The Smugglers' City
Department of Historical Studies, University of Bristol

Sources

These pages contain a variety of sources that the co-ordinator has put on the site for the use of students and other interested parties.

Copyright and Transcription Information

Childe of Bristow, c.1350-1500

Act to establish a 'Fellowship of Merchants', 1467

Salazar's account of Bristol's discovery of the Island of Brasil (pre 1476)

Robert Ricart's Chronicle of Bristol, 1480-1508

John Cabot in Seville, 1494

First Letters Patent granted by Henry VII to John Cabot , 5 March 1496

'Cabot Roll', 1496-99

Lorenzo Pasqualigo to his brothers at Venice, 23 August 1497

News sent from London to the Duke of Milan, 24 August 1497

Soncino letter to Duke of Milan, 18 December 1497

Pension of twenty pounds p/a granted to John Cabot, 13 December 1497

John Day letter to the Lord Grand Admiral, Winter 1497/8

Pedro de Ayala to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, 25 July, 1498

London Chronicles of John Cabot's voyage of 1498

Annabel Peacock, 'The Men of Bristol and the Atlantic Discovery Voyages of the Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Centuries (MA Dissertation, Bristol, 2007)

Act to establish a 'Company of Merchants', 1500

Extracts from the Patent granted by the Spanish Sovereigns to Alonso de Ojeda, 8 June 1501

Customs Account: The Matthew of Bristol, 1503/4

Prisage & Butlerage Account for Bristol, 1511

Survey of Bristol Ships, 16 January 1513

Susan Flavin, 'The Development of Anglo-Irish trade in the sixteenth century' (MA Dissertation, Bristol, 2004)

Bristol-Ireland Trade EXCEL Database 1516/17

A Dispute between a Merchant of Bordeaux and some Bristol Men, 1517

Robert Thorne the elder's Will, proved 6 July 1519

Petition from the Town of Bristol, c.1530

Bristol Trade EXCEL database 1540s

Act for preserving navigation of the River Avon, 1543

Petition against Candlemas Fair, c.1543

Evan Jones, 'Bristol Shipping Industry in 16th Century' (PhD)

Duncan Taylor, 'The Overseas Trade of Mid-Sixteenth Century Bridgwater' (MA Dissertation, Bristol, 2006)

Joe Inwood, 'How Did Anthony Standbank rise to prominence and become one of the leaders of Bristol’s community?' (BA Essay, Bristol, 2005)

Joe Inwood, 'The Chesters of Bristol: A Tudor Merchant Dynasty' (BA Thesis, Bristol, 2006)

John Wynter's Will, 1545

Letters Patent of the Merchant Venturers, 1552

Tyndall smuggling case, 1558

William Tyndall's Will, 1558

William Tyndall Probate Inventory, 1559

Bristol Merchants Evading Customs at Chepstow, 8 August 1561

Licence concerning the lading of Ships at Bristol, 12 April 1563

Bristol Merchants Landing Wine at Chepstow, 1564

Letter: Anthony Standbank, mayor of Bristol to Winchester, the Lord Treasurer,15 February 1565

Bridgwater Port Survey, 14 May 1565

Survey of Smuggling in Bristol, 15 May 1565

Bristol Port Survey, 21 May 1565

The Fust MS. / Maurice Toby's Chronicle of Bristol, 1565

Conformation of the Letters Patent of the Merchant Venturers, 1566

Act of Parliament: The Merchant Venturers, 1566

Exchequer Decree making Welsh Ports into Member Ports of Bristol, 18 June 1567

Complaint of the Tuckers, 1568

Parliamentary debate: The Merchant Venturers, 1571

Act of Parliament: The Merchant Venturers, 1571

A Book of Articles to Prevent Fraud in the Customs, c.1572

Report on smuggling in the West Country, 1577

Complaints of the Customer and Controller at Bristol, 1580

Establishment of the Port of Gloucester, 4 Oct 1580

Bristol Petition that Gloucester cease to be a Head Port, 1582

Letter: Burghley to Fanshawe, re. Port of Gloucester, 11 June 1582

Bristol Petition that Gloucester cease to be an Independent Port, 25 May, 1584

A Letter from Burghley Forbidding the Export of Wheat, 1584

A Petition from the Waiters in the Port of Bristol, c.1584

William Jessop, 'Privateering in Elizabethan Bristol, A Case Study on John Hopkins' (MA Dissertation, Bristol, 2004)

Exchequer depositions concerning Smuggling, 1585

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

Prohibited Goods Exported to Spain from Bristol, 1587

Customs frauds in Kingroad and the River Severn, 1588

Petition from the Waiters of the Port of Bristol, c. 1590

Nicholas Thorne the younger's Will, proved 17 September 1591

Appointment of John Dowle as Customer Inwards, 10 May 1593

Hopkins v. Taylor, More Irregularities in the Customs, 1594

Resignation of the post of Customer of Bridgwater to William Benger, May 1596

Petition from Bristol to Lord Burghley, 1597

Oliver Dunn, 'The Petitions of Thomas Watkins against Customer John Dowle 1598 - 1600' (BA Thesis, Bristol, 2006)

Catherine Pitt, 'The Wine Trade in Bristol in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries (MA Dissertation, Bristol, 2006)

Mural Decorations / Grisaille's from the Dormitory of the Old Deanery, Bristol Cathedral, later 16th Century (c. 1MB)