Reasons of the Merchant Adventurers for Leaving Antwerp
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| Date | 1582 |
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Entry
[S.P.D. Eliz., Vol. CLVII., No. 80.] The causes of the late departure of the english merchantes from Andwarp.
First, because the Italiens and high duchmen (persons with whome thenglish have their chief traffique) have by litle and litle ever since the losse of Oudenare abated the former quantitie of their former merchandizes from Andwarp, and since the losse of Lire have much more abated the same, and with drawen many of their persons from thence and rest at Coleyn, where now they staple the greatest parte of their merchandizes and send no more to Andwarp then they can make sale of beforehand, and the residue they send to Wesell, to Dorte, to Middleburgh and other places of the lowe contries; so as the former traffique of the merchantes Adventurers, beinge a companie under order and government and settled in one certein place, have in maner their whole trade diminished and diverted from Andwerp to the other places aforesaid. Item, by this meanes englishmen that are straglers under no orderly government and not free of the merchantes Adventurers, and strangers of other contries, have found greater trade and traffique with english comodites in the places aforesaid then th' Adventurers had at Andwarp of late. Insomuch that divers naturall Burgesses of Andwarp, for the decay of the traffique there, have before the departure of th' Adventurers forsaken Andwarp and make their aboad in divers of the other places aforesaid. All merchantes by necessitie haunt those Cities and townes that are most fitt and profitable to them in their traffique, and whereas they finde either small traffique or any notable decay of former traffique they accordingly chaunge their aboad and folow the trade. Otherwise they must cease to be merchantes. For because the former trade of thenglish is so decaied at Andwarp and diverted to other places, not onely the Italiens, highduch and many others, but also the naturall Burgesses of Andwarp, ensuing the trade of merchandize where for the time it is most comodious, have leaft Antwarp and make aboad in other the places aforesaid. And the merchantes Adventurers, as most loathe to leave their former place where they were settled, and were very well housed, with many other thinges comodious, which besides the great chardges of their removinge is very chardgeable to provide againe, have now last, as compelled by necessity to folow the trade of their merchandizes, left Andwarp and repaired to Middleburgh, being in the same contrey, of the same state, and a town wherein they are anciently priviledged, with like liberties as they had at Andwarp. And the same state doth now take asmuch benefitt by thenglish trade at Middleborough as they before did at Andwarpe. [Endorsed] The Merchant Adventurers reasons why they doe not continew their trade at Andwarp.
