Burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed. King. The burgesses of Berwick upon Tweed state...

Petitioners

Burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Addressees

King.

Nature of request

The burgesses of Berwick upon Tweed state that they have suffered much damage both from Scotland and Normandy, and especially the loss of 170 sarplers of wool in Flanders, and as that, in consideration of this, they might have a grant of 2000 sacks of wool produced in Northumberland to ship from Berwick, paying half the usual customs on each one.

Nature of endorsement

The King of his especial grace has granted to the petitioners, for the relief of their estate, that they might be able to buy 1000 sacks of wool in the county of Northumberland, of the produce of the said county, and take them to Berwick upon Tweed, and from there to anywhere they wish that is friendly to the King, paying 13s. 4d. for each sack and no more, notwithstanding that they were ordered by previous letters patent to pay 26s. 8d. Provided always that they do not ship in the said port or bring to the said parts wools from any other part of England, or more wool from the produce of the said county, on pain of forfeiture of all the aforesaid wools.

Places mentioned

Berwick-upon-Tweed, [Northumberland]

Scotland

Normandy, [France]

Flanders

Northumberland.

For a later petition concerning customs at Berwick upon Tweed, see SC 8/96/4760

• Calendar of Close Rolls, Ric II, vol. IV, 1389-1392, (Public Record Office, 1923), p.465 (orders to the collector of customs in Berwick upon Tweed to allow preferential customs terms to the burgesses on wools from various parts)
• Northern Petitions Illustrative of Life in Berwick, Cumbria and Durham in the Fourteenth Century, Ed. C.M. Fraser, (Surtees Society, vol. CXCIV, 1981), pp.53-5 (no.27) (full edition of petition)