His Name Deserves Particular
Notice, As One Of The Richest And Most Enlightened Of The Early Merchants
Of England.
His son, Michael, was also a merchant, and was created earl of
Suffolk by Richard II.
"His posterity flourished as earls, marquises, and
dukes of Suffolk, till a royal marriage, and a promise of the succession to
the crown, brought the family to ruin."
When Edward III. went to the siege of Calais, the different ports of
England furnished him with ships. From the list of these it appears, that
the whole number supplied was 700, manned by 14,151 seamen, averaging under
twenty men for each vessel. Gosford is the only port whose vessels average
thirty-one men. Yarmouth sent forty-three vessels; Fowey, forty-seven;
Dartmouth, thirty-one; Bristol, twenty-four; Plymouth, twenty-six; London,
twenty-five; Margate, fifteen; Sandwich, twenty-two; Southampton,
twenty-one; Winchelsea, twenty-one; Newcastle, sixteen; Hull, seventeen.
In the year 1354 we have a regular account of such exports and imports as
paid duty; from which it appears, that there were exported 31,651 sacks of
wool, 3036 cwt. of woad, sixty-five wool-fells, 4774 pieces of cloth, and
8061 pieces of worsted stuff; and there were imported 1831 pieces of fine
cloth, 397 cwt. of wax, and 1829 tuns of wine, besides linen, mercery,
groceries, &c. As tin, lead, and several other articles are not enumerated,
it may be inferred that they paid no duty. In the year 1372 there is the
earliest record of direct trade with Prussia.
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