233 Denham of Lee, ship's master, 90 deposit banking, 17, i87ff Deram (Derham), John, stapler, of Calais, 238, 239 Derby, 311 carriers of, 316, 350 Deryell, Gyesbryght Van, of Delft, 207 Desuyr, Gabriel, Genoese, 401 Dewle, Giles Van, of Bruges, 207 Deyncourt (Dankort, Dankowrt) family, 41 Dighton, John, 239 A Discourse of Weights and Merchandise, 4-5, I22n75 list of wool prices at Calais, I28n96, 142 on exports and marts, 211—13 on wool and the wool trade, i n , 112, 122-4 quoted further, 119, 168, 170 tables for reckoning wool prices, 167 diseases and illnesses, 57, 80, 89, 266; access, 66, 269; sweating sickness, 60; see also pestilence Dixmude, Charles, of Ypres, 208 Dogett, John, workman, 334 dogs, 40, 77-8, 331, 346; flecked spaniel, 218; Hector, 40, 77 Domid, Angel, importer, 380 Don, John, senior, mercer, 257m7 Donne, Sir John, 237 Dome, Cornelius Van (Cornelys Vandorn), 188, 189, 207 Dorset, Marquis of, 264 Dorsett, John, 403 Dotten, Master John, wheat supplier, 347, 348 Dover, Kent, 66, 78, 279, 286, 292, 343, 362-4 Dowell, Nicholas, mariner, 392, 393 Downs, the (area in the channel), 46, 290 Downs, Edward, supplier of timber, 334 Drayton, Robert, draper, 197 drink {see also under Margaret Cely, crews of) ale: consumption of, 324; cost of, 325; purchases of, 258, 315 beer: consumption of, 324; cost of, 324; double, 324; purchases of, 265, 315 expenditure on, as proportion of budgets, 324, 337-9

449

wine, 212, 258, 267; consumption of, 324; prices of, 325; purchases for domestic use, 258, 265, 325; see also wine Dryland, James, 318047 Drynklow, William, stapler, 350 Dudley [John], butcher of Eastcheap, 351 Dudzeele, Jacob Van (the lord Dugell), 359 Dumfries, 11 Dunkirk, 50, 172, 292, 353, 354, 355 Dunstable, John, 34 Dunthorn, William, town clerk of London, 296 ' D u t c h ' people, put out of Calais, 73 Dyars, John, stapler, 44 Dyckkys, Robert, waxchandler, 256 Dycons, John, stapler, 243 dye-stuffs 'grain' (kermes), 212 madder, 195, 210, 246, 355, 380 woad, 80, 210, 380, 383 Dyer, Christopher, 3 36m 47 Dygon, William, spicer, 257 Dynham (Dennam), John, Lord, lieutenant of Calais, 237, 238 and n72, 288, 292 intention of arresting a Staple customer, 303—4 Dyrke, Robert, importer, 380 Ealdebek, see Elderbeck Easterlings, 356 Ede, William, 225-6, 281 Edinburgh, 105 Edward IV, 21, 22-3, 24, 35, 57, 71, 72, 75s 230, 234, 260, 264, 278, 284, 286, 343 and the affair of Richard Heron, 104-7 death of, 23, 297 diplomacy of, 22-3, 69, 72, 287 financial arrangements with Staple Company, 103, 105, 224, 230 procurator of at Rome, 105-6 redemption of his jewels, 103 wardrobe accounts of, 65 wool exported to Italy in ships of, 266 Edward V, 23, 239, 287 Edward VI, clerk of, 429 Edward, son of King Richard III, 23, 293 Edward (Edeward), Thomas, mariner, 392,393 Egge, Roger, freemason and marbler, 250, 255-6 Egmond, Garad Van, of Leiden, 207

450

Index

Ekington (Ekyngton), John, stapler, 44, as means of 'occupying' money, 188, 81, 160, 243 195; from profits on grain sold in Elderbeck (Ealdebek, Elderbekke, Zealand, 365 Eldurbek), John, stapler, 81, 160, brokerage charge on, 400 213, 242, 244, 271, 273 change and rechange, 197-8, 200-1, William, servant of, 239-40 226, 399 Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, 23, 72, discount on loans at mart, 190-1, 195, 199, 200, 202 287 fictitious, 399 Ellis, supplier of brick, 334 making over (delivering, letting out) Eltham, royal place at, 68 money (buying bills), 17, 36, 40, 63, Ely, John Morton, Bishop of, 287 64-5, 172, 189-92, 195-6, 202, 211, Elys, John, stapler and mercer, 115, 244 267, 306, 350, 352-3, 355, 356, 359, Em, 13, 266n43, 269 400, 401; deal by T. Kesten, 91-3 England reciprocal (double loans), 199 admiral's court, 208 taking up (borrowing, selling bills), 17, chancellor of: Thomas Rotherham, 86, 89, 191, 195, 197-202, 235, 294, 287; John Morton, 352 342, 348, 353, 400-3, 407; interest in, commissioners from, to Maximilian, 40, 399, 400-1 295, 350, 355, 357 terms of payment for, 189-90, 191, 192, king's council of, 10, 240, 286; and 195, 200, 205, 400-4; usance between council of Calais, 237-8; and Bruges and London, 202, 353, 357, R. Heron, 104, 105, 106-7; m 401, 403 agreements about custom and see also merchant adventurers, as subsidy payments, 226ff; sets values partners in exchange loans for coin at Calais, 172, 174-5, 234 exchange rate for money of account relations with Flanders and Brabant, and mint prices for metals, 181, 183 22, 23, 25, 28, 35, 290-1, 293-5, 304, and n70 352, 353, 355, 36o; see also under Treaty at Bordeaux: for Flemish money, 375, relations with France, 15, 22-3, 68-9, 384; for sterling, 370, 375, 383, 384 71, 72-3, 284-7, 292, 297, 299 effect on staplers' profit, 185, 193-4, treasurers of, see Wiltshire, Earl of; 200,418,419 Worcester, Earl of in Brittany, 384, 386-7 Erith, Kent, 363-4 in exchange loans, 182, 189-92, 191^7, Esquerdes, Philip De Crevecoeur, 195, 199, 200, 202, 235, 399, 400-4 seigneur d' (the lord Cordes, valuation of rial as indicator of, 174, Corddys), 24, 350-1 177, 181-3, 184, 185, 356 Essex see also coinage, valuation of exchange rates at Calais Cely family's visits to, 15, 64, 68; see alterations in, 71, 173, 182-3, 298 also Aveley; Bretts Place; Mallins between ' Flemish' money of account escheator of, 255 royal forest of, 10 (money groot) and Calais sterling ships from ports in, 130 (sterling table), 35, 128, 137-9, *73, Essex, Henry Bourchier, Earl of, 77 175, 227ff, 235, 273, 290; see also Este, Friar, 74 money of account Eston, John, mercer, 292 breaches of ordained, 174-5, 232, 274 Eston, William, mercer, 84,86,192,198,199 fixed by king's council, 175, 200 Etwell, John, mercer, 357, 401 for taxation purposes, 185, 192, 193, Everingham, Sir Thomas, 72, 239 226-30 Everton, Steven, haberdasher Without in wool and fell sales, 136, 160, 161, Temple Bar, importer, 380 162, 170, 173, 174, 205; adjustments exchange loans in sales on credit, 137—8, 174 accounts of: (1478), 189-90; (1480), relationship to prevailing rate for mere 192; (1486-7), 400, 402-3 sterling in Flanders and Brabant, adjustment of exchange rate in, 190-1 173-4, 175, 181-3, 184-6

Index

45i

prices at Calais for, 64, 96, 148, 151, 158, 160, 161, 162-3, J 86; in England, 152, 162 profit on, 151, 161 'pulling' of, 149 relative importance: among wool exports, 148-9; in Celys' trade, 149 refuse, 99, 158, 160, 162, 163 setting, 157, 158, 159 shipwrecked, 155, 418, 421 sorting, 44, 153, 156, 157 'specialists' in, 148—9 storage of, 155-6 suppliers of, 151; see also Midwinter, William tellers of, 129, 152 time-lag in sale of, 161 transport costs for, I28n94, 152, 154, 161 varieties of, 149-50; Cotswold, 44, 64, 127, 149-50, 151; winter Cots., 153, 161; 'country', 149-50 and n7; Fabyan, Robert, chronicler, 59 London, 44, 64, 149-50, 162; Fairford, Glos., 245 summer-, 149, 150, 153, 154, 162; Falmouth, Cornw., 390 winter-, 149, 150, 154, 159, 162 Fastolf, Sir John, 213, 363 fell-houses, 81, 99, 155-6 Fauconberg, Bastard of, 22 fellmongers, 150; Company of, 150, 287 Faw, Gord, of Leiden, 207 Fengraffe (Fengrawe), Thomas, 332 Feays, John, mariner, 382 wife of, 332 Felde, John, stapler, 7 Feldyng, Thomas, stapler, 244 Fenn, John, stockfishmonger, 250 fell(s) Fepam (Sepam), John, supplier offish, appraisers of, 268 378 arbitration in sales of, 160 Fetherston, William, 73, 368 ' bacons' among, 44, 159—60 Fethyan, William, stapler, of Calais, 225, build-up of stocks (1483-4), 299 273 calculation of equivalence with expelled from Staple Company, 238-9 fleece-wool, 15, 152-4 Feye, Jean, 111 cast (selected), 154, 162; casting out Fitzherbert, Robert, iO3n8o (shooting out), 159-60; casting Fitzjohn [Robert Radcliffe?], 100 (over), 157, 158-9 Flanders; see also Bruges; Burgundy, Cely's exports of, 420, Table 8 Duchy of; Ghent compared to 'cony ware', 160 ' Burgundian' towns in, during civil * contergarynge' of, I49n7 war, 359 costs on specimen purchase of, 161 clothmaking in, 113; major clothmaking custom and subsidy on, 127, 152—3; towns of, 37 arithmetical calculation of, 153 Council of, 291, 293, 299 customers for, 149 embassies to king of England, 290, 358 damage to, 156-7, 158 Estates of, 284 distinguishing markings for, 154 money in, 137—8; see also coinage; 'kerke pells', 161 coins; money of account lading of, 129, 154-5 political events in, 28, 37, 2846°, 291, 'making' of, 156-7; costs of, 156-7, 158 356, 358-60, 361, 401 morling, 151 fleece-wool petty costs on, 83, 152/154, I55ff, 162 as percentage of Celys' Staple trade, 'praisement' of, 85, 136, 158, 161 in

Eynsham, William, 317 Eyre, Thomas, grocer, 197 Eyryk (Eryke, Herrick) family, 9-10 Eyryk, Agnes, daughter of Robert, 10, 423 Eyryk, Elizabeth, wife of Robert, 423-4 Eyryk, John, skinner, 9 Eyryk, Richard, upholder, 9n29 Eyryk, (Heryc, Heryke, Herryc), Robert, girdler and fellmonger, 12, 150m2, 196, 263, 320 chased by Scots ships, 286 exchange loans, with, 190, 191, 192, 365 family of, 9 legacies from W. Maryon, 423 plate and napery lent by, 262-3 represents Company of Fellmongers, 287 Richard, servant of, 195, 365

452

Index

lavata), 113-14 and nn, 118, 136, fleece-wool {com.) 142, 143 and ni67, 305 'awarding' of, 117, 121, 132-3, 204 Cotswold (Cots.), 64, 112, 126, 127, betterings on, 204, 205 144; as standard export quality, 112, bills of sale for, 138-9, 204-5 143; nature of, 113; qualities of, 113; buying prices of, 76, 115, 119-20, selling price of, I28n96, 138-9, 142, 121-2, 125, 270-1, 298, 341; i43> 146 additional costs over, 127-8, 145-6 end, 113-14 and ni5, 118, 136, 305 calculating price of, 166-9; exported to Calais in 1506, 144-5 ready-reckoning tables for, 167 Celys' exports of, summarized, 163, 420 good (fine, A.), 113 gruff, 113, 121, 133 and Table 8 Herefordshire, 112, 145 clacking and barding (cleaning and Holland (Lines.), 112, 144, 145, 146; trimming the fleece), 144, u6n26 North-, 142, 144, 145, 273, 415 classing, 113 Kent, 144, 145 damage to, 132, 204 Kesteven ('Kesten'), 112, 126, 127, delays in sale of, 163, 204 142, 144, 146, 147, 281, 306 'good packing', 62, 116, 205 Leominster ('Lemster', 'Lempster'), indentures for purchase of, 115, 119—20 i n , 112, 127, 144, 146 packing of, 116, 117-19, 120, 123, 266, Lindsey, 112 and n9, 142 and ni6o, 267, 323 144, 146, 147, 281; L o w - , 144, 145, petty costs on, 118-19, I 2 o, 122-5, ! 3 2 , 146;-March (Marsh), 145, 146 139-41 lock, 114 rebates and allowances on: at buying, locks, 114 118, 119, 120, 125; at customing, March, 112, 117, 127, I28n96, 144, 125-6, I26n9o; increase in (1484), 146; locks of, 114 301; for Scottish wool, I42ni58 middle, 64, 112, 127, 133, 145-6; repacking, 66, 68, 124, 132, 341 seized for the king's use (1485), 300 distinguishing marks on bale of, 118; selling prices of, 126-9, I38~9, 146 effect of tax and petty costs on profit from, 128, 147; proportion to good Table 2, 205; effect of exchange rate wool, 121, 127 on, 136; increases in I28n96, 142-3, middle Cots., 144, 203; selling price of, 146, 234, 271,298 138-9, 143, 146, 151; of middle show of samples at Calais, 132 storing of ('hostelage'), 115, 123, 124, young Cots., 139, 146, 147, 204 341; weight-loss during, 125, 127 Norfolk, 144, 146 suppliers of, 112 'old', 35, 39, 133-6, 204-5; price and terms of payment for: at Calais, proportion of (1497), 143 refuse, 114, 115, 116, 143, i44~5> 146, I34ni32, 136-9, 186, 205, 206; in England, 116, 119-21 147, 34i tithe wool, 63, 112 Rutland, 144, 146 transport of {see also wool-fleets), 119, Shropshire, 112, 145 123, 124, 132, 351; transport costs Surrey, 144, 145, 146 on,I28n94 washed {lana lavata), 114 and ni7, weighing of: at Leadenhall, 116, 119, 14411167 121, 124, 126, 341; for customing, Yorkshire, 111-12; Yorkshire Wold, 123, 125-6, 129; for sale at Calais, in 140 young Cotswold, 113, 115, 128 and weight of individual fleeces, 112, 121 n97, 144, 146, 147,151 weight-loss on, 125—7, I2jngi Fleming (Flemyng), Robert, stapler wool-weights for, see under weights and conductor of wool-fleet, 242 share in wool-export from London, measures 163, 244 fleece-wool, grades and varieties Flemish loan-words in English, 113, 114, Berkshire, 116, I28n96, 142, 144, 146 156, 217-8 breckling, 114 clift (cleefwulle, clijt(geclijte)wolle, lana Flewelen, see Llewellyn

Index Floo (Frow), Gard, of Leiden, 180 Florentine merchants at Bruges, 11 Flushing, 295 Foliar (Fuller), Thomas, mercer, 189 foodstuffs (see also Margaret Cely, victualling for) and diet, 323, 336m 46 and fast-days, 327 and n i i 4 bought, 32, 40, 47, 80, 210, 215, 265, 267, 321, 325, 349-5O, 355; for funerals and month minds, 256—9; for G. Cely's household, 329-30, 334, 336-9; for G. Cely's wedding, 312-15; for haymakers, 333-4; for Lenten dinners at Calais, 271-3 Forner, John, 209 Fortescue, Adrian, 426 Anne (Stonor), wife of, 426 Fortescue, Sir John (Master Foskewe), 367 Fosse, William, chaplain of Sir Ralph Hastings, 345 Fowey, Cornw., 391 Fox, 342 Fox, John, mercer, 269, 390 Foxe, John, feoffee of R. Cely II, 425 Foxe, Richard, Bishop of Winchester, feoffee of R. Cely II, 425 France (see also Bordeaux; Brittany; England and under money of account) Admiral of, 37 Dauphin of, 37, 287 embassy: from England, 10, 68; to England, 284 Marshal of, see Esquerdes Regent of, 291 relations with Bruges and Ghent, 284, 355J 357> 358; with Burgundian Netherlands, 36-9, 53, 69, 284-5 ships of, 72, 290, 292, 299 Frank, Giles, senior, of Malines, 207 Frank, Giles, junior, 207, 307, 354, 355 Frank, Jois (Joes), 39, 205 'freeing out' new wools, 133-6, 143, 204 freight charges (see also under Margaret Cely) on fells, 153, 154 on fleece-wool, 124, 13001104 Frend, Nicholas, supplier of corn, 330 Frescobaldi (Fryske abaldy), 398 Frey, Adrian (Attryan) De, host of the 'Sheep's Hoof at Bruges, 81, 219, 344, 346, 349; charges of, 344 Frith, Richard, alias Granger, 336 Frost, John, forester, 76

453

Frost, Walter, of West Ham, second husband of Anne Cely, 424 and n3 Fulborne (Folborne) family, 41 Fulborn(e), Thomas, apprentice of R. Cely I, 41, 248, 249 funerals and memorial occasions, 28 costs of, 256ff, 283, 423 importance of, 259-60 furs ('peltry'), 65, 214, 265 varieties of: Baltic, 212; budge, 53, 75, 212, 215; black lamb, as imitation of- , 74, 212, 281; calaber, 53, 282; cat, 80; fitchew, 210; fox, 71, 281, 344; grey (squirrel), 281; marten, 215; miniver, 101, 282; mink, 354; otter, 90, 101 Fyfeld, Henry, 8n23 Fylpottys, 320 Gaines (Gaynus), Essex, 279 Garard, mariner, 379 Gardener, Richard, stapler, 245 Garlond, William, of Stanford, 336 Garm, Laurence, Frescobaldi's clerk, 398 Games, Margaret, of Chipping Norton, supplier of fells, 151 Garrwaye, Walter, 217 Garwes, John, servant of W. Maryon (?), 362, 363 Gate, Sir Geoffrey, 257 Geffrey (Jeffere), 'Father', see Baker, Geffrey Genoa, wool exported to, 266 gentleman, the, 41, 264 (see also Brandon ?) Gerard, John, woolpacker, 116 Geronde, River, 370 Gerredson, Francke, of Delft, 207 Gheeraerts, Marc, 218 Ghent, 38, 112, 203, 284, 291, 293, 345, 354, 357 embassy to, from Bruges and Ypres, 358 lords of, 294, 355, 358 procurators of, 208 relations with Bruges, 284, 285-6, 358-9 relations with Maximilian, 284ff, 344, 355, 356, 357. 358 Gibraltar, Straits of, 392 Gibson, Stephen, stapler, 244 Gijsbrechtson (Gyesbryghtson), Simon, of Rotterdam, 163, 167 Gladman, servant of Sir J. Weston, 49, 346

454

Index

glass Granger, William, 67 imports of, 380 Grantham family, 245 put into windows, 219, 321, 334, 344 Grantham, Simon (Seman), stapler, 44, Glaston, Eustace, 317 243 Gloucester, Richard, Duke of, see Richard Grantoft (Grantoffte), Roger, stapler and III skinner, 148, 172, 188 ft Gloucestershire {see also Cotswolds), 119, viewer of Celys' accounts, 408 Gratia Dei, plaster named, 331 270 Gravelines (Gralyn), 24, 50, 223, 284, Glymes, Anthony, Bastard of, 25 Godfrey, hackney-man at Calais?, 155 285, 291, 292 Godfrey, Paul (Paul Beerman, Poll garrison of, 356 lieutenant of, 77 beer-brewer), 325 and niO7, 389-90, Gravesend, Kent, 10, 66, 342-3, 362, 363, 404; hops imported by, 380, 390 wife of, 325, 390 369, 385> 390 godparents, 9-10, 94 chapel at, 390 Godyng, Richard, 324 searchers at, 390 Golbrond, 219 Gravyro, John, importer, 380 gold and silver prices Gray, H. L., 245-6 at mints, 178 and n52, 181, 183 and n7O 'great debasement', the, 175 on market, 181, 214, 215, 311, 356, 405 Gregory, William, 4 Goldson, John, of Calais, 56-7 Grene, James, widow of, 354 A Good Information of Agryme, 165 Grenerard, John, of Cologne, 190 Good, Robert (Robin), servant of R. Cely Gresford, 40 I, 64, 67, 68, 69, 73 Greves, John, alias Creusse, ship's Goodman, John, master and owner of the master, 155 Clement of Southwold, 155 Grisley, Harry, 65 Goodman, R. (priest?), 271 'groot' for Flemish money of Calais, 101 Goodwyn, Robert, draper, 405 and n76, 140, 172 Gosford, John, 320 Grove, Roger, importer, 380 Gosse, John, lock-worker, 335 Gudryk, John, constable of the Staple, 92 Gottfried, Robert, I7nn62, 63; on Guines, 83, 236, 238, 271 epidemic of 1478-9, 58 and n98 gunpowder, prices for, 323, 363, 367 Gower, Robert, rector of St Olave, Hart Gye, Martin, Breton 'child', 387 St, 320 Gyll(y)an (Guillaume), Breton, mariner, Grafton, Thomas, stapler and mercer, 379, 392 241, 243, 246, 299, 398 property of (?) at Watford, 423 Haarlem, fell buyers from, 151, 159 grain Haddon, Richard, stapler and mercer, bought for export, 347, 380; prices for, 244, 246 347, 380 wife of, 247 sold in Zealand, 365, 380; prices for, Haleghwell (Halwell), Sir John, 427 failure to honour his wife's debts, 415, 365 417, 422, 428 sold to Spaniards, 347-8 Jane (Bray), grand-daughter of, 427 Granger, Richard, see Frith legacy to Margery Cely's kin, 428 Granger (Graunger), Thomas, stapler and marriage: to Isabel Beaumont, 427; to skinner, i8n64, 52, 54-5, 76, 99, Margery Cely, 412, 427 I5oni2, 227, 411 Haleghwell, Richard, 428 as attorney for G. Cely, 64, 67, 68 Halle, Harry, mariner, 379 fells of, 154, 155 host of lodgings at Calais, 271, 289-90, Hallyngberry, William, roper, of Sandwich, 363 345 viewer of Celys' accounts for Chancery, Halyburton, Andrew, 142m58, 223, 280m 12 408 Hamlen, Thomas, turner, bill from, 389 Granger, Thomas, tallow-chandler, Handes, Thomas, see Hondes I5oni2

Index Hankin, servant of G. Cely (alias Jacobus Van Wessyll?), 80, 322, 344"5> 346 clothing for, 322 Hanseatic merchants, 212 Hanykin, pursuivant, 354 Hardbene, Philip, stapler, 104, 242 Hardebene, Robert, stapler, 244 Harfford, John, churchwarden of St Olave, 404 Harmalyn, Floris, of Leiden, 92 Harman, ship's boy, 382 Harry, G. Cely's boy, 13, 73 Harry, mariner, 379 Harryes, John, ship's master, 280 Hart (Harthe), Joan, 87-8 family of, 87 Robert's goods left with, 88 Harys, Robin, mariner, 382 Harys, Simon, mariner, 382 Hastings Pursuivant, 65 Hastings, Sir Ralph (Rauff Hastyngys), 12, 215, 236, 278, 345, 349, 394 chaplain of, see Fosse wife of, 345 Hastings, William, Lord, 12, 54, 73, 237 accuses Woodville supporters of treason, 264-5 as lieutenant of Calais, 38, 230, 238, 248, 274, 284 buys up hawks, 277 execution of, 23, 264, 287 expels people from Calais, 264-5 news sent to, 80, 278 promises good lordship to Celys, 274 summoned to England, 286 suspected of plotting with French, 222 Hatfeld, John, treasurer at Calais, 242 Haugh, John, 296 Hawckys, John, wainman, 152 Hawes, Andrew, of Calais, 80 Hawes, Christopher, mercer, viewer of Celys' accounts, 408 hawks, 17, 52-3, 54-7, 76, 78, 277-8, 331 'Meg': 1,56; 11,78 prices for, 53, 55, 79, 82, 277 salve for, 78, 80 Hawkyns, John, 403 Hawkyns, John, mariner, 382 Hayne, servant of Celys, 72 Haynes, Richard, mercer, 199 Hayward, John, haberdasher, 91-2 Hayward, Thomas, 278 Hellow, Godfrey, importer, 380 Heneage (Hynage), Master, servant of Cardinal Wolsey, 427

455

Henham, Thomas, stapler, 132, 250 Henin (Hedynge), 37 Henley, poor (Richard, draper of Calais?), 232, 274 Henry VI death of, 22, 2 3 9 ^ 3 gives support to R. Heron, 105 loan to, 5 readeption of, 21, 103, 105 secretary of, 8 {and see Andrew, Richard) Henry VII (Henry Tudor), 23, 24, 25, 175, 234, 236, 288, 292, 300, 302, 350 and 1143, 360, 427 almsmen of, 324, 325 commissioners of, 343, 350 Navigation Acts of, 361 Henry VIII, 20, 239 servants of, 424, 425 Henry, famulus of Philip Celyer, 208 Herbert, Sir Walter, 213 Heritage, Thomas, stapler and skinner, I49n6, 247 Heron, Richard feud with Staple Company and Yorkists, 103-7 further activities of, 107 Hext, Edward, 268 Heyden, John (Jan) Van Der (Underhaye, Vandyrhay), of Malines, 64, 67, 94, 136, 138-9, 187, 205, 206 letter from, 205 Hide, William, importer, 380 Hill, Richard, grocer, 3, 145, 165 commonplace book of, 28, 57, 114, 133, 152, 168, 169-70; price-schedule for wools in, 143-5, Table 2; tables for reckoning wool prices, 167 Hill, Thomas, mayor of London, 6 i n i i 7 Hill, William, stapler, 71, 81, 289 Hoberd, John, of East Tilbury, 336 Hoberd (Hobard), Robert, 285 Hoberd, Thomas, of Mucking, 336 Hoberd (Hobard), William, of West Tilbury, 336; supplier of wheat, 347 Hoke, Peter, merchant of Calais, 298 Hoke, Piers (Perys), mariner, 382 Holland, 286,358 merchants from, 45, 136, 151, 157, 159, 174, 207, 209, 271, 286 sale of grain to woman of, 365 salmon from, 349 Hollond, James, ship's master, I3onio4 Holt, William, stapler, 104 Hondes (Handes), Thomas, mercer, 406

456

Index

Hongate (Hongat(t)), Roger, fishmonger, Hull, 130, 301; wool-fleet from, 286 200,402-3,411 Hungerford's wife, 312, 413 Hopkins, Sheila, 336 Hyll, John, wainman, 152 Horn(e), William, stapler and salter, 242, Hylle, Thomas, bosun, 379 Hyns see Ynns 245, 246 horses, 15, 40, 48, 49, 52, 73, 219, 275-7, 429 ailments of, 49, 63, 70, 74, 275-6 ambling, 278, 279; great grey trotting, 275-6, 321; hobby, 78, 279 costs: of hiring, 118-19, 342-3, 3445 362; of keep and pasture, 74, 276, 321 danger of having in war-time, 69—70 equipment for, 65, 73, 321, 346, 354, 363 feathers for, 219 fodder for: beans, 321; fenugreek, 7 1 ; hay, 73, 74; horse-bread, 330; 'horse-meat', 362, 363; oats, 49, 74, 321; straw, 74 named: Ball, 63; Bayard, 73, 275, 276; Great - , 275; Little - , 275; Bliss, 345; Py I, 69; Py II, 78, 79, 275; Roan, 73; Shy, 45; Sorrel, 45, 73; Great - , 276 pack, 130; transport by pack-horse, 119,350 prices for, 49, 73, 275, 276, 345 stabling for, at Calais, 99, 276-7, 354 value of, in war-time, 72 Hoskins, W. G., 6 Hosyer, John, stapler and mercer, Ii8n38, 199 Hotoft, Thomas, 336, 348 Hotton, Thomas, 219 Houghton, John, vicar of Aveley, 41 household budgets, 324, 326-33, 336-9 household furnishings, 279-80, 283; value of Agnes Cely's, 269 banker and cushions, 53-4, 65 beds and bedding, 65, 101, 210, 214, 274, 275, 279-80, 282, 344, 424, 429 hangings: arras, 209, 213, 426; 'chambering', 216; painted cloth, 283, 344 napery, 71, 101, 214, 263 taken in pledge, 101 Howard, John, Lord, 27, 287, 377 Howlake, Thomas, stapler, 137-8, 139, 250 Huetson, see Hughson Hugh(Padley?), 13 Hughson, Ebalt (Yowet Huetson), of Leiden, 91-3, 217

Hand, William, 357 He de Re (Rethe), 370 Ilott, Robin, workman, 334 Ipswich, 130, 232, 301 Ireland, 377 imitation budge from, 212 Isbrandson, Symond, of Delft, 207 Islington (Isylton), carters from, 119 Italian cloth-making processes, 113 Italians, English slur on, 25 see also Lombards Jacob, Master, physician of Bruges, 57, 219 Jacoby, John, broker, 209 Jacson (Jackson), William, mariner, 370 Jaculett, Master Jellys, 354 James, Nicholas (Anthony), stapler, 104 Jane (Joan), servant of Margery Cely, see Upton, Jane Janszon, Boppe, 93 Jarfford (Yerford), James, stapler and mercer, 353 Jenyn, tailor, 405 Jenyn, Moun (Mundus Jenyn, Mount Jenyn de Melat), cheesemonger of London, 383 John, 'child' of R. Cely II, 404 John (Copper?), servant of G. Cely, 332 John of Bristow, mariner, 364 John of Pontefract, son of Richard III, 238 John the priest {see also Wendon, John?), 88, 263 John, Harry (Henry), woolpacker, 132, I5oni2 Johnson, Arnold, of Antwerp, 207 Johnson, John, stapler, 114, 150, 184, 208, 217, 248 family of, 29, 114, 117, 119, 124, 148, 155-6, 165 papers of, 151, 152, 174 [Sabine], wife of, 114 Johnson, Otwell, 116, 217 Johnson, Peter, of Calais, 239 Johnson, Peter, of Delft, 158, 160, 207 Johnson, William, stapler, 104 Joyce, manservant of G. Cely, see Parmenter

Index Joye, Harry, 90, 407 Joye, Piers (Peter), 289, 372-3

457

Laete, Master John, of Antwerp, almanac maker, 213, 350 Laken, Richard, mercer, 197 Kaen, John A', see Caen Lam, Gerijt, 93 Lambe, John, woolpacker, 47 Kalcoun, George, of Ypres, 208 Lancastrians, 21, 22; in Bruges, 26 Katherine of Aragon, Queen, 314 Kay, John, servant of G. Cely, 13, 67, 78, Langstrother, Prior John, 26 Larderys, Peleger, alias Pellygger Calker, 159, 250 Kebell, Henry, lieutenant of Staple, 241, mariner, 370, 377 250 Laslett, Peter, 4 Keell, John, importer, 380 Lasse, servant of R. Cely II, 321 Kennett (Kenett), William, of Bruges, Laurence, handyman, 335 136, 206, 207, 218 Laurence, William, grocer, 327 Lawrans, mariner, 379 Kennington(s), Aveley, Essex, 279, 320 Lawson, Harry, ship's master, 80 Kent, Jeffrey, customs house weigher, Layne, Thomas, stapler, 44 124, 345 Le Conquet (Conket), 381, 382 Kerkebe, see Kirkeby Le Gaynard, Robert, of Bruges, 207, 305 Kesten, Thomas, stapler, 16, 35, 48, 82, Le Menagier de Paris, 312, 313, 315 91-103 Lees, George, part-owner of lock, 335 children of, 59, 102 Leicester, 6, 74, 350 goods given in pawn by, 101, 281 Dalton family of, 42, 74, 349-50 lodgings kept by, 36, 64, 94, 98-9 Newarke College, 9 maid of, 59, 99 Wigston family of, 245 redemption of royal jewels by, 103 Leiden (Leyth), 92-3, I49n6 207 sales of wool and fell by, 138, 161 Council of, 92, 183-4 wife of, 59, 95, 99, 101, 102 merchants of, 136, 149, 159, 174, 180, Kettering, Northants., 121; wool of, 167 181, 209, 233 (read Kesteven?) Lemington (Lemyngton, Lymyngton), Ketylby, Henry, 425 Ketylby, John, of Cotheridge, Worcs., John, of Leicester, stapler, 242, 245 Lemington (Lymyngton), Ralph, of husband of Margaret Cely, 426 and Loughborough, stapler, 43, 51, 82, mo Kevell, Robert, 321 196, 215, 229, 289 King, John, servant of R. Cely II, 323 Lemington, Rowland, stapler, 245 King, Oliver, secretary of Edward IV, 75 Lemster, William, servant of W. Dalton, Kingsford, C. L., 197; editorial practice 350 of, 35ni6 Lenallis, Edward, 215 Kingston, 354 letter, cost of carrying a, 346 Kirkeby, John, 336 Levyng (Leven, Lieven?), servant of Kirkeby (Kyrkeby), Nicholas (Nicklay G. Cely, 322, 346 Kerkebe), stapler, 249-50, 315-16 Liege (Luik), 285 Knight, Edmund, 358 bishops of: Louis de Bourbon, 285; Knight (Knyght), Robert, stapler, 44, 72; Jean de Horn, 357 broker at Calais, 140 Lighterman, Bartholomew, 320 Knight, Roger, stapler, 104 Lighterman, Spenser, 320, 347 Knyveton, Nicholas, 274-5 Lille (Ryssyll), 207, 291 Koke, Michael, of York, 9n25 Limerick (Lymeryck), Tudor drop-out, Alison, wife of ('Alison Michael'), 268 9n25, 74 Limerick (Lem(e)ryke), Elizabeth, 267-8 Kollett, poulterer, see Collett step-mother of, 267 Kyd, Thomas, carpenter, 256, 321 Limerick, Master [Thomas], 267-8 Kylton, William, haberdasher, 91-3 Lincoln (Lynkholl), Robert, bosun, 370 Kyng, Thomas, mariner, 392 Lincolnshire, purchase of wool in, 119 Lisle, Arthur Plantagenet, Lord, 29, La Rochelle, 370, 377 ioon72, 236-7

Index

458

Lisle, Honor, Lady, 29, 172, 345 Littlebere, 71 Littleborn (Lyllborn), 65 livery, 26 of R. and G. Cely, 80, 265 of William Maryon, 424 of Sir John Weston, 10, 41, 72 Llewellyn (Flewelen), John, mercer, 356 and n65, 401 Lloyd, T. H., 128, 246m 18, 297 Lokyngton, John, ship's master, 154 Lombards (financiers), 25, 176, 201, 217, 223, 305 buying wool in England, 266, 298 Lomelyn, Lasere (Lazare Lommelyn), 204 and n London as export-port for wool and fell, 119, 130

attack on (1471), 22 Carthusians of, 317 churches in: All Hallows, Barking, 318, 409; Clerkenwell Priory, 10, 75; Crossed Friars, 423; Friar Austins, 296; St Audoen, Newgate, 75; St Laurence, Pulteney, 100; and see St Olave, Hart St defence of, 22, 23, 72, 287 epidemics in, see pestilence and plague of 1487 Fleet Prison, 27, 41 Guildhall, 296; money paid into the,* 372 houses in: 'Cross Key', 353; 'Dolphin' (Dollffyn), 258, 325; 'Hermitage' (Armyttayge), 389; 'Unicorn', Mark Lane, 317 inheritance customs of, 256, 428 Leadenhall, 318, 323; king's beam at, 115, 120, 198; porters of, 120, 123, 124, 341; storage and packing of wool at, 124, 341 Livery Companies of: Drapers', 317; Fellmongers', 150, 287; Grocers', 246, 423; Mercers', 5, 19, 24, 26, 247, 312; - acts of court of, 28, 236, 274, 296-7, 388; - and Avery Rawson, 426-7; Skinners', 148 loan by, to Richard I I I , 236 mayor(s) of, 4, 24, 284, 296-7, 407; mayor's feast, 258; mayor's yeoman, 388 mint at, coinage charge of, 181, 405; price paid for Carolus groats, 201; for French crowns, 209

office of silk-weigher in, 426-7 places in: Billingsgate, 387; Blackwall, 367, 369; Blanchappleton (Blanke Chapell), 90; Charing Cross, royal mews at, 331; Holborn, 428; Paul's Cross, 83; Smithfield, 276; Tower Hill, 103; wool-quays, 130, 318, 387 Recorder of, 227, 425 streets in: Eastcheap, 351; Fleet St, 422; Ivy Lane, 428; Lombard St, 352, 401, 405; Mark Lane, 19; G. Cely's house and garden in, 71, 87, 317-18, 413, 428; Richard Cely's house in, 8, 87, 317-18, 324; Robert Cely's, 87; Mincing Lane, 318; G. Cely's properties in, 413, 428; Thames St, 5n9, 369; Woodruff (Woderof) Lane, 84 Tower of, The, 278, 286, 318; gun made in, 284; keeper of the lions at, 323; mint at, 405 wool-shipments from, Celys' share in, 163 wool-working crafts of, attack on wool-ships, 296-7 Lopez, John De (De Loopys, Delowppys, John Lowppys,? Jean Loupes) as major buyer of wool at Calais, 141, 206, 303, 308, 342,352-3 difficulties of, 357, 358-9, 360, 421 identity of, 221 London agents of, 340, 351, and see Cisneros; Valladolid partnerships of, 188, 189, 206-7, 221, 301, 308, 342, 360 payments: on continent, 184, 187-8; in England, 137, 201, 209, 288, 301-8, 351,398-9,400,406,407 recommends investment in * rated' wares, 355, 356 servant of, see Willikin lordship and patronage, 10, 27, 41, 77, 215, 274, 345 'good mastership', 40, 240, 349 Louis XI, king of France, 22, 35, 37, 38, 42, 53, 68-9, 71, 72, 105, 287, 291 Loupes, Jean; Johannes Loupes, see Lopez, John De? Lou vain, cloth of, H2n9; gloves of, 216 Ludford, 'rout' of, 104 Luik, see Liege Luntley (Lontlay, Lontelay), John, servant of Celys, 13, 63, 77, 265-6, 321, 323 Lyn, Jelyan, 260, 263

Index

459

purchase of, 362 pursers' expenses, 370 tunnage: of salt carried, 388; of wine carried, 372, 383, 393 victualling for, 351, 362, 363, 365, 366, 3673 369, 37i> 378, 379, 389-92 voyage: to Bay of Bourgneuf (1488), Maas, River, salmon of, 349-50 384-8; to Bordeaux (1486-7), Macfarlane, Alan, 2in75, 29niO2 369-76; (1487-8), 376, 381-4, 394; (1488-9), 385^92, 394 and Table 7; Machecoul (Mascoo), Brittany, 386 to Calais, 366-8; to Zealand (i486), Makow (Makko, Makso), Thomas, 364, 366; (1487), 376-8i mariner, 382, 392 Margery the pudding-maker, of Calais, Maiden, H. E., x; on wool-ships and 13, 79-80 pack-horses, 130; on supposed deaths of her children, 79—80 smuggling by Celys, 341 new clothes for her churching, 79 Malines (Mechelen), 64, 94; merchants Mark, Pas-de-Calais, 238 of, 207 Mallins (Malyns), Little Thurrock, Essex, Marlond, Henry, gent, and stapler, 244 Marshall, Thomas, stapler, 229 G. Cely's place, 255, 279, 319, 327, Martini, Johannes, 34 352, 369, 412 marts (see also Antwerp; Bergen-op-Zoom) glass windows for, 334 English merchant adventurers at the, work at, 321, 334-5 Man, Isle of, 367, 377 195-6 Manros, Edward, wainman, 152 financial transactions at, 187-92, 195-6, 198, 208, 400 (see also exchange Marchall, William, treasurer at Calais, loans) 140 instalments payable at, on wool Marchant, Clays, 45 purchases, 138-9, 161, 172, 178, 184, Margaret Cely ('the Marget'), 361-97, 186, 208, 209, 229, 235 403, 413, 419, 421 'money current at the mart', as distinct as armed escort for wool-fleet, 131, from 'money current in Calais', 179 367-8 proclamation of coinage tariffs at, caulking for, 364, 366, 377 137-8, 179,183-4 costs over, 369, 371, 373"4, 381, 383, shipping to, 197, 372, 376-7 394-7, 419 staplers as buyers at, 245—6 crews of: provision of drink for, 324, 367, 370, 371, 379, 381, 382, 389-90, Martynzon, Peter John, 93 391, 404; size of, 362, 364, 368, 391; Mary, daughter of Edward IV, 11 Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, see see also under wages Burgundy, Mary damage by a Spaniard, 366 fells carried in, 131, 368 Mary, Queen of England, clerk of, 430 fitting and repairs for, 362, 364, 366, Maryon, Richard, glover, 9 Maryon, William, stapler and grocer, 12, 367-8, 370, 378, 381, 389-90 36, 42, 46, 260 freight-charges for, 366, 368, 373, 376, background and family, 9-10 380, 393> 394, 396-7, 407 accompanies Celys to Essex during G. Cely's goods shipped to London in, pestilence, 48 344 account of money due him from fell goods exported in, 361; cheese, 383; sales, 273 cloth, 383; grain, 365, 378, 379 activities as a stapler, 111 goods imported in, 361, 372, 375, 383; as caterer for Cely family, 257, 265, from Antwerp mart, 380; from 312-13 Brittany, 386-7; salt, 387-8; wine, as executor for Agnes Cely, 89 372, 383, 393-4 as family correspondent, 46-7, 51, 52, portages in, 361, 372, 375, 379, 392-3 55, 70, 85, 87, 88, 266 profits from operations of, 368, 373—4, as member of Cely household, 64, 68 38i

Lyn, Thomas, butler, 257, 263 Lynd, John, stapler, 43 Lynd, William, stapler, of Northampton, 154 Lynn, King's, 189, 216 Lynne, Robert, woolpacker, 116

460

Index

Maryon, William (cont.) bequest from Agnes, unpaid, 395 'colourable shipping' by, 94—7 debentures of, 273 endeavours to comfort G. Cely's wife, 316 fells of, 64, 99, 154, 189; rejected by buyers, 160 funerary arrangements of, 257, 423 interferes in George's affairs, 69-70 money: borrowed from, 335, 404; contributed to Margaret Cely, 366, 369, 371> 373-4, 377-8, 390, 394; and received from - , 368, 373~4> 394~5; made over for, 190, 195 partnership in Margaret Cely, 361, 396-7 purchases for, 45, 51, 52, 65, 212, 216 relations with T. Kesten, 94ff shipments of fells (1488), 421 step-mother of (Mrs Waleys?), 423 trip to buy Margaret Cely, 362-3 will of, 423-4 wine imported by, 393 wool of, 132, 148 Mast, Clays, merchant of Leiden, 92-3 Mast, Cornelys, of Leiden, 207 Master, Peter, apprentice of John Johnson, 248, 249 Matthew, John, mercer, 192 Maudyslay, [Gilbert?], 41 May, Nicholas (Collard) De (Day May), wisseler of Bruges, 75, 187, 188, 189-90 Maynard, John, 7 Medycrofte (Medecroft, Merycroft), Thomas, mariner, 370, 371, 382 Medway, River, 130 Meer, Arthur Uber, of Ypres, 208 Meere, Lieven Huter (see also More, Levyn De?), 203-4 Melchbourne, Beds., 10, 78 mercers (see also London, Livery Companies) as merchant adventurers, 195, 196, 274 mercery, varieties of at Brabant marts, 212 merchant adventurers accused of arriving late at marts, 209 as partners in exchange loans, 194—8, 201-2, 208, 293, 306, 352, 356, 357, 399 as staplers, 3, 246 London Fellowship of, 19,^27, 197, 217, 372

restraints on trade by, 230, 293, 295-6, 352, 361 merchant-marks on goods, 154, 204, 219, 380 of Richard Cely I, 376; in St. Olave's church, 7 of George Cely, 376 merchants ' disworship' caused by false weights, 427 self-image of, 3-4, 28-9 social etiquette among, 12-14, i8ff, 241-2, 249 Meryman, Edward, parker of St John, 321 Mesdaw (Mesdach, Mesdowe), Collard, of Bruges, 207, 305 Mette, William, plumber, 32on64 Michael, Alison, see Koke, Michael Middelburgh, 295, 359; 'Lion' at, 25, 217 midwife, payment to, 332 Midwinter, William, woolman, of Northleach acts as match-maker, 267-8 as major supplier of Celys' wool, 63, 112, 119, 266; and of fell, 150, 162, letter from, 270 money owed to, 65, 298, 351-2, 403-4, 405, 406-7, 408, 409, 410, 416, 421-2 prices charged by, 122, 162, 270 purchases from, 116, 120-1, 270, 341 Rawson family give bonds to, 413-14, 416 Mile End affray at, 41, 84 gun tested at, 284 Miller, Thomas, 95-6 Molenars (Molyneux), Master, 255 Moll, Clays De, lawyer at Bruges, 208 money of account at Calais: £ sterling of Calais (£ sterling table, wool-pound), 136, 138-9, 166, 173, 175, 185; £ 'Flemish' or 'groot', 140, 172, 184, 302 for divisions of penny used by Staplers, 145 and Table 2, 166-9, 205 in Burgundian Netherlands, 164, 166; use of 'Flemish' to denote, 172, 184 in England (mere sterling), 164-5, 171i 175, 178, 181, 185, 186, 227, 230; values of foreign coin in, 228 in France, 370 method(s): of converting from one to another, 169-70; of reckoning, 165

Index money of account (cont.) wax-mark, 166 wool-mark of Bruges, 166, 167 Monsieur, Philip, see Cleves, Philip of Montgomery, Sir Thomas, 76-7; parker of, 276; wife of (?), 77 Morant, Philip, 319 Morcroft, Thomas, 188 More (Amore), John, baker, wife of, 90, 389 More, Levyn De, 205 More, Master Lowys (Lewes Mowre: Lodovico Moro?), Lombard, 353,403 More, Walter (Water), importer, 380 Morgan, Master, clerk of the Staple, 241 Morley, John, 313 and n23 Morley, Thomas, godson of Agnes Cely, 3131123

Morres, Henry De, 209 Morres, Piers, mariner, 364 Mortel, 37 Morton, Harry, shearman, 32on56 Moy, Lois (Lowis) De, (Lois Syr Moy) wisseler, 188, 190, 203, 207 Munden's chantry, Bridport consumables in accounts of, 336-9 priests of, 326 Munro, John H. estimations of Calais exchange rate by, 178, i83n7O price-schedule for wool found by, 143-5 music and dancing lessons, 33-5 hire of minstrel, 43 songs, 33-5, 38-9, 50 musical instruments: harp, 33-4; double - , 34; lute, 33-4, 210, 283; lute-strings, 210 Muston, Richard, stapler and mercer, 317 Muston, William, stapler, of Calais, 238 Mychellson, Patrick, ship's master, 363, 364 Myllar, of Erith, 369 Myller, John, of Bruges, 207 Mylner, William, of Erith, 323 Nandyk, Thomas, of Cambridge, nigromancer inventory of goods of, 281-3 Naples, 11 Naseby (Narsby), John, 234 Nelkin (Nellkyn), tailor, of Bruges, 33, 220, 346 Nesfield, Master [John], 72

461

Neville family, 8, 22 Newcastle, 72 Newenton, John, wisseler, of Bruges, 188 Newman, William, 311 Nicholson (Nycalson), Thomas, dyer, of London, 390, 393, 395 Nieuport, 303, 359 Nigrone, John Ambrosse De (Dene Grone), 398 Noneley (Nonneley), Richard, stapler and girdler, 203-4, 241, 244 Norborow, William, 407 Nores, Walter, ship's boy, 392, 393 Norfolk, 294 coverlets from, 282 epidemics in, 5911100, 61 Normandy, 344 canvas from, 117 Northampton, 74 G. Cely's 'cousin' from, 214, 411 Northamptonshire, 16, 119, 427 Cely properties in, 414 Northfleet, 324 Northleach, Glos. (Norlache), 63, 115, 120, 266, 267 church of, 267-8 Northumberland, Henry Percy, Earl of, 25, 278, 287 Norton, Master, surgeon, 266 and n45 Norton Mandeville (Meandry?), 41 Notre-Dame-de-Monts, 382, 391 Notte, William, 336 Nowell, soldier of Calais, 66 and n25 Nutry (Nutin?), 187 Nyghtyngale, 335 oath-taking, ceremonial of, 92 Ockendon, South, Essex (Wokingdon), 42n36, 320, 426 Crowescrofte and Southhouse Water in, 320 Oliver, Tibbot (Tybot), 370, 372-3, 374 Ormesby, Norfolk, 61 Ospringe, Kent, 362 Ostend, 131, 289, 355 Oudenbourg, 275 Oundle, Northants., fell-sales at, 151 Over, Little, Derbs., 311 Overton, Thomas, ship's master, 72 Oxbridge, Goddard, 250 Oxford, University of, 256 All Souls College, 8 Oxford, John de Vere, Earl of, Admiral of England, 421 Oxfordshire, R. Cely IPs properties in, 414

462

Index

balas ruby and pearls, 311, 413; 'bettor clee', 282; buttons, silver, 214; feathers, 218-19; fetterlock of Padley, Hugh, 249 gold, 315 and n; George, 32; Page, Richard, of Kent, wheat supplier, musk-ball, 214; necklace for a man, 347, 348 214; rings, 33, 51-2, 354, 424; Palmer, Gilbert (Gylbard Pallmar), wedding ring, 311; rosary (' beads '), mercer, 189, 190, 191, 192, 195, 201, 210, 214, 282 256 paper, cost of, 214, 283, 354 Peryman, packer of clift wool, 116, 353 pestilence ('the sickness'), 27-8, 46, 47, Parcar, John, of Dover, 363 48, 53, 62, 87 Pardo family, of Burgos and Bruges, epidemic of 1478—9; in Calais, 53, 55, 2O4n4, 340; Society of, 221 59; in London, 58-60; nature of, 60 Pardo, Juan (John), 340, 341, 342, 343, remedy against, 57 346, 417 see also 'plague' pardoner, payment to a, 90 Peter, fellow of Collard Ast, 188 Paris, parlement of, 105, 106 Parker, John, of Calais, 52, 238, 279, 289 Peterson, Clays, of Delft, 160 Peterson, John, see Johnson, Peter Parker, Piers, mariner, 370 Parker, Richard, stapler, son of John, 235, Petty, John, 372, 373; see also Salazar Petyt, 41 289 Parker, William, master of Margaret Cely, Peyrs (Perys), John, of Northleach, woolman, 112, 119-20, 122, 198 370 and n, 372 Picardy, 35, 37, 38-9 Parmenter, Joyce (Joisius Permanter), Pickering, John, mercer, 19 servant of G. Cely, 12, 13, 76, 78, Pighels (Pyghellys), Richard, fishmonger, 210, 275, 276-7, 278, 288, 289, 293 alien subsidy paid for, 322 200, 402 clothing bought for, 322 pilgrimage, 27, 43, 56 lent to R. Cely II, 74 purported, 92, 104 sends news to George, 79, 81, 159 to Our Lady of Camberwell, 408 takes charge of horses, 72 to St James of Compostella, 90 wages of, 81 piracy, 12, 72, 86, 157, 286, 290, 2926°, 297-8, 343, 353, 355, 356n65, 357, partition ordinances, 141-2 362 Pasmer, Brother, 40 Pasmer, John, stapler and skinner, 148, armed escort for fleets against, 131 171, 197, 247-8 'plague' of 1487, 60-61 Pasmer, Richard, Hospitaller, 248 in Calais, 61, 352 Paston family, 4, 23-4, 29, 58 in London, 60, 352 Paston, Agnes, 58 in Norfolk, 61 Paston, Edmund, 60—1 planets, calendar of the, 346 Paston, John II, 37, 41-2, 60, 220 plate, 89, 97, 245, 275 Paston, Sir John, 38, 58, 59-60, 264 displayed at month mind, 260-3 Paston, William, 58 items of, 31, 101, 214, 259, 424; garnish Paston, William III, 216 of, 257 Pasyngborn, Robert, see Torner of Agnes Cely, 89, 260-2 Paynter, John, 367 pewter, 257, 324 Plummer (Plumar), Robert, 77 Peacock's wife, oats bought from, 380 Plumpton, Edward, 66 Pelet, John, stapler and skinner, 148 Plumpton, Sir William, 74 Penell, John and Jerome, 398 Plumpton Letters, 29 Penmarch (Penmarcke), Brittany, 381 Plymouth, Devon, 286ni9, 369, 370-1, Margaret of, see Margaret Cely Peper, mariner, 379 382, 383, 390 Peper, John, 402 Pollson, Mychell, of Delft, 207 Pepys, Samuel, 318 Pontesbury, Richard, stapler and mercer, Percyvalle, 376 246, 299 personal ornaments: agnus dei, 214-15; Ponting, K. G., 113

Oye, 238

Index Pope Sixtus IV, 105-6 Portinari, Thomas, 103 Portugal, exports from, 212 Postan, M. M. calculation of relation of tax to value of wools, I27n93 on freight charge for Gascon wine, 376n6o on joint ship-management, 396 on letters missive, I99ni32 Pottry, Jacob, of Bruges, 207 Pounke, Hary, see Punt, Henry Power, Eileen, xi, 29, 78, 112 and n3, n6n26, 246 erroneous copy of Cely account, 228m 9 on fell-buyers, 149 on supposed ' sale of time' in wool-trade, 137, 174 Poynton, John, servant of R. Cely II, 323 Pratt, William, 20 Preston, Glos., fells from, 151 Primrose, Richard, 65 princes in the Tower, the, 239 probating wills, costs of, 255, 256, 257, 283 profit from grocers' trading, 246 from investment in land, 320, 421 from operations of the Margaret Cely, 396-7 on exchange loans, 190-2, 193-4 on sales of imported salt, 388; of wine, 376, 384, 394 on sales of wheat, 348, 365, 369 on sales of wool and fell, 121, 128-9, 246, 396, 418, 419 and n96; from discrepancies in weight, 133; reinvestment of, in imported wine, 384 on trading capital, 89, 416 Proud, Master, 64, 273 son of, 273 Proud (Prowde), Richard, 40, 41 Prout, Master, 330 Prout, John, stapler, 92, 103, 104, 242 Prout, Thomas, stapler, 39 proverbial expressions: all our evil go with them, 56; bear powder in the wind, 251; better pity than be pitied, 86; better rue sold than to rear hold, 4; between God and the devil, 418; blown clear out of one's beak, 251; bring a bear to the stake, 251; buy the cat in the sack, 111; far in sight, near in heart, 52; fletcher mending his bolt, 251; light winning make an

463

heavy purse, 4; many small make a great, 4; neither God's man neither man's, 96; now high, now low..., 102; play with a straw, 48; rather a scorn than a penny..., 86; sell all unto one's shirt, 100; smite iron, 251; take the great needle to the fine, 251 Punt, Cicily (nee Salford), 311 Punt, Elizabeth, widow, 428 Punt, Henry (Hary Pounke), 265^2, 311 daughters of, 311 Punt, John, 3iin9 Punt, Thomas, 311 Purfleet, Essex, 322, 363 Pursevant, Richard, parker, 321 Purssar, Richard, of Southampton, 363 Pycknam, Dr (William Pykenham?), 256 Pympe, John, 37 Pynner, Margaret, of Chipping Norton, supplier of fells, 151 Pyrton, Oxfs., 258 Queenborough, Kent, 390 rabbits, live, at wedding feast, 314 RadclirTe, baker of, 389 Radcliffe (RadclyfT), Sir John, 12, 219 RadclirTe, Robert, porter of Calais, 12, 54, 215, 218-29, 239*183, 278 denounced by Lord Hastings, 264 servants of, 264-5 Rade, Daniel Van De (Van the Rayde), of Bruges, 140, 207 Rade, Peter Van De (Wan De Ratthe, Rath), of Bruges, 138, 207 Rainham, Essex, 8, 426 properties of R. Cely II in, 413, 425 Ramston, gentleman of Sir Thomas Montgomery, 76, 77 Randall, Perys (Piers), bosun, 382 Randolf (Randell?), meter of grain, 347, 348 Randolf, Staple clerk, 68, 241 Raunnse, John, of Guines, 83 Rawson (Rasson), Anne, see Cely, Anne Rawson, Avery, mercer, 269, 404, 406, 413-14, 416, 424, 425, 428 given administration of G. Cely's will, 412, 422 later career of, 426-7 memorial to parents of, 426 money borrowed from 351-2, 403 Rawson, Christopher, mercer, 269, 413, 426 memorial brass of, 318

Index

464

Rawson, Isabel (Mistress Rasson), 269, 396, 407, 4i3-i4> 4i6 Rawson, John, mercer, 269, 413 Rawson, Nicholas, 428 Rawson, Richard, mercer and alderman of London, 247, 269, 323 daughters of, 269, see also Cely, Anne sons of, 247, 269 Rawson, Richard, priest, 424^ Raynold, Master Shaw's cousin, wheat supplier, 336, 347 Raynold (Raynowllde, Reynold), John, stapler and mercer, 200, 246, 402, 403 ready-reckoners for wool prices, 167 Record, John, of Bruges, 207 Rede, freemason, 255, 410 Rede, Bartholomew, man of, 405 Rede (Reyd), John, carter in London, 120, 281

Rede, John, woolman, 317^8 Rede, Thomas, harper and music-teacher of Calais, 33-4 Redehode (Redewhode), Thomas, of Calais, 45, 238 Redeman family, 245 Redeman (Redmayne), Alan, stapler, 92-3, 238-9, 243 servant of, 346 Reed, John, notary, 413 Relkys, 271 Remington, William, roper, 378, 389 Reynold, John, see Raynold, John Rhodes, 11, 75 Rich, Elizabeth (Helsabethe Reche), mercer, 196-7; see also Stonor, Elizabeth? Rich, Katherine, 35; wife of Thomas Betson and William Welbeck, 247,

Riche, Thomas, mercer, 400 Rither (Ryther), John, esq., 429 and n38 Rivers, Anthony Earl, 22, 72, 264 Robards, William, 45 Roberts, John, apprentice (?) of R. Cely II, 119,323 Rochester, Kent, 342-3, 362 Roderigo, ship-owner, 347, 348 Roelandts (Roelens), William, wisseler of Bruges, 75, 188 Roger, boatman of Grays, 332 Rogers, Thomas, 75 Rogers (Roggers), William, servant of G. Cely, 165, 250, 307, 323, 384 account by, 385-7 as factor on Bay voyage, 384 assists with accounts for Chancery auditors, 408-10, 418 Romans, King of the, see Burgundy, Dukes of (Maximilian) Rome alleged pilgrimage to, 104, 105 R. Heron's proceedings at, 105-6 Sir John Weston's visit to, 106 Rondelle, Martin, armourer of Bruges, 220

Roosse (Ros, Rose), John, mercer, 52, 53, 54-5, 208 roses as badges in Bruges (1493), 26 wars of the, 21, 224; and R. Heron, iO3ff; and the Celys, 24, 26 Ross, Charles, 24 Ross, John {see also Roosse), 171 Rosse, William, 237 Rotterdam, siege of, 359 Roubaix, 291 Rouen, merchants from, 45, 178 Rover, Robert, 155 250 Rydley (Rydelay), John, of Orsett, wheat Rich, Thomas, mercer, 196, 250 supplier, 336, 347 Richard, carter of Derby, 316 Ryfflyng, John, stapler, 221 Richard III, King, 24, 236, 264, 288, 302, Rygon, Edmund, draper, 310 apprentices of, 249-50, 316 350 will of, 310, 316 as Duke of Gloucester, 278, 287 Rygon, Margery, see Cely, Margery burial of, 25 Ryken, factor of Jois Frank, 205 coronation of, 216, 287 death of son, 23, 293 Rynd, Robert, 223 diplomacy of, 291, 292-6, 297 hawks and hounds of, 331 sack-weight, see weights and measures jewel of, 31^413 (wool) licence to mother to export wool, 300 Sacokkys (Sawcokys, Socketts Heath), loan from city of London to, 236 Little Thurrock, George Cely's seizure of throne by, 12, 23, 157, 287 place, 312, 320,412 seizure of wool by, 23, 300 work done at, 334

Index Saddler, William, 321 safe-conducts, 346, 354-6, 358 sail canvas, 366, 370, 382, 386 St Bavon's mart (Bammis mart), see Bergen-op-Zoom St David's, Thomas Langton, bishop of, 24 St James, see Compostella St John of Jerusalem, order of, 10, 16, 75 St John's, lord of, see Weston, Sir John St Katherine's, 336 and ni43 St Loy, patron saint of horses, 48 St Mary Spital, rent-gatherer of, 405 St Olave, Hart St, London, 7, 87, 423 advowson of, 318, 4 2 4 ^ , 425nnio, 12, 14 bequests by Cely family to, 7, 91, 255, 256, 269-70, 404 Cely memorials in, 7, 255, 318 churchwardens of, 403, 404 parish of, 318 rectors of, 320, 424n3 St Omer(s), 38, 69,77, 156, 284, 285, 350-1 St Quentin, 37 St Tricat, 83 Salamanca, Pedro De (Petter Salamon), 294, 340 sale of grain to, 347-8 Salazar, 'Petty John', 350 Salford, John, mercer, 2 9 5 ^ 7 , 393 Salford, Richard, 311 Salford, William, stapler and mercer, 244, 246,309,311 Salins, 39 Salisbury, Richard, mariner, 364 Salisbury, Richard Neville, Earl of, 104 Sail, Romenett De, stapler, of Calais, 238-9 salt Celys import of, 384, 387-8 petty costs on, 387-8 sales of, 387 Samson, Thomas, mariner, 372 Sanders, lighterman, 347 Sandwich, Kent, 130, 131, 156, 290, 291, 362, 364,381 law-suit at, 342-3 Sanwic, Thomas A', bosun, 379 Sauly, Peter, Genoese, 401 Savage, 65 Scarlet's wife, ale-seller, 258 Scermere, John De, of Ghent, 113, 117, 187, 188, 204-5, 207, 210, 217 letter of introduction for, 203

465

Schylton, Piers, treasurer at Calais, 242 Scofield, Cora, 286 Scot, John, of Essex, 320 Scotland ambassadors to England, 72 English campaigns against, 11, 22-3, 73, 278, 286 English relations with, 23, 72 forays into England from, 287 French encouragement for, 72 merchants of, in the low countries, 223; see also Halyburton, Andrew pirates of, 73, 286 wool of, 142m 58 Scott, Sir John, Marshal of Calais, 237 wife of, 51, 215 searchers (of ships), 369, 378; censorship by, 23, 302, 350 The Second Dialogue of Accounting by Counters, 165 Segon, William, 100 Sele [Cely?], Robert, fishmonger, 89 Seller, Philip, see Celyer, Philip Selonder, John De, of Malines, 207, 305, 307 Sely, see also Cely Sely, John, alias John Saly, John Bartholomew, 6 Sely, John, brewer, 5 father of, 5-6 Sely, Simon, 5 Semer, Thomas, feoffee of R. Cely II, 425 Sepam, John, see Fepam Sesseneros, Alvord De, see Cisneros, Alvaro De Shaa, Edmund, 296 Sharpe, Thomas, stapler, 44 Shaw [Shaa?], Master, cousin of, 336, 347 sheep mortality among, 151, 298 prices for, 76, 335 Romney, 76, 312 Sheldon, Hemond, 219 Shelley, John, mercer, sheriff of London, 19-20, 317 wife of, 20 Shelley, Thomas, mercer, 19—20 wife of, 356n65 Shepey, William, 260 Sherwell, supplier of hay, 335 Shipden, R., 213 shipping trade advantages of investment in, 316 disadvantages for Celys, 396-7 profits from, 365

466

Index

ships basic wage for particular voyages, 372; to Bordeaux, 370, 371, 393; to Calais, 368; to and from Zealand, 379 convoys for, 131, 197, 234, 388 English, arrested in Zealand, 354 named: Anne Cely (Anne of London), 385, 388, 411; Anthony of London, 392; Battle, 131; Blythe of London, 130m04; Burnet, 368; Carvel a Dieu, 373s 3755 Carvel of Eu (Carvyll off Hewe), 290, 294 and n54; Christopher Fynkell, 131; Christopher Grene, 131; Christopher of Bradwell, 13 in 112; Christopher of London, 363; Christopher of Rainham, 131, 154; Clement (the king's ship, the), 234; Clement of Southwold, shipwreck of, I55> 397> 4 2 i ; Cropsaunt, 294; Fortune of Alburgh, 421; George of London, 94, 153; James of London, 129; James of Southwold, 90; Jelyan Chamber, 131; Jesus of London, 131m 12; John of London, 280, 281; La Governore, 370n39; La Seynt Marie of Portaly, 362n3; Mary Daubeney, 281; Mary Grace of London, 154, 155; Mary of Brekellyssay, 130; Mary of Deptford, 155; Mary of Hamburg, 2121146; Mary of Mailing, 130; Mary of Middelburgh, 2i2n46; Mary of Rainham, 131; Mary Plantagenet, 3jy, Mawdelyn, 294; Michael, 290; Michael of the Tower, 73; Nicholas of Fowey, 294; Rumbold Williamson, 355; Sunday of Por Chester, 367; Thomas of Maidstone, 154; Thomas of New Hythe, 129; Thomas of Rainham, 130; Trinity of Dover, 343; Trinity of Milton, 130; Trinity of Southwold, 90 Spanish, 355 varieties: carrick, 368; cog, 80; crayer, 131, 357; hoy, 130 see also Margaret Cely Shonke, William, 336 Shouldam (Sholldam), Thomas, of Marham, Norfolk, 394 silver (see also plate and gold and silver) books of, 214 Sinxen mart, see under Antwerp Sion College, 8 Sittingbourne, Kent, 342-3 Skampion, Avery, deputy silk-weigher, 427

Skege, farmer of G. Cely, junior, 429-30 Skepwith, Harry, 160 Sluys (Sluis), 290, 355 English merchants imprisoned at, 358 Smett, Jyllys De, wisseler, 190 Smith, John, 390, 393 Smith (Smethe), John, mercer, 341, 404, 406 Smith, John, of Wrotham, 335 Smith, William, merchant, of Stratford, Norfolk, 390 Smith, William, woolman, 317 Margaret, wife of, 317 Smith, William, woolpacker, 133 Smith's wife, 288 Smythe of the Staple, 236 Smythe, Robert, ship's master, 379, 382, 388 Smythe (Smith), Thomas, alias Clark, 429-30 and n39 Soll(e), Robert, stapler, of Calais, 160, 238 Somerset, Henry Beaufort, Duke of, 104 Soria, Gomez De (Gomers, Gomes, Gomys; Desore, Dessore), 184, 221, 342, 355, 359, 360, 398, 399, 402-3, 406, 407, 421 South Sand Head, 343 Southampton, 123, 266, 362, 381 Southwold, ships of, 90 Spain exports of grain and peas to, 347 merchants of, in London, 340 wine from, 265 Spenser, lighterman, 320, 347 Spenser, John, stapler (and draper?), 36, 188, 190, 199 goods of, carried by Margaret Cely, 380 Spenser, Thomas, 354 Speryng, John, servant of G. Cely, 13, 250,323,347,359,377,411 accounts of: for buying grain in Essex, 347-8; for costs of haymaking, 333-4, 336-8; for travelling to Sandwich to arrest a Spaniard, 342—3, 347 as purser and merchants' factor on Celys' ship, 369-71, 375~84> 385-6, 393, 404 portages of wine for, 373, 374 wages of, 377 Speyer, 107 Spufford, Peter, 180 Spyer, William, of Chipping Campden, supplier of fells, 151 Spyngell (Spengel), John, 'Lombard', 201, 207

Index Stabylyon (Cabylian, Stabylton), Thomas, of the 'Dolphin', ale-brewer, 258, 325 Stamyr, Ralph, mariner, 379 Staple Company (the Fellowship of the Staple for Wools at Calais) agreements with the council on custom and subsidy payments, 226ff assistants of, 241 brokers of, 160 clerk of, 68, 241 collectors of, 18, 132, 225, 242 complaints about breaches of coin tariff, 183-4 conductors of, 242 constables of, 18, 92, 93, 116, 240, 241, 293 court of, 92-3, 232, 233, 235, 237, 240, 353; description of, 241-2 customers of: complaints by, 35, 113, I33> I34~5> I 4 2 - 3 J I44> I49n7> 160, 173; effect of fighting upon, 206, 271, 286, 291, 298, 356; effect of monetary instability on, 186; introduction of new, 203; shortages of, 38, 48, 206, 299 debentures of, 224, 273, 281; partitions on, 225 deputy lieutenant(s) of, 240 embassy to Council of Flanders, 293-4 expels aldermen of Calais, 238-9 feud with R. Heron, 103-7 freedom of: by apprenticeship, 248-50; by redemption, 247-8; through patrimony, 247 lieutenant(s) of, 39, 46, 80, 81, 104, 229, 230, 231-2, 240, 241, 274, 303, 348; a guest of G. Cely, 271; selects 'warding' sample of wool, 132; asked to pay Robert's fare home, 85 impositions on sales, 132, 140, 225n3 loans to Edward IV, 103, iO4ff, 124 lobbying by at parliament time, 353 married men of the, challenge by, 44 mayor(s) of, 5, 104, 227, 230, 240, 356; mayor and fellowship asked to intercede with king to restore Flemish goods, 291 obligations of the, 225 'offices of charge' of, 239, 241-2 ordinances of, 20, 113; for admissions, 247, 248, 249; for clearing stocks, 163; for fell-binders, 157; for partition, 141-2; for payment for purchases cash down, 39, 233, 301-8;

467

for preference to old wools, 133-7, 204; for shipping (1565), 130, 135; for woolpackers, 116-7; forbidding staplers to sell in England (1565), 147; on maximum weight for bales, 141 Place, The (Staple Hall), 82, 83, 154, 231; table of coin valuations in, 160, 174, 175, I76n5i; watches kept in, 45, 221; 'pointers' of, 130 seal of, letters of attorney under the, 353, 354 size of membership of the, 242-3, 245 solicitor for the, 232, 235, 403, 404 takes up money at London to meet the king's surplusage, 235 treasurers of, 18, 97, 240-1, 242, 403; at Calais, 140, 160, 192, 231 treasury of the, books in the, 310 Treaty of Intercourse of 1478 and the, 35, 291 warrants for payment of partitions, 225, 228, 231-4 Stapleford Abbots, Essex Pynchebexe in, 428 and n35 Stapleford Hall, 429, 430 staplers as target for attack by London woolworkers, 296-7, 341-2 as traders in other commodities, 245-6, 274, 295n59 forbidden to attend mart at Bergen-op-Zoom, 295-6 partnership among, 2in75, 243—5 ' sweepstake' made by a small group of, 299, 300, 301 Starkey, Richard, 189 Staunton, Harold, 65, 216, 218, 271, 358 Steel (Style), John, 407 Steel, Thomas, mercer, 317 Stephenson, William, chantry priest, 404-5 Stepney, property of G. Cely jun. at, 428 sterling table, see money of account at Calais sterlings for groats, system of selling at, 194-5 Steven, water-bearer, 313 Stevens, William, of Calais, 156 Stevenson, Thomas, constable of the Staple, 92; accused of fraud, 118 Stifford, Essex, 426 Goseford's in, 320 priest of, wheat bought from, 380 Stocker, John, stapler and draper, 244, 245

468

Index

Stocker, Robert, man of, 292 Stocker, Sir William, stapler and draper, 226, 232, 235, 240, 244, 245 Stodell, John, alias Todell, Spaniard, 376 Stoke(s), Richard, stapler and salter, 103 and n8o, 246, 318 Stonor family, 4, 29; daughters of, 310 Stonor, Elizabeth (nee Croke), widow of Thomas Rich, 29, 58, 130, 196-7, 313a 325, 329; see also Rich, Elizabeth? Stonor, Jane, 121 Stonor, Joan, 256 Stonor, Thomas, 256, 257, 258-9 Stonor, Sir William, 29, 115, 137, 163, 196-7 and m i 9 , 250, 322, 325, 418 Anne, daughter of, 426 Stope, Roelef, of Leiden, 92 Storcke, Gabriel, bosun, 364 Stow, John, 7 Stratford, Prioress of, 335 Stratford-at-Bow, 87, 387 G. Cely's property at, 312, 335, 428; glass window put in at, 334 Strossy, Marcus (Marco Strozze), 401 subsidy {see also custom and subsidy), 5, 153 collected without grant of parliament, 234 Suffolk, 294 sureties, 94 for payment: for staple wool, 206; in England, 304, 305; of custom and subsidy, 95-6; of exchange loans, 86; of small loan, 219; to court in Bruges, 208 Sutton (-at-Hone, Kent?), 10, 48 Swan, John, 320 Sybsey family, staplers, 245

Tayllar (Tayler), James, mariner, 370, 377> 379, 382 Tayllar, John, ship's cook, 364 Tayllar, Morris, wainman, 152 Tayllar, William, wainman, 152 Taylor, Jenkin, of Farmington, woolman, 112,

121,

132

Taylor, Lady Margaret, 317 Taylor, Nicholas, mercer, 358 Taylor, Peter, 322 Taylor, Piers, 32 Taylor, Sir William, stapler, grocer and alderman, 317 Tewkesbury, battle of, 22, 26 Tewne the packer, 280 theft {see also piracy), 24, 45-6 by Robert Cely, 90 of bed-coverings, 239-40 of ship and cargo of wool, 131, 343 wayside robbery, 78 Therouanne (Tyrwyn), 53, 69, 284, 350-1 Thirsk, John, stapler, 104 Thomas, servant of Margery Cely, 316, 332 Thomas, John, mariner, 364 Thomson, Joan, servant of Agnes Cely, 265 burial of, 266 Thomson, John, workman, 335 Thornborough, John, treasurer of the Staple, 241 Thornborow, tiller and dyker, 334 Thornburgh (Thornburght), Roland, Hospitaller, 13, 75 Thorp, John, stapler, 225 Throkylton, John, vestment maker, 270 Thrupp, Sylvia, I7n62, 2in75, 246, 324, 327 Thundersley Park, Essex, 276 Thurrock Grays, Essex, 348 Tabary, Wauterin (Watkin Tabere), of Thurrock, Little, Essex, 426 Gravelines, 51, 54, 277, 354 Mallins in, 319 Talbot, Sir Humphrey, marshal of Calais, Sacokkys in,312 69, 72, 237, 290 Thurrock, West, Essex, vicar of, 332 tale: great (long hundred of six score), Thwaytes, Thomas, Treasurer of Calais, 152, 164; small (short hundred of five 237 score), 152, 154, 164 Tibbot, Tybot, see Oliver, Tibbot Tame, John, stapler, i29niO3, 245 tips and presents: as 'drink-silver', 54, Tate, Master, purser of, 371 223; at buying of Margaret Cely, Tate, John, alderman, stapler, 104, 242 362; to awkward neighbour, 264; to Tate, John, junior, stapler and mercer, debtor, 84; to inn-servants, 362; to 97, 154, 241, 242, 244, 245 officials, 76, 77, 371; to tradesmen at Tate, Robert, stapler and mercer, Christmas ('offering money'), 326 alderman of London, 46, 241, 242, Tobe, John, wainman, 152 244,245,317 Tode, Richard, ship's mate, 392

Index Todell, John, see Stodell Tom, servant of W. Maryon, 42 Tom, servant of G. Cely, 322 Tomson, servant of Sir J. Weston, 49 Topsham, Devon, 377 Torner, Robert, alias Pasyngborn, mariner, 392 Tourney family, staplers, 245 Tourney (Torney, Turney), Robert, stapler, 81 lodgings at Calais kept by, 289 wife of, 271 Townsend, baker, 367 Towton, battle of, 104 travel costs {see also horses, costs of hiring) between: Bruges and Calais, 344-5; Calais and Antwerp, 2100137; England and Calais, 42, 68, 74, 85, 281, 345, 353; London and the Cotswold area, 266; London and Sandwich and Dover, 342-3, 362-3 for fare of voyage to Compostella, 90; boat-hire across the Thames, 266, 332; meals, 333; party from Calais to Boulogne, 43 Treaty of Picquigny (1475), 22, 35, 105 of Intercourse (1478), 35, 40, 42, 134-5, J36, i735 293, 303; attempts to reinstate provisions of, 291, 293 of Arras (1482), 23, 287 of 1496 ('Magnus Intercursus'), minor nature of, 360 of 1499, and negotiations towards it, 112, 143, 175,350,360 Trewtall, Robert, mariner, 372 Trotter, Bennet, stapler and grocer, 271 Trowtyn, 65 Tunstall, Sir Richard, 65, 237 Turney, Robert, see Tourney, Robert Twissulton (Twesylton, Twyssullton), of Calais, 47, 74, 275, 276, 349, 353 Twigge, Richard, mercer, 83, 84, 199 White, servant of, 84 Twigge, Robert, mercer, 92 Tylde, Wotter Van, of Courtrai, 207 Tyllar, mariner, 382 Tyrrell, Sir James, 300, 355, 357 Tyrrell, Thomas, senior Elizabeth, widow of, 42^6 Tyrrell, Thomas, junior, 215, 376 Ubermeer, Arthur, see Meer, Arthur Uber

469

Underhaye, see Heyden, John Van De Unton, Thomas, 219 Upminster, Essex, 8 R. Cely IPs properties in, 413, 425 Upminster Hall, 279 Upton, Jane (Joan), servant of Margery Cely, 316, 322, 333, 422, 427 William, husband of, 427 Valke, Jacob, importer, 380 Valladolid (Bayle, Bayle & Delyte, Bayle & Delytt, De Baylle, Vale de Leet, Vayle & Delyt, Walle Delett), Peter, 302-8, 340, 389, 393-4, 408 Vavasour (Vavyser), Henry, see Brazier, Harry Veer (Camfer), 295 Veere of Cranham, supplier of oats, Venables, boatman, 266 Veneke, John, goldsmith, 31, 265, 311 Venice merchants of, at Bruges, 11 wool exported to, 123 Villiers (Vyllarys), Charles, stapler, 43, 81 Vinceguerre, Louis, 111 Vincent, tailor, 65 Vincent, Robert, ship's master, 343-4 Vynt, Absolom (Abyslond) De, wisseler, 188 Wade, of the king's house, 347 Wade, old, of Bercotts, 335 Wade, Thomas, servant of W. Maryon, 351,362,363 Wadecobe, 256 wages, to Calais garrison, 5, 175, 184, 224 casual assistants at funerals and wedding, 257, 313 carpenters, 366 chantry priests, 255 George Cely as factor, 36; his servant Joyce, 81 haymakers, 333 midwife, 332 persons repairing fells, 156 ship's crews, 364, 370, 371-2, 377, 379, 382, 391-3 soldiers on convoy duty, 131, 368 wet-nurse, 323 workmen on George's properties, 334-5 watches at Calais, 45, 221-2 in London, 287, 297; costs of, 288

470

Index

Wagstaff of Yarmouth, wheat supplier, 347 Walden, John, stapler, 104 Waleys, John, brother's son of W. Maryon [i.e. son of step- or half-brother?], 423-4 Walgrave, William, 340 Walker, workman, 334 Wallys, Robert, servant of G. Cely, 322 Waltham, Forest of, 257 Walysshe (Walsh), James, mariner, 370,371 Wareham, Robert, gent., husband of Isabel Cely, 425 Warner, Robert, of Watlington, woolman, 115 Warner, William, armourer, 356 and n65, 401 father of, 356n6s Warwick, Richard Neville, Earl of, 21, 22, 104, 131,343 Warwickshire, fells from, 149, 150 Waterman, John, smith, of Aveley, 321 Watford, Herts., 9 church of, 423 vicar of, 52 William Maryon's properties in, 423-4; West Mead, 423; Wiggenhall Bridge, 423 Watkin, falconer, 78 Watkin, purveyor of poultry, 257 Watkin, servant of Agnes Cely, 265, 324 Wayte (Whayt), Harry, stapler, 85, 235 Wee, H. Van Der, 183 weights and measures for ale, 324-5 beer, 324 cloth, 101, 214 gold, 181 grain, in Zealand, 365 salt, 388nioi wine, 258, 325, 373 wool: at Antwerp, 133; at Bruges, 133, 167; at Calais, 133, 166; in England, 114—5, 133; G. Cely's confusions between, 307-8 Welbeck (Welbeke, Whelbeke), William, stapler and haberdasher, 189, 192, 197, 246, 250, 380 wives of, 247 Welle, Robert, tallow-chandler, 389 Welles, William, miller, 335 Wellis, Richard, 189 Wells, haymaker for G. Cely, 333 Wells, John, of Antwerp, supplier of painted cloth, 216

Wells, Thomas, workman, 335 Wellys (John Welles?), physician, 91 and n Wendon, John, chantry priest, 263 Wendy, John, 35on43 Wennington, Essex, 279 G. Cely's properties in, 413; Celyes Marshes in, 320 Wessyll, Jacobus Van, see Hankin West, William, carpenter, 321 West Ham, Essex, 424, 425 Weston, Sir John, prior of St John of Jerusalem in England, 10-12, 26, 40, 64,87 attends christening of king's daughter, 68 bedfellow of, 47 chaplain of, 75 embassy to France by, 62, 66, 69, 89 household of, 40, 49, 75 invitations to R. Cely II, 51, 56, 58 lends R. Cely II pony and hawk, 78; hawk and keeper, 79 letter of protection from, 77 loan transactions of, 201 makes representations at Rome in case of R. Heron, 106 news conveyed from (?), 287; sent to, 11,63 niece of, 340m oversees defences in London, 72 purchases for, 49, 51, 65 receives Margaret of Burgundy, 66 reception by the pope, 106 regrets death of hawk given him, 52-3 secretary of, 66 'thinks long' for R. Cely II, 47 unpaid obligation of, 410 visits: to Naples, 11; Rhodes, 75, 106, 201; Rome, 106 Westwell, Oxfs., 112 Wetherfeld, servant of William Lynd, 154 wh-, see also w-

Wharley, supplier of oats, 321 Whayt, Harry, see Wayte, Harry Whelbeke, see Welbeck Whellar, John, wainman, 152 Whete, John, sergeant of Calais, 101 Whetehill, Richard, stapler, 104 Whethe [White?], 334 White, Thomas, mercer, 309 Whitebrede, Henry, 317 Whorme, John, 160 Whyte of Broadway, wool supplier, 83

Index Wigston, Leics., 9 Wigston (Wyggeston, Wyxston) family, staplers, 6, 16, 245 Wigston, Roger, stapler, 74, 241, 245 wife of, 74 Wigston, Thomas, 42 Wigston (Wyggeston), William, 6, 213, 225 Wijnsberg, Ghijsbrecht Van, of Bruges, 207, 301-6 move to arrest, 293, 303-4 spellings of his name, xi Wiking (Wykyng), William, stapler and skinner, 18, I48n3, 242 William, apprentice of Robert Cely, 82, 248 William, Friar, 256n4 William, servant of G. Cely junior, 429 William, servant of John Elderbeck, 239-40 William, Master [Ball?], chaplain of Sir J. Weston, 75 William, Celys' chaplain, see Stephenson William the falconer, 55, 56, 57 William the parson's man, 83 Wiliamson, Cornelius, of Delft, 161 Williamson (Wyllyamson), Davy, mariner, 370 death of, 371 Williamson (Williamzon), Jacob, of Delft, 180, 186, 207 Williamson, John, of Leiden, 180 Williamson, Philip, stapler, 44 Willikin, servant of John De Lopez, 302-6 Wiltshire, James Butler, Earl of, 104 Winchcomb, Glos., 267 Windout (Wyndout), Thomas, stapler and mercer, 244, 246, 356n65 Windsor, Bucks., 324 court at, 80 Windsor, George of, son of Edward IV, 8 wine at Calais, 288-9; price of, 289 Celys' imports from Bordeaux: costs over, 375—6; purchases of, 371—6; selling prices in England, 376, 393-4 domestic purchases of: bastard, 330; malvoisie, 330; ossey, 329, 330; romney, 265; tyre, 258 wine-fleet, the, 286 Winter, John, of Havering-atte-Bower, 321 Wischaert, Thomas, 203 wisselers, 172, 187-90, 209

471

Wither, Richard, haberdasher, 92 Wode, John, stapler, 243 Wode, Richard, grocer, of Conventry, 317 Wode (A'Wode, Wood), Richard, stapler, 43,215,317 mother of, see Taylor, Lady Margaret? Wode (Whode), Thomas, 271 Wodelas (Wodeless, Wodellas), Robert, ship's master, 389, 392 wife of, 389 Wokingdon, see Ockendon Wolpytt, John De, 207 Wolsten, Robert, supplier of fells, 151 Woodville family, 264-5 Woodville, Elizabeth, Queen, 22 wool see fleece-wool wool-fleets, 63-4, 129-32, (in 1565): 135 attacks at London on, 296-7, 299, 300, 341 conduct ('wafting') of, 131, 234, 367-8 organization of, 130 payments by shippers in, 124, 130 ship in one, attacked by pirates, 286 turn back to London, 297, 343 wool-gatherers, 267; see also Cely, John wool-houses, 45, 64, 80, 155; in the Duke's Inn, 155 rents for, 155 wool-packers (winders), 144, 116 at Calais, 121, 132; supervisory, 237 oath of the, 116-17 woolpacks (bales) 'gelding' of, 121, 124, 140-1 markings on, 118 sizes of: blot, 116, 118; pocket (c.48 cloves), 116, 118, 141; poke (c i\ sacks), 118; sarpler, 112, 117-18, n8n37, 166 wool-pound, see money of account; at Calais Worcester, John Tiptoft, Earl of, 4, 103 Wordington (Wordyngton), William, draper importer, 380 exporter of cloth, 383, 407^4 Wotton, Edmund, mercer, 197 Wren, William, smith, 321 Wryght, John, stapler, 44 Wryght, Thomas, stapler, 44 Wyche, Dame Alice, 257 Wyggeston, see Wigston Wyght, Thomas, 400 Wylchyr (Wylshyre), cook, 257 Wylcok, John, fellmonger, of Southwark,

472

Index

Wylde, Thomas, waxchandler, 256 Wylowly, Richard, stapler, 44 Wylsson (Wyllson), William, ship's master, 153, 154 Wynde, Saunder, sergeant at Calais, 101 Wynger, John, mayor of London, 258 Wynter, William, ship's cook, 382 Wyxston, see Wigston Wyytte (White), servant of Richard Twigge, 84 Yarmouth, see Arnemuiden Yarum, Robert, mercer, 283 Yerford, James, see Jarfford Ynge, John, stapler, 293 Ynns (Hyns), Master, 219 Yonge, Sir John, stapler and grocer, 240, 247m 23 York, 25, 286

chapter of, 8 horse bought at, 48 Richard Andrew and, 8, 9 Richard Cely junior's connections with, 9; visits to, 74 York, Cicily, Duchess of, 300 York, Richard, Duke of (d.1483?), 287 Yorke, Sir Richard, stapler, 240 Yorkists, 21, 22 in Bruges, 26 Ypres, 208, 285, 291 embassy to Ghent, 358 scepens of, 208 Zealand (see also Margaret Cely, voyage[s] of), 280, 285, 294-5, 354* 358, 359> 377 grain sold in, 365