The Smugglers' City
Department of History, University of Bristol

Survey of Smuggling in Bristol, 15 May 1565

Source: Transcribed by Evan Jones (2003)
Manuscript: PRO E 159/350 Hil. 351 r,v,seq.

The Certyfycat of Anthony Stanbanck maior of
the Citie of Bristoll by George Norton knighte and Roberte Brayne
esquier commissioners appoynted by the quenes highness commyssyon to
them and others directed and to this present certificat annexed ~ ~
comprehendinge the effecte and some of the execucon of the same ~ ~
comyssion accordinge to the tenore and purporte of the same as well at ~
their metinge and assemblye at the Citie of Bristowe aforesaide the
thirde daie of Apryll in the Seventhe yere of the reigne of oure Sovereigne
lady Elizabeth by the grace of god of Englande Fraunce and Irelande quene
defendoure of the faithe ~    As also at the same Citie at diverse other tymes
after.  By Vertue of which commyssyon we the abovenamed ~
comyssyoners have executed and used all waies and meanes we
can or maye for the tryenge oute of all offences trespaces transgressions
and all other thinges mencyoned and expressed in the same commyssyon
videlt as well by vyew of the custumers and comptrollers bookes
examinacons of theym and their clarkes, waighters an searchers ~
deposycons of wytnesses vewinge of charter parties, the portages of
shippes and vessels anybeinge in that porte, Inquisycons, verdictes
of juries sworne, as also by over devyses and meanes, In the dewe
consyderacons of all which premysses and of all the cyrcumstances thereof we
fynde that sithens the xx tie daie of November laste paste there have
arryved in the porte of Brystoll eightene shippes and barkes oute of
the domynyon of Fraunce laden fully with wynes of the groweyng
there (as muche as we can understande) and weare dischardged in the
saide porte of the same wynes, which eightene shippes and barkes
be of the portage or burthen of nyne hundred fyftie and eighte ~
tonnes as particulerlie appereth under written, which portage were
accompted unto us by the Waighters and Searchers abovesaide
uppon their othes and notwithstandinge there appere in the controllers
bookes to be entered but iiiC lxxxxviii tonnes sythens that tyme and in
the custumers booke of the inwarde entries iiiiC xiii tonness pipe
hoggeshedd, so that there wantethe of the saide ixC lviii tonnes
fyve hundred threscore tonnes, by the which it appereth that the quenes
highnes is not answered of the ymposte of the said vC lx tonnes
so wantinge for the whiche is dewe and yet unpaide m iiiiC iiiiXX xiii£
vi s viii d And of her ancyent Custume and duties being iii s

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the tonne ~ lxxxiiii £ besides the prisage of the same Wynes so Wantinge
And also we fynde that sithens the feaste of St Michaell tharchangell
laste paste there also Arryved in this porte of Bristoll diverse other vessells
and shippes laden with oyles yron Allam Salte frute and other merchandizes
beinge in the whole of the portage or burthen of mclxiii tonnes And in the
custumers and comptrollers bookes of inwarde entries be entred but
m iiiiXX and xii tonnes of the same merchandizes so that by conferringe the
custume answered to the quenes majestie which that of righte shoulde have
bene answered yf the entry had bene accordinge to the portage of the same
shippes anv vessels, her majestie is also unanswered of lxxix£ xs.  So ~
that there wante of thymposte custume and subsedie of the wynes and ~
other merchandizes abovesaide (which is unanswered and yet oweinge ~
mdclvi £ xvi s. viii d.  And furthermore we fynde that dyverse ~ ~
merchandizes the Custume and Subsedie whereof being smally rated
be entred untruly in the place of merchandizes of greate rates to the greate
defraudinge of her highness/ And that neither owners nor pursers of any
shippe or other vessell doe signyfie in the Custume howse uppon thentrie
of the same marchandizes the names of the merchants of the same
according to the Statute in that behaulfe provided, but that the same
merchandizes be entred by the merchants or their servantes
withoute any othe exhibited to the enters of the same by the ~
custumers Controllers their Clarkes or deputies/ And as unto other
Arryvalles of shippes and barkes and of the quantitie and ~ ~
qualities of the merchandizes of the same dischardged in this porte
or any other place belongynge to the same before the saide feaste of
Saincte michaell tharchangell or of any concealmente trespace or transgression
commytted or done in or aboute the same before that tyme we can have no
due intelligence therof, for that the Custumers and Comptrollers affirme
upon their personall answers that they have geven upp their Accomptes
and bookes upon their laste Accompte, And that they have no copies of
the same bookes in their possessions/  And moreover we understande
that the clarkes of the custumers and comptrollers of this porte of ~ ~
Bristoll do usually exacte and take for Cocketts and certificate xxd or
iis a pece contrarie to the annciente orde of that howse/  And we
also fynde variance betwene the custumers booke inwarde and the
comptrollers booke for that once of a shipped called the Katherine of
Conquett was entred in the custumers booke xv tonnes pipe hh of
Frenche wyne the vii th daie of January laste/ And uppon oure viewe of the
controllers booke whiche was the thirde of Apryll above written there
was no wyne nor other merchandizes of the same shippe entered/ And
yet one Richarde Serche a waighter beinge sworne confessed before
us xvi tonnes to be landed and dischardged oute of the same shippe/
And overmore we fynde that all the officers of the custumehowse
of this porte be resident uppon their offices theare savinge John Younge
esquier one of the custumers there who hathe his deputie one Thomas
Warren which John Younge upon his personal Answer saithe that he
hath a dispensacon from the quenes highness for his nonresidence upon
the same office/ And fynally we saie that as unto all other ~ ~
offences disorders trespaces and transgressions mencyoned and expressed
in the saide commyssion commytted or perpetrated within the porte of ~ ~
Bristoll or countie of the same sithens the firste daye of Januarie in the
fyvethe yere of the reigne of the quenes majestie that nowe is we can have
no advertysemente therof by any meanes or waies/ And as unto any
thinge inquirable in the Countie of Glouc by force of this commyssion
we coulde not exerte the same for the greate busynes we have had in
and aboute the premysses inquirable in the porte and Countie of
Bristoll  The names of the shippes barkes and vessells ~ ~

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Anybinge at the abovesaide porte of Bristoll sithens the above ~
mencyoned twentith daie of November laden with Frenche wynes
with the names of the owners and doers in and aboute the same
Wynes and of the quantitie of their severall portages and burthens /
The Roberte of Plymouthe of the portage of xxx tie tonnes boughte by
Domynyck Chester of Bristoll merchante, The Starre of Bristoll
portage xl tonnes boughte by the same Domynyck and Willyam
Gyttons of Brystoll. The Marye of Conquett portage l tie tonnes ~
owner John Agowthe Alien. The Mystres of Conquett portage xxv
tonnes bought by John Atkyns of Brystoll. The John de Harneys
portage xl tonnes boughte by William Pepwall of Bristoll. The
Harte of Brystoll portage lxx tonnes merchants George Higgens
William Gyttens and others of Brystoll / The Prymerose of ~ ~
Brystoll portage lxxx tonnes, merchants Thomas Aldworthe, John
Suche, Roberte Smythe and others of Brystoll/ The Mary ~
Hollond portage lxxxx tonnes merchants Robert Kytchen. John
Robert drapar and others of Bristoll/ The Unycorne of Bristoll
portage xxx tonnes, merchants John Atkyns, Leonarde Sompter and
others of Bristoll./ The Cleydon of Hodiarne porgage l tie tonnes
Fortick de Caske Alyen merchante/ The Mighell of Brystoll
portage xl tonnes /Thomas Kelke and Robert Hawgton merchants
of Bristoll / The George of Padstowe portage xl tonnes ~ ~
merchantes Wyllyam Perfaye, John Langley and others of Brystoll
The Grace of god of Brystoll portage ciii tonnes merchantes
George Higgens, Roberte Kytchin, Roberte Smythe and others of Bristoll
The Clement of Tintarne portage iii tonnes merchants Domynyck
Chester, The Katheryne of Conquett portage xxiiii tonnes merchants
John Bradshawe of Brystoll / The George of Absome portage ~
lviii tonnes owner and merchante Richard Sturbridge of Apsame / ~
The Mawdelyn of Penmarke portage l tonnes owner John Calve
Alien/ The Mawdelen of Fockham portage l tonnes, merchante
Lawrence Vyne of Brystoll/ The Prymrose of Brystoll in her
seconde vyage portage lxxx tonnes merchantes Thomas Aldworth
Robert Smythe and others of Brystoll / Shippes ~ xviii, bote i. ~
portage Dcccclviii tonnes/ Wynes entered in the custumehowse
ccclxxxxviii tonnes as appereth by the Comptrollers booke So that
the portage surmontheth the entire in the custumehowse Dlx tonnes/
Deposycons of witnesses taken at Bristoll before us ~
abovenamed the xii th daye of Apryll Anno predico  John Syllye
of St Georges in the countie of Somerset masters mate of the abovesaide
shippe called the Prymerose of Brystoll beinge sworne saieth that
the same shippe came to the porte of Brystoll from Burdeux in
November laste laden with Gascoigne wynes trayne and resonne and
pitche beinge of the portage of lxxx tonnes And that there was
dischardged in the saide porte at her saide Arryvall oute of her lv
tonnes of wyne and lx cakes of rosonne and pitche and for the ~
trayne he knoweth not the quantytie thereof And further he saieth
that in her viage from Rochell in February laste she arryved at ~
Bristoll laden with Sibias wyne and salte but the quantytie he
dothe not nowe remember / In the custumers and Comptrollers bookes
is entred but xxiiii tonnes pipe hh wyne and the reste of her
burthen in trayne and rosone  John Lytche of Torbaye in the ~
countie of Devon master of the abovesaide shippe called the George of ~
Absome beinge also sworne saieth that the saide shippe did arryve at
Bystoll in February laste laden with Gascoyne wyne heringe and
hake and that she discharged at Brystoll lv tonnes of wyne and
of the heringes and hake he knoweth not the certentie and to his

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knowledge no parte of the same wynes weare dyscharged any where but at
Brystoll./ In the custumer and comptrollers bookes be entred but xxiiii
tonnes of wyne and the reste in fyshe/ Deposycyon of a witnesse
taken at Brystoll before us the commyssioners abovesaide the xxvii th of
Aprill Anno Predico. / William Warren of Walton in the countie of
Somerset boteswayne of the abovesaid shipe called the Grace of god ~
sworne also saieth that in the vyage from Burdeux in November the same
shipe came to Bristoll laden with Gascoyne wyne ode [woad] and yron and
was there dischardged of ci tonnes of wyne fyve tonnes of ode and
three tonnes of yron / And further saieth that in the same shippe were
neither trayne ne resonne but onely a cake of rasonne wayenge di C
weighte for the provyson of the shippe / And that the same shippe called
the grace of god is of the burthen of cx tonnes or thereabouts. In the
custumer and comptrollers bookes be entered but onely xl tonnes and
the reste in trayne and yron /./ Anthony Sandbancke maior, George
Norton, Robert Brayn /

Notes:
A brief summary of the above survey can be found in : J. Vanes (ed.), Documents Illustrating the Overseas Trade of Bristol in the Sixteenth Century, (Bristol Record Society Publications, Vol. XXXI, Kendal, 1979), 40-41.