Customs Frauds in Kingroad and the River Severn, 1588
Source: Transcribed by: Vanes, J. (ed.), Documents Illustrating
the Overseas Trade of Bristol in the Sixteenth Century, (Bristol
Record Society Publications, Vol. XXXI, Kendal, 1979), No. 31, pp.
49-50.
Manuscript: B.L. Lansdowne MS. 55, no. 25, fo. 79.
p. 49
After the shipps hath taken in at the Key and Hungrode lawfull
merchandice,
then the shipps goes into Kingrode and thear rides to
take in victuell
and prohibited merchandice which comes to them owt
of Wales or Glocester
in woodbusshis or trowes a tide or two before
they make saile when thease
victuell and merchandice is aborde the
shipps, woodbushis or trowes, then
they ar so provided with unlawfull
weapons as bills, javelins, bowes,
arroes, gones and desperate hired
cutters owt of Wales which will use
most dishonest speechis, so that no
officer shall enter aborde them, but
such as they ar sure of and divers
shipps doth take in their ladinge in
Kingrode because they will stoe
their victuell and prohibited merchandice
in such manner that no
officer shall finde the same without unromyginge
of all the goods in the
shipp which is a great chardge and trouble to
do in that wilde rode.
If the honors of the shipps in Kingrode or company
aborde them do
suspect the commynge of any officers abord when thease
victuell and
prohibited merchandice ar abord when they ride in Kingrode,
then
theie will by shyppinge of an ancker fall into the Wellsh rode which
is
adjoyninge to Kingrode and, beinge in the Welsh rode they are in my
Lord of Worcesters lybertie and thearfore owt of controllment of the
officers
of Bristoll.
If the merchantes cannot perceave it for their best to torne
to thease
shiftes aforesaid, then theie will appoint the woodbusshes and
trowes
to meete them when they are under saile with thease victuell and
unlawfull merchandice and so come to them with desperate weapons
and hired
cutters by the cullor of a cockett or warrant made in a
shumakers or a
bakers name which never was acquainted thearwith,
which is made by some
of the officers aforesaid to pas to some other
porte or creeke there unto
adjoyninge which hath not use for the same
victuell and merchandice and
thease cocketes the officers doth not use
to chardge their custome bookes
with, wheras they ought to sett downe
the whole quantety and quallity
in the custome booke at the makinge
of the cockett and thease officers
do not deliver their bookes into the
Exchquier but to the Auditor of that
cockett.
If they cannot shifte uppon the above wrytten, after theie have
taken
in lawfull merchandice here, then they will saile to Pennarte, Barrey,
Abberthaw, Myneheade or some other creeke in Seaverne and thear
ride to
take in victuell and prohibited merchandice for their is no
ladinge for
them. So long as thease matches may bee made in Seaverne
wee shall have
verie littell of the comodities which thease countries do
yeelde brought
to markettes or faires which causeth the corse of the
inhabitance generall
of the countries adjoyninge uppon Seaverne.
If the merchantes suspect that
their indirecte dealings wilbe called in
question by way of informacion,
then theie will procure some freinde
of theirs with all speede to informe
against them, wherby they prevent
all others.
And to avoide themsellves
from the bands and payeng of Dover
p. 50
pence they will enter their shipps and merchandice for Garnesey or
some
other porte within this lande.
Divers seasures ar made heare by the officers
and her Majestie hath
not her part therof. If the last orders were directly
observid then this
abuese would be taken awaye.
When we charge the masters,
pursers and boatswaines at their
retorne for not observinge the Statute
of Primo of her Majestie and the
orders of the Exchequir which doth concerne
them, then the master
doth objecte that they comes not abord till the
shipp is ready to make
saile in Kingrode, and the pursers and boateswaines
then doth aleidge
that it is to muche for them to rone owte of Kingrode
where they take
in ladinge, when the shipp is already to make saile and
deliver in a bill
of that ladinge as they ought to do before they departe,
and for us to
followe them by informacion it is to much to our chardges
and
spendinge of tyme.
fo. 25vThe writer then describes the refusal
of the master and merchants
lading the ship Jonas for La Rochelle in January,
1588, to comply with
the regulations. The deputy of the customs farmer,
however, gave
them his warrant so that they were able to sail, but Thomas
Parry with
his licence to search for butter unlawfully laden found 31
kinderkins
on the ship before she could clear the port. The deputy is
also accused
of keeping the money taken in bonds for the return to port
of all
ordnance shipped.
In thease respectes the lyeng of the rodes
and their ladinge of victuell
and prohibited merchandice theare and the
portes and nomber of
creekes which ar thear unto adjoyninge within the
reache of one tyde
which yeelde nothinge ellse but victuell and prohibited
merchandice,
and for that they have fower howers more heare to lade and
to take the
advantage of the springe tydes and suddant falling of the
tydes for their
lading then they have at any other porte and that there
ladinges is
much in the night tydes when the officers ar not able to take
viewe of
their ladinge and when theie have laden it is to great a trouble
and
chardge for the officers to goe with a boate and fower men to roe
them
uppon everie such occasion into the wilde rode, which is sixe miles
from the Key, and theare to unrommydge their shipps which ar
allmost laden
and specially when theie ar neere ready to make saile, till
that tyme
they will defer their takinge in of victuell and prohibited
merchandice.
The due execucion of the band will prevent all their
former abuses. |