30. Aliens at a Fair [Court Rolls, 178, 93, m. 3], 1270. Court of Wednesday [14 May, 1270].
Gottschalk of Almain, burgess of Lynn, makes plaint of the communities of Ghent, Poperingen, Douai, Ypres and Lisle, as men of the countess of Flanders, to wit, that whereas the same Gottschalk caused 14 sacks of wool worth 140 marks to be brought from the realm of England to Bruges in Flanders, to trade with it there, and lodged the wool at the house of one Henry Thurold on Sunday next after Ash Wednesday in the forty-ninth year of the reign of King Henry, the bailiffs of the said countess came and arrested the said wool against the peace of the realm and still detain it. Wherefore the same Gottschalk, for the unjust detention of the wool aforesaid, made petition to the lord the King at Kenilworth and elsewhere until now; whereupon the lord the King many times directed his letters to the same countess, asking her to satisfy the same Gottschalk of the aforesaid wool or the price thereof, and she has hitherto neglected to do anything for the same Gottschalk, to his damage of 200 marks; and he produces suit. The aforesaid communities, being present, do not deny the accustomed words of the court[236] or the detention of the aforesaid wool or the damage of the aforesaid Gottschalk, but craved licence to consult forthwith on the matter and withdrew. And afterwards they came, making no defence against the charge of the said Gottschalk, but the men of Ypres presented a charter of certain liberties granted to them by the King's Court, stating that they should not be distrained for any debt unless they were the sureties or principal debtors. For the men of Lisle there came one Alard of Leeuw and showed a charter of the lord the King for himself only, stating that he should not be distrained unless he were a principal debtor or surety. Another man named Peter Blarie of Lisle says that he has no charter. The men also of the communities of Ghent and Douai[237] craved respite until Saturday to show their charters, which they say that they have from the King's Court, and that day was granted to them. The aforesaid Gottschalk, however, craved judgment for the default of the aforesaid merchants; and a day is given to the parties, to wit, to-morrow....
Be it remembered that Gottschalk of Almain, burgess of Lynn, gives to the lord a seventh part of all which he may recover against the communities of Ypres, Ghent, Douai, Poperingen and Lisle, to wit, of the 120 marks which he seeks for 14 sacks of wool detained to his damage of 200 marks.
[236] i.e. "Tort and force."
[237] See No. 29 for the charter of Douai.
31. Confirmation of Liberties to the Merchants of Almain [Patent Roll, 9 Edward I, m. 1], 1280.
The King to all to whom, etc., greeting. Whereas the lord King Henry, our father, of famous memory, lately granted by his letters patent,[238] which we have inspected, at the instance of Richard, King of the Romans, our uncle, of good memory, to the merchants of the realm of Almain who have a house in the city of London commonly called the Gildhall of the Teutons, that he would maintain and protect them, all and singular, throughout the whole of his realm in all the same liberties and free customs which they have used and enjoyed in the times of him and his progenitors, and would not draw them nor in any wise permit them to be drawn out of such liberties and free customs, as is more fully contained in the letters aforesaid made thereon to the aforesaid merchants: We, wishing that favour to be continued to the same merchants, wish them to be maintained and protected in all the same liberties and free customs which they have used and enjoyed in the times of us and our progenitors, and we will not draw them or in any wise permit them to be drawn out of such liberties and free customs. In witness whereof, etc. Witness the King at Westminster, 18 November.
[238] June 15, 1260. Fædera I., i. 398.
32. Alien Weavers in London [Guildhall, Letter-Book G, f. 93],[239] 1362.
Unto the most honourable Lords, and rightful, the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, humbly pray the Weavers alien working in the same City, that the points and Ordinances underwritten may be granted and allowed to them, for the common profit of the land and of the City and for the saving of their said trade.