The Smugglers' City
Department of History, University of Bristol

That no Ordnance should be Exported except through certain Named Ports, c.1587

Source: Transcribed by: Vanes, J. (ed.), Documents Illustrating the Overseas Trade of Bristol in the Sixteenth Century, (Bristol Record Society Publications, Vol. XXXI, Kendal, 1979), No. 162, p. 142.
Manuscript: B.L. Lansdowne MS. 113/65.
Web version by: Richard Roberts (2005)

First, that no quantyty of ordnance be shipped to passe eyther out
of the realme, or from port to port, saving only at Rochester in Kent, at
the port of Meeching in Sussex, at the Towre wharfe in the port of
London, at Hull in Yorkeshire and at Brystowe. And that all pieces
which shalbe found lying at any other port, creeke or wharfe be seysed
for the Queene unles the owner of the said peices will put in bond in
double valew of the peices before the officer that they shall not be
shipped away without speciall licence.

That no ordnance be shipped at any of the sayd ports with pretence
to be caried to some other part of this realme before the marchant or
owner that shall requyre or appoint the sayd ordnance to be shipped
have put in bonds with sufficient suerty to her Majesties use before the
Customer of the seyd port where they are shipped, in double the valew
of the ordnance requyred to be shipped, to make true delyvery therof
at the port which he shall name and take his cocket for and to bring
backe a certyfycat under the handes of the maior or other cheife officer
and the customer and controullour of the sayd port with the towne
seale unto yt, that they are so delyvered and this band to be retourned
into the Exchecquer.

If that the master and owner of the shippe or barke wherin any
ordnance shalbe shipped with such pretence as aforesaid shall likewise
and in like sort be bound in double the valew of his fraite to delyver
them truly according to his cocket. That no mayor or cheife officer or
towne clarke, nor no customer or controullour of any port do presume
to sett their towne seale or their hands to any certyfycat which they
themselves do not know to be true, upon paint of her Majesties high
displeasure and ymprisonment or forfeture of their offices.

That no ordnance so brought from any of the sayd ports to another
port be suffred to be caryed away from the port where yt ys so
delyvered but be there retayled for the use of the shipping of that port
or other shippes of this realme only, and that to be lykewise upon
sufficient bonds to her Majesties use given by the buyer before the
cheife officer and customer of that port, that they are for his owne use
and that they shall be forthcoming at all tymes when they are
requyred, upon a payne both to him that shall carry them away
otherwise and to the offycer that suffers it.

And that all officers do certefy into the Exchecquer all bands which
they shall take in these cases within 3 moneths after the taking of them
upon a paine allso.