A large Charter granted by K. Edward the 4. in the second yere of his reigne, to the marchants of England resident especially in the Ne∣therland, for their chusing of a master and gouernor among themselues, which go∣uernement was first appointed vnto one William Obray: with expresse mention, what authoritie he should haue.

*EDward by the grace of God king of France, & of England, & lord of Ireland, to al those which shal see or heare these letters, sendeth greeting, & good wil. Know ye, that whereas we haue vnderstood, as well by the report of our louing and faithfull Counsellors, as by the common complaint and report of all men, that many vexations, griefs, debates, discords, annoyes, dissentions, & damages, haue heretofore bene done, moued, committed••nd happened, and do daily fal out and happen among the common marchants & mariners, our subiects of our realmes of France & Eng∣land, & our lordships of Ireland and Wales, & of other our dominions, seigneuries, and territories, because that good discretion and authority hath not bin obserued among our saide subiects, which abide, frequent, conuerse, remain, inhabit, & passe, aswel by sea as by land, into y^e parts of Brabant, Flanders, Henault, Holland, Zeland, and diuers other countreis & seigneuries belonging aswell to the high and mighty prince, our most deere and louing cousin y^e Duke of Burgoine, of Brabant, carle of Flanders, &c. as being in the obedience & dominion of other lords, which are in friendship, alliance, & good wil with vs: and that it is to be doubted that through the saide inconuenience and occasion, many discommodities may ensue & fal out in time to come (which God forbid) vnles we should prouide conuenient remedie in this behalfe for our subiects aforesaid: wherefore we desi∣ring most effectually and heartily to auoide the mischiefe of the saide inconueniences & to prouide conuenient remedy for the same, to the end that the said common marchants and mariners and o∣thers our subiects of our said realms & dominions, which at this present & hereafter shal haunt and frequent y^e said countreis, may be iustly & lawfully ruled, gouerned, and intreated by right & equi∣ty in the countreis aforesaid, and that equity, reason, & iustice may be ministred vnto them and eue∣ry of them, according as the cases shal require, we being wel assured and hauing ful confidence, in the discretion, faithfulnes, wisdome, experience, & good diligence of our most deare & welbeloued subiect Will. Obray our seruant, & in regard of the good, faithfull, and acceptable seruices, which he hath done vs in our realm & among our subiects in times past, & hoping that he wil do also here∣after, we haue made, ordained, constituted, committed, and established, and by the tenour of these presents, of our special grace, ful power, & authority royall, we ordaine, appoint, commit, and esta∣blish, (during our pleasure) to be gouernor, iudge, warden of iustice, and the appurtenances & ap∣pendances therof, which we haue or may haue ouer our said common subiects the marchants tra∣uailing hereafter as wel by sea as by land, and abiding in the said countries of Brabant, Flanders, Henault, Holland, Zeland, and other countreis beyond the sea, as is aforesaide, together with the wages, rights, profits, and emoluments heretofore accustomed, & as the said Will. Obray at other times hath had and receiued of our said subiects, when he had, vsed, and exercised the said office of gouernor, & also with other such rights and profits, as hereafter shal more plainly be declared. And furthermore for our parts we haue giuen him, and by these presents do giue him, as much as in vs lieth, during our pleasure, ful power, authority, and special commandement, to gouerne, rule, and cause to be gouerned and ruled with good iustice by himselfe, or by his sufficient lieuetenants or deputies, all a•d euery our foresaid subiects the common marchants & mariners comming, remai∣ning, frequenting, passing, & repairing from henceforth into the said countreis of Brabant, Flan∣ders, Page  209 Henault, Holland, Zeland and other countreyes beyond the sea, as it is said, and to keep and cause to be kept, to exercise and maintein, for vs and in our place, the said office of gouernour, and to doe all such things which a faithfull gouernour ought to do, and to take knowledge and admini∣stration of the causes of the said common marchants and mariners, our subiects, and of euery of them, and of their causes and quarels moued, or hereafter to be moued in the countreis aforesaid, or within the limits & borders therof, and to doe them full & speedy iustice. And to reforme, cause reformation, gouerne, appease, and pacifie all contentions, discords, questions, or debates between those our said subiects moued, or to moued: and to right, redresse, repaire, restore, and amend all transgressions, domages, enterprises, outrages, violences and iniuries committed, or to be cōmit∣ted: and like wise to require, to aske, demand, and receiue, restitutions, reparations, restaurations, and amends of our said subiects the common marchants & mariners, or of their factors in the coū∣treis aforesaid. And that, whensoeuer and as often as it shal please the said gouernor or his depu∣ties, they may in some conueuient and honest place within the said countreis make or cause to be made, somon, and hold in our name iurisdictions, courts, and assemblies: and in our said name take administration and knowledge of causes, as it is aforesaide, and to hold and keepe pleas, for and in our behalfe, and to make agreements, mediatours, and vmpires, to iudge, to make decrees, and to minister iustice, to ordaine, appoint, censure, and constraine our saide subiects to sweare and take all kind of oathes, which order of iustice and custome r•quire and affoorde, and to enioy our authoritie, and to vse, execute and accomplish, by way of equitie and iustice, and to doe, or cause to be done all execution and exercise of law and iustice; and to ordain, appoint, & establish sire sergeants or vnder, to doe the executions & arrests of our said court, by the commandement of the said gouernour or of his deputies, or at the request of the partie or otherwise, according as the case shall require by their aduise, and to discharge and displace the said sergeants, as shall seeme good vnto him, as often and whensoeuer as it shall please him, and change them, and appoint and set others in their roomes, and to require returne and answere of the court, whensoeuer need shal be, of all causes, quarels, and businesses in regard of the said office belonging vnto vs and to our said subiects the common marchants and mariners at all times, and as often as the case shall per∣mit and require: and generally and specially to doe as much for vs and in our stead, in the cases before mentioned, and which hereafter shalbe declared, as we could doe or cause to be done, could say or require, if we were there present in our owne person. Moreouer wee will, and by the te∣nour of these presents wee giue and graunt vnto the saide gouernour, and to our saide subiects the common marchants and mariners, that as oft and whensoeuer it please them, they may meet and assemble in some honest and conuenient place, and by the consent of the saide gouernour to choose and appoynt among them at their pleasure, freely and without danger, certaine suffi∣cient and fit persons to the number of twelue or vnder, which we wil haue to be named Iusticers, vnto the which Iusticers so elected by the saide gouernour and our saide subiects, as it is said, and to euerie of them, we giue and graunt especiall power and authoritie to sitte and assist in court, with the said gouernour or his lieutenants, for their aide and assistance, and to heare the griefs, complaints, and demands of our said subiects their suites, pleas, and the state of their causes and quarels whatsoeuer moued or to be moued vnto the ende of their cause, and at the request of the saide gouernour, his lieutenants, or any of them, to say, propound, and plainely to expresse and declare their opinions, according to right and conscience, vpon the causes brought before them and by the parties vttered and declared, and well, lawfully, and faithfully to counsell and aduise the saide gouernour or his lieutenants, to order and censure, iudge and determine, and ende the same iustly and equally, according as the case shall permit and require. And furthermore we wil, that all iust and reasonable statutes, lawes, ordinances, decrees, and constitutions made and e∣stablished, or to be made and established, in the countreys aforesaide, by the consent of the said go∣uernour, and of the saie Iusticers, shalbe corrected, amended, and made, as they shall see to bee expedient in this behalfe, for the better gouernment of the estate of the common marchants and mariners our saide subiects, and shalbe held as ratified, firme, acceptable and approued; and from henceforth we accept, admit, allow and approue them for ratified and confirmed, there to be firme∣ly and inuiolably obserued, kept and obeyed. And also, of our farther fauour and grace wee will and we grant, that by the consent of our said gouernour, our said subiects the common marchants and mariners may make and set downe in the said countreis, by their common consent, as often as they shall thinke good for their better gouernment and estate, such iust and reasonable lawes, statutes, ordinances, decrees, constitutions, and customes, as they shal thinke expedient in this be∣halfe: which we cōmand to be kept as ratified, confirmed, allowed, & approued, auailable, and esta∣blished. Prouided alwaies, that they do not nor seeke any thing preiudicial to this present power and authoritie giuen and graunted by vs to the saide gouernour, in any poynt or article heerein Page  210 comprised, by any meanes or way whatsoeuer: in which case if they shoulde doe anything, or ought should happen, we wil that it shal take no place, force, vigour, strength, nor vertue: neither that it shalbe of any effect, but it shalbe abolished, disanulled, and vtterly frustrate; and as aboli∣shed, disanulled, and vtterly frustrated, from this time forward, wee holde and take it, and will hereafter hold and take the same. And so to doe, and put in execution in our name, we haue and doe giue full and absolute power, & speciall authority to our said seruant William Obray, & to his said lieutenants. And likewise, to the end that y^e course of marchandise may be kept in good estate, and that by order of iustice a firme and constant rule may be set downe among those our said subiects and marchants, we haue ordained and do ordaine, haue consented & doe consent, and by these pre∣sents haue giuen & do giueful power & especiall authority to our said seruant Will. Obray gouer∣nour aforesaid, that at al time and times when he shal think good, he may ordaine, elect, chuse, and appoint, in the countreis aforesaid, such ministers, officers, and seruitours as hereafter shalbe na∣med, and such others as he shal think necessary, and to discharge them, and to change them, & set others in their roomes, at his good will and pleasure, vnto such a number as he shall thinke good and reasonable for the time being to be employed: as namely correctors or brokers as many as he shal thinke good, to make and to witnes the bargaines which are made or to be made, betweene our said subiects and others with whom they shal haue to do or to deale in the foresaid countreis: and also as many alnagers to alner and measure al kinds of marchandises which they shal buy or sel by the yard: and also as many weighers to weigh the marchandise which shalbe sold or bought by weight: and also so many folders to fold their clothes, and so many packers to pack their packs, and to make their fardels, maunds, and baskets, and other things needefull for the defence & pre∣seruation of their marchandize. Al which ministers, officers, and seruitors, so chosen, elected, char∣ged, admitted, and established by the saide gouernour, as is saide, may take their wages for their paines & attendances vpon the said marchants, according to the custome of the said countreis, and as they haue bene accustomed to take of the said marchants before these presents by vs giuen and graunted. And hereupon we haue giuen and doe giue expresse charge and commandement by vs and in our names to all our said subiects common marchants and mariners, and to euery of them which shall frequent, come, remaine, passe, repaire, or inhabite within the countreis aforesaid, that they shall not make contract or bargaine, sell or buy, nor shall not cause any contract or barga•ne to be made, nor in the said countreis sell or buy any maner of wares, goods, or marchandises, se∣cretely nor openly, by way of fraude, barat, or deceite whatsoeuer, with any person or persons, of what estate, countrey, or condition soeuer they be, without he hath some of the said brokers at the bargain making, to present, report, and to testifie the said contracts or bargains before the said go∣uernor or others, if need require, and strife or contention should grow therof betweene them: nor to packe or cause to be packed any goods or marchandises belonging vnto them, in packs, bales, or fardels, coffers, chests, maunds, dryfats, or rowles, without hauing some deputy present thereat: nor to take or cause to be taken or set on worke in the said countreis, any other brokers, alnagers, weighers, folders, or packers, then the aforesaid so chosen, admitted, established, and ordained by the saide gouernor, & hereto authorized in our name, as it is said, vnder paine of falling into, and incurring of our displeasure, and of forfeiture, and confiscation of all such goods, wares, and mar∣chandises, which shalbe found to haue passed by other hands or order, then that or those which are before mentioned: the fourth part of which forfeitures and confiscations shall be imployed to the repairing and maintenance of two chappels founded to the honour of Saint Thomas of Canter∣burie by our saide subiects, in the townes of Bruges in Flanders, and of Middleborough in Ze∣land; the other fourth part to vs, & our vse; the third fourth part to our said cousin of Burgundie, or the natural Lord of the countrey wherein the saide go•ds shall be found; and the fourth fourth part to him or them which shall discouer, detect, or finde out the saide fraude. And also that none of our said subiects shall vnlade or cause to be vnladen, vnder any colour nor otherwise, nor vn∣packe, in the countreis abouesaide, no kind of wares, goods, nor marchandises whatsoeuer, which they shall bring or cause to bee brought into the couutreyes aforesaide, comming out of our countr•yes, dominions, or obeysance, without first and beforehand they make the gouernour or his deputies acquainted with their arriuall, and craue leaue, and deliuer, shewe, and de∣clare their cockets, that it may duely appeare, that the saide goods and marchandises haue tru∣ly and lawfully payde vnto vs our rights and customes, and not to vnpacke them but in the pre∣sence of the saide gouernour, his lieuetenants or deputies, vpon paine of forfaiture, and confisca∣tion of the saide goods, in maner and forme before declared in the foresaide article. And if it bee found by the visitation of the saide gouernor, his lieuetenants or deputies, that any goods, wares, or marchandises whatsoeuer be arriued and discharged in the countreis aforesaid, belonging to our saide subiectes, not lawfully customed and acquited towarde vs of our right and custome, for Page  211 which they cannot nor are not able to make any due proofe of our letters of coquet, as is metioned, or if they finde any other fraud: we will, we ordaine, and we grant, that the sayd gouernour, his lieutenants or deputies may seaze vpon the sayd goods on our behalfe, and may confiscate and for∣feit the same, distributing the same into foure parts in maner aforesayd. And also wee will, that euery one of the sayd packes, fardels, baskets, maunds, cofers, tunnes, bales, roules, and other furnitures and geare, wherein the sayd marchandises shalbe packed, to be sent out of the said coun∣treis, shall not be laden vpon ships, carts, nor horses, to come into our dominion, without being first sealed with a seale ordayned by vs and giuen by the sayd gouernour, vpon paine to be forfay∣ted, applyed, and confiscated to vs and into our hand, if they be found vnsigned and not sealed with the seale. And for euery piece of marchandise which shall be sealed with the sayd seale, they shall pay to the sayd sealer two pence of grosse money of Flanders, which shall goe to the profite of the sayd gouernour. And forasmuch as according to right and conscience, we ought not to vse the la∣bour, trauels, nor seruice of any man, without waging, paying, and fully contenting him accor∣ding to reason and equity, especially when we doe appoint any person or persons to doe or cause to be done so great trauels, labours, busines, and executions, as these which are contayned in this present charter, aswell for the benefit and profit of vs and our selues, as for the holesome, perfect, & good gouernment of our sayd subiects: we by the good aduise and deliberation of the sayd lords of our priuie counsell, haue granted and giuen, and as before, doe grant and giue, of our sayd grace, to the sayd William Obray our sayd seruant and gouernour abouenamed, during our pleasure, for part of his wages and fee of the sayd office, one pennie of our money of England of the value of a liuer of grosse money of Flanders, vpon al and singuler the goods, wares and marchandises of our sayd subiects frequenting the sayd countreis, to be leuyed, gathered, receiued, and payed vnto the sayd William Obray or to his deputies, vpon the sayd wares and marchandises belonging vnto our sayd said subiects buying and selling, or which they shall cause to sell, buy, put away, trucke or exchange in the countreys abouesaid, aswell of the goods and marchandises which they shall bring or cause to be brought into the sayd countries, as of all other goods which they shall lade and carie, or cause to bee caried and conueyed out of those countreis into our dominion or elsewhere into any other part whatsoeuer. And to cause the same to be gathered, receiued, leauied and pay∣ed, we haue giuen, and by these presents doe giue full power and speciall authoritie vnto the sayd William Obray, and to his lieutenants and deputies aforesayd, to leauy, gather, and cause to bee leauied and receiued the sayd money, in forme and maner aboue mentioned, to his profite and vse, during our pleasure: and to enioy and vse the same as his proper goods, without any contradicti∣on, constraining and arresting if neede bee, as well on land, as on the water, our said subiects, their sayd goods, and euery of them, by way of law and iustice, and to cause them to yeelde and pay the sayd money, vpon the said goods and marchandises, as is aforesayd. For such is our pleasure, and so will we haue it done without contradiction or impeachment to him and his, during our plea∣sure. And also we will that the sayd William Obray, ouer and aboue that which is sayd, shall take, gather, and receiue of our sayd subiects from henceforth yearely, during our pleasure, all such and like wages and profits, as he had and receiued of our sayd subiects, in the yeare 1458, when hee held and exercised the said office of gouernour, without diminishing or rebating any thing there∣of, notwithstanding this present augmentation made, increased, and done vnto him, of our grace and fauour: and that hee shall gather, take, and receiue the same in such forme and manner, as the other money aboue mentioned is to be gathered. And to the ende that the sayd William Obray may haue and take possession, season, and enterance of the said office of gouernour in our name we haue and doe place him, by the deliuery of these presents, in possession, season, and entrance of the said office, and of the rights, profits, stipends, wages, and moneis aforesayd, to begin to exer∣cise the sayd office of gouernour in our name, the first day of May next ensuing after the date of these presents, for the sayd William Obray to hold and exercise, practise and vse the same, during our pleasure, with the sayd wages, moneys, rights, and profites aboue mentioned, without any contradiction or impeachment. And all and singular our subiects the common marchants and ma∣riners, which shall be contrary, rebellious, and disobedient to the said gouernour so ordayned by vs, to his said lieutenants, to the sayd iusticers so chosen, or to any of them, or to any of the statutes, lawes, decrees, sentences, ordinances, and customes, offices, gifts, and grants abouesayd, let them grieuously be punished by the sayd gouernour or his lieutenants, in this behalfe, according to the quantity of their offences, and the exigencie of the cases. We doe sommon, commaund, straitly and expresly enioine by these presents all and euery our saide subiects, that vnto the sayd gouer∣nour so by vs ordained, to his lieutenants, attorneis, or deputies, and also to the said iusticers, offi∣cers, and ministers, in all and euerie the things aforesaid, and others any waie concerning in this behalfe our said ordinances, their gouernmēt and rule, the circumstances and dependances theron Page  212 that they giue their attendance, counsayle, comfort, o•edience, and aide, diligently without fault or difficulty, surely, safely, fully and peaceably: without doing, inferring, or inflicting, or suffering to be done, inferred, or inflicted to them or any of them in body or goods, any disturbance or impeach∣ment, in any maner whatsoeuer: but rather if any thing bee done vnto them contrary and to the preiudice of these presents, they shall remoue and cause the same to be remooued, and that which shall be hindered they shall set at free deliuerance, vpon payne to fall into and to incurre our high displeasure. For such is our pleasure and so will wee haue it, notwithstanding anie letters false∣ly crept in, obtayned, or to be obtayned contrary hereunto. And you our subiects, the common marchants and mariners, so behaue your selues, that you may receiue commendation of vs for your good obedience, knowing that such as shall be found doing or to haue done the contrary, we will see them so punished without redemption, that they shall bee an example to all rebellious persons. We pray and most instantly require in the ayde of equitie, all others our friends, al∣lies, and well-willers, aswell princes and potentates, as their iusticers, officers, lieutenants, de∣puties, commissaries, and subiects, and euery of them, in regard of equitie; that they would vouch∣safe, and that it would please them to giue, doe, and lend comfort, ayde, assistance, and prisons if neede require, to our sayd gouernour, his lieutenants, commissaries, deputies, iusticers, & others our officers and ministers aforesayd: and herein wee pray them on our behalfe, and in our owne name. And it may please them herein to doe so much, that we may haue occasion to thanke them, and to accompt our selues beholding for the same: and as they would that we should do for them in the like matter, or in a greater: which we will willingly doe, if we be required thereunto by them. In witnesse whereof we haue caused these our letters to bee made patents. Witnes our selues at Westminster, the sixteenth of April, in the second yere our reigne.