The Company of Merchant Adventurers of London brought together London's leading overseas merchants in a regulated company (in the nature of a guild). Its members' main business was the export of cloth, especially white (undyed) broadcloth. This enabled them to import a large range of foreign goods. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The company received their royal charter from King Henry IV in 1407, but its roots may go back to the Fraternity of St Thomas of Canterbury, which claimed to have liberties existing as early as 1216. The Duke of Brabant granted a charter to the English merchants at Antwerp in 1305, but this body may have included the Staplers (who exported raw wool as as well as the Merchant Adventurers. Henry IV's charter was in favour of the English merchants dwelling in Holland, Zeeland, Brabant, and Flanders. However there were also other groups of merchants trading to other parts of northern Europe, including merchants dwelling in Prussia, Sconce, Sound, and the Hanse (whose election of a governor was approved by Richard II of England in 1391), and the English Merchants in Norway, Sweden and Denmark (who recevied a charter in 1408). Henry IV (3 April 1367 – 20 March 1413) was the King of England and France and Lord of Ireland from 1399 to 1413. ... Events November 20 - A solemn truce between John, Duke of Burgundy and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans is agreed under the auspicies of John, Duke of Berry. ... // Prince Louis of France, the future King Louis VIII, invades England in the First Barons War Henry III becomes King of England. ... Jan II van Brabant (September 27, 1275 – October 27, 1312, Tervuren), also called John II, the Peaceful, was Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg (1294–1312). ... Events August 5 - English troops capture William Wallace Wenceslas III becomes king of Bohemia Archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Got, was elected as Pope Clement V. Philip IV of France accused the Knights Templar of heresy. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, Arizona Wool is the fiber derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas, llamas and rabbits may also... Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands with 6. ... Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... Historically, Brabant has been the name of several administrative entities in the Low Countries with quite different geographical extent: as Carolingian shire (pagus Bracbatensis), located between the rivers Scheldt and Dijle (between 9th-11th century); as landgraviat: the part of the shire between the rivers Dender and Dijle (from 1085... Flanders (Dutch: ) has several main meanings: the social, cultural and linguistical, scientific and educational, economical and political community of the Flemings; generally called the Flemish community (others refer to this as the Flemish nation) which is, with over 6 million inhabitants, the majority of all Belgians; the constituent governing institution... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... The foundations of the Hanseatic League (German: Hanse), an alliance of trading cities that for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic, can be seen as early as the 12th century, with the... Richard II (January 6, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan The Fair Maid of Kent. He was born in Bordeaux and became his fathers successor when his elder brother died in infancy. ... July 18 - Battle of the Kondurcha River - Timur defeats Tokhtamysh in the Volga. ... Events December 13 - The Order of the Dragon is officially formated under King Sigismund of Hungary. ...

Under Henry VII's charter of 1505 the company had a governor and 24 assistants. The members were trading capitalists and were prohibited by the company's ordinances from selling by retail or keeping open shop. The company was largely composed of London mercers, but also had members from York, Norwich, Exeter, Ipswich, Newcastle, Hull, and other places, but the merchant adventurers of these towns were probably separate but affiliate bodies. The Society of Merchant Venturers of Bristol were a separate body, chartered by Edward VI in 1552. Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), was the founder and first patriarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... 1505 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The original definition of a Mercer is a merchant or trader, though its current meaning is more specifically a merchant who deals in textiles. ... York is a city in North Yorkshire, England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Norwich is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Timber framed buildings in St Nicholas Street The Ancient House is decorated with a particularly fine example of pargeting Ipswich (pronounced ) is the county town of Suffolk and a non-metropolitan district in East Anglia, England on the estuary of the River Orwell. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ... The Society of Merchant Venturers (or just the Merchant Venturers) is a private charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol, which dates back to the 13th century. ... View from Cumberland Basin of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London and between the cities of Bath, Gloucester and Newport. ... Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) became King of England, King of France (in practice only the town and surrounding district of Calais) and Ireland on 28 January 1547, and crowned on 20 February, at just nine years of age. ... Events April - War between Henry II of France and Emperor Charles V. Henry invades Lorraine and captures Toul, Metz, and Verdun. ...

Under Henry VII, the non-London merchants complained that they had once traded freely with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, but now the London company was imposing on them a fine of £20, and so drove them out of their markets. Henry VII caused this to be reduced to 10 marks (£6.13.4d). There was also conflict with the Merchants of the Staple, who sought to expand from their traditional (but declining) trade of exporting wool through Calais to exporting cloth to Flanders without becoming free of the Merchant Adventurers, an issue ultimately resolved in favour of the latter. There was also conflict with the foreign merchants of the Hanseatic League, who had considerable privileges in England trade until these were revoked in the mid 16th century. Calais is a town in northern France, located at 50°57N 1°52E. It is in the département of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Flanders (Dutch: ) has several main meanings: the social, cultural and linguistical, scientific and educational, economical and political community of the Flemings; generally called the Flemish community (others refer to this as the Flemish nation) which is, with over 6 million inhabitants, the majority of all Belgians; the constituent governing institution... Carta marina of the Baltic Sea region (1539). ...

The Merchant Adventurers had a commercial monopoly, its members being the only persons entitled to export cloth from England. Their main market (or staple port) was Antwerp, but they began to have difficulties when the King of Spain as sovereign of the Low Countries increased customs duty in 1460 in contravention of a treaty with Brabant of 1496. Three years later, he prohibited English ships from coming to the Low Countries. The Merchant Adventurers then decided to use other ports, Emden in East Friesland and Hamburg competed to entertain the Merchant Adventurers of England, the choice falling on Embden, but it was soon found that it failed to attract merchants to buy the English merchants' wares. They left abruptly, returning to Antwerp, but there was a further rupture with Antwerp, due to Elizabeth I of England seizing Spanish treasure ships conveying money to the Duke of Alva as governor of the Netherlands. Some trade was resumed at Antwerp from 1573 to 1582, but ceased with the declining fortunes of that city. In economics, a monopoly (from the Latin word monopolium - Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... A staple port is a port designated by a government or monarch as a place where specific goods may be exported or imported. ... For other uses, see Antwerp (disambiguation). ... The Spanish monarchy, referred to as the Crown of Spain (Corona de España) in the Spanish Constitution of 1978, is the office of the King or Queen of Spain. ... Customs is the plural of custom, a common practice among a group of people. ... Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ... Historically, Brabant has been the name of several administrative entities in the Low Countries with quite different geographical extent: as Carolingian shire (pagus Bracbatensis), located between the rivers Scheldt and Dijle (between 9th-11th century); as landgraviat: the part of the shire between the rivers Dender and Dijle (from 1085... 1496 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on river Ems. ... The landscape to the north of Greetsiel, in East Frisia. ... Hamburg from above Hamburgs motto: May the posterity endeavour with dignity to conserve the freedom, which the forefathers acquired. ... For other uses, see Antwerp (disambiguation). ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the third Duke of Alva (or Alba) (1508-January 12, 1583) was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands (1567 - 1573), nicknamed the Iron Duke because of his cruelty, giving the Protestants of the Low Countries a firsthand taste of the Black Legend. ... For other uses, see Antwerp (disambiguation). ... Year 1573 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Events January 15 - Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland February 24 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The conflict with the Hanseatic League continued. The Hanse had the same rights in England as native merchants and better privileges abroad, thus enabling them to undersell English merchants. Hamburg was a member of the League, but when the English merchants left Emden, they tried to settle there, but the League forced Hamburg to expel them. Emden was tried again in 1579. The Emperor ordered the Count of East Friesland to expel the merchants, but he declined, and the merchants remained there until 1587 . In 1586, the Senate of Hamburg invited the Merchant Adventurers to return there, but negotiations over this broke down. The merchants (who had frequented Middelburg since 1582 were also invited to return in 1587 to the (now independent) United Provinces, but this was unpopular due with the company's members who were weary of impositions by Holland and Zeeland. Ultimately the company's staple was permanently fixed at Hamburg in 1611. A Dutch staple moved during the early 17th century from Middelburg to Delft in 1621, then to Rotterdam in 1635, then to Dordrecht in 1655. Carta marina of the Baltic Sea region (1539). ... Hamburg from above Hamburgs motto: May the posterity endeavour with dignity to conserve the freedom, which the forefathers acquired. ... Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on river Ems. ... Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... 1587 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1586 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... This is about the city in the Netherlands. ... Events January 15 - Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland February 24 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1587 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Motto: (French) Ik zal handhaven(Dutch) I shall stand fast1 Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Netherlands() – on the European continent() – in the European Union()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Amsterdam2 Official languages Dutch3 Ethnic groups 80. ... Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands with 6. ... Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... A staple port is a port designated by a government or monarch as a place where specific goods may be exported or imported. ... Hamburg from above Hamburgs motto: May the posterity endeavour with dignity to conserve the freedom, which the forefathers acquired. ... Events June 23 - Henry Hudsons crew maroons him, his son and 7 others in a boat November 1 - At Whitehall Palace in London, William Shakespeares romantic comedy The Tempest is presented for the first time. ... A staple port is a port designated by a government or monarch as a place where specific goods may be exported or imported. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... This is about the city in the Netherlands. ... Country Netherlands Province South Holland Coordinates Area 24. ... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Rotterdam Location Coat of arms The coat of arms of Rotterdam. ... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... Satellite image of part of the Rhine-Meuse delta, showing the Island of Dordrecht and the eponymous city (7) Dordrecht (population 119,649 (2004)), or in English: Dort, is a city in the Dutch province of South Holland, the third largest city of the province. ... Events March 25 - Saturns largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens. ...

Under the charter of 1564, the company's court consisted of a governor (elected annually was by members beyond the seas), his deputies, and 24 Assistants. Admission was by patrimony (being the son of a merchant, free of the company at the son's birth), service (apprenticeship to a member), redemption (purchase) or 'free gift'. By the time of James I, there were at least 200 members. Fines for admission were then gradually increased. However they were reduced to £2 when the company finally lost its exclusive privileges following the Glorious Revolution of 1689. Events March 27 — Naples bans kissing in public under the penalty of death June 22 — Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 — The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in England Conquistadors crossed the Pacific Spanish founded a colony... The Revolution of 1688, commonly known as the Glorious Revolution, was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ...

The period between 1615 and 1689 was marked by a series of alternating periods, starting with the ill-fated Cockayne Project, when the company lost and then regained its monopolistic privileges. It also suffered from trouble with interlopers, traders not free of the company who traded within its privileged area. After Parliament finally threw the trade open in 1689, the company continued to exist as a fellowship of merchants trading to Hamburg, driving a considerable trade there, and it was thus sometimes called the Hamburg Company. It still existed at the beginning of the 19th century. Events June 2 - First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Hamburg from above Hamburgs motto: May the posterity endeavour with dignity to conserve the freedom, which the forefathers acquired. ...

Further reading

E. Lipson, The Economic History of England I (12th edition, 1959), 570-84; II (6th edition 1956), 196-269.