iv. Petition to the privy council, 1606
(P.R.O. S.P. 14/16 no. 118)
733. To the lords of the privy council. (fn. 1) We his majesty's dutiful and faithful subjects, the English merchants trading Spain and Portugal, do in all
humbleness present to your good lordships' most honourable and grave
considerations, divers injuries offered to us in Spain and Portugal the same
being so grievous and intolerable that unless reformation be had therein
we shall be driven to forsake the country and give over trading thither.
And therefore we most humbly pray your lordships to recommend our
petition in that behalf to the king's most excellent majesty; and we shall
ever (as duty binds us) pray to almighty God to preserve his most excellent
majesty and your good lordships.
734. First for matters of religion, upon false and slight accusations our
servants and factors are threatened to the Inquisition, and also they practise
to entrap our servants and factors by questioning with them upon points
of religion, and thereby to draw them into the danger of their Inquisition.
As namely about January last one William Watson, a young man and
servant to Mr. Roger How a merchant of London, coming newly over into
Spain to a town called Faro, (fn. 2) and passing in the street, a canonigo or
churchman called him; and presently after a little conference a procession
came by, to which the said Watson made the same reverence that the
canonigo did. The procession being passed, the canonigo demanded of
Watson, (being in a house, and only one or two present) whether we had
that order in England et cetera. Watson asked what it was and what he
meant; the canonigo said it was a procession and they prayed to saints for
rain, and demanded what they in England thought; who answered in Latin,
that no saint though never so holy was never able to save himself, much
less another, without the mercy of Jesus Christ and so they pray directly
to Jesus Christ and no other.
735. For these words he was the next day convented before a bishop and
reproved for the same, and so far that time discharged. But about nine
months after, namely in October last, for the same words so spoken he was
committed to prison, into a loathsome dungeon with irons, and after set
upon a mule and bound with irons and chains, and carried to Evora, and
threatened to be burned; and was by them persuaded to change his religion
and to be new christened, or else to be brought up in a monastery. And
because he would not yield thereto, God knows in what misery he remains;
and not so contented, they practise not only to confiscate all his goods, but
also the goods of all others consigned to him. (fn. 3)
736. And one Nicholas Moone, servant to Francis Oliver, a merchant of
London, seeing a procession coming along, did before it came near him,
pass aside into a street with a purpose to have gone away. But one pursued
him, using opprobrious words to him, and demanded the cause of his
passing down the street; who answered that by the articles of the peace he
might lawfully do so. And yet he was committed to prison for the same.
737. They will not permit any books of prayer to be used in private amongst
ourselves, notwithstanding they are not so restrained here in England, but
have their masses to common, (as is generally reported). And some of them
dispute and maintain their opinions upon the Exchange, as merchants of
good account will approve and witness.
738. They have got possession of a house in San Lucar which was built
by the English nation and have there placed English fugitives, Jesuits and
seminarians, enemies to our king and country. And for their maintenance
have and do constrain our factors and servants to charge our account with
a quarter per cent inward and a quarter per cent outward; and many other
exactions they lay upon us, which we dare not deny to pay, for fear of the
Inquisition, for if they be any way contradicted or denied their demands
some wicked person or other will unjustly accuse us to the Inquisition
whereby we are committed. (fn. 4) And when we are in prison none dare speak
for us, neither shall we know our accuser nor know when to come to our
answer.
739. By a charter granted by King Henry VIII to our company, and confirmed and allowed by Charles the emperor, we have authority to elect
consuls; and by the twenty-fourth article of the late treaty, these privileges
are revived. (fn. 5) And yet we have intelligence that the king of Spain will not
admit any to be consuls there, but a continual dweller within his kingdom
and one of their religion, which we may not by any means endure.
740. In the time of the wars between England and Spain there was a new
imposition raised of three per cent by express words to defend the coast
from the English ships, the which notwithstanding the peace they still
continue and enforce us to pay the same. Also there is lately imposed in
the Canaries a new exaction, amounting (besides the custom) for some goods
to almost ten per cent, and divers other grievous exactions in other places.
741. We are exceedingly molested by several visitors; one sort coming aboard
our ships for books and exact [? eight shillings] for every visitation; and
in every port we put in we are soon visited [missing] called visitors of
[missing] they be sued to come aboard, will defer their coming five [missing]
to our great charges and hindrance. And for their [missing]. And if they
find anything to their liking it may not be denied them; and our ships lying
in the open road they put aboard a man to remain over us, under colour
that there shall be no ballast or rubbish thrown overboard, to whom we
give ryalls of plate, (fn. 6) and meat and drink every day.
742. And after they have thus visited us then may we bring our packs to
land, yet the same shall not be opened but at their pleasure, and a familiar
of the Inquisition must then be present to see that there be no books, neither
can we be masters of our own goods but they are carried to the custom
houses, where they are so cast up and down that there grows great loss in
the sale thereof.
743. In Spain they do not admit us to reload our own ships if any of their
own nation do demand the freight, pretending they have a proclamation
from the king's father with preeminence not only to take away the freight
from strangers' bottoms but also in discretion of the justice to force us to
pay more freight in their Spanish ships, than we have agreed for with the
masters of ships of our own nation. They knowing this advantage and the
danger which we run in case the Hollanders should take our goods in their
shipping, with many other inconveniences which they know would befall
us, oftentimes they take advantage of his proclamation and thereby compel
us to our great charge to compound with them, as by experience has been
proved in San Sebastian in the province of Guipuzcoa and we fear every
day more and more to be molested with the advance [missing]. The remedy
of which would [missing]. (fn. 7)
744. If any of us bring any commodities from Barbary they will not suffer
us to bring the same into Spain, without great rewards given to their
officers, pretending that we ought not to trade into any the kingdoms conquered by the king of Spain, of which the said Barbary is parcel. (fn. 8)
745. In September last a mean fellow caused the justices to stay an English
ship in San Sebastian upon a false suggestion that she had in her fourteen
or fifteen thousand ducats to be brought for England, whereupon all the
merchandise that was in her was unloaded, searched and no money found;
the ship likewise searched and broken up in many places, wherein the
merchants and owners received loss and damage, at the least £500, and
know no way to be recompensed.
746. A western bark going directly from Newfoundland (where she took
fish) and arriving at Lisbon, they did confiscate both ship and goods, and
committed the mariners to the galleys without any offence by them given,
where they still remain for anything we hear to the contrary.
747. A mean justice will command the master of a ship to shoot his ordnance
and spend his powder; if the master refuse he is committed to prison.
Also they will take away their ships' barks and use them at their pleasure;
and if they be denied some complaint or other will be made to the Inquisition.
748. Our goods arriving in Spain, let us make never so good proof that
they are not the goods of Holland and Zeeland, they will not be satisfied
but seize upon them. (fn. 9) And one Mr. Bowyer of London, sending over commodities of the value of £160 made at Norwich, the same were seized as
Flemish stuff, albeit divers in Spain affirmed that the same was made here.
And albeit since then a certificate was sent over under the seal of London
upon the oaths of them that made the same in England and certified from
the custom house that the custom was paid here, and also a letter from the
Spanish ambassador resident here, yet all this nothing prevailed but the
goods are detained. And such exactions are there required for bonds and
certificates of loading our goods in England, that it is not to be endured,
and upon every slight suggestion they arrest us under colour of the eleventh
article. And therefore we humbly pray his majesty and your good lordships
to be a mean either for the annihilation of the said eleventh article, or for
some better usage thereupon, otherwise we shall be continually molested
without excuse, (fn. 10) and the rather because the Spaniards have of late given a
toleration to Hollanders to bring corn into Spain; and the archdukes' own
subjects and the Flemings, do daily carry the goods of Holland and Zeeland
into Spain without molestation.
749. Also Mr. Edward Davenant a merchant of London, in May last having
for his factor at Seville one Stephen Payne, and also his apprentice Henry
Savill there at the same time, the tenth of May, the said Stephen fell sick
and in his sickness sent for two notaries, one of the which made an inventory
of all things being in his possession, and the other made a writing testifying
that all in his possession were the goods of Edward Davenant (except some
small things certainly named belonging to a friend or two of his). After
which viz. the seventeenth day of May Stephen Payne died having before
delivered both goods and account to Henry Savill the apprentice; within
two days after his death the friars began a suite with Henry Savill claiming
all the said goods to ransom prisoners, and the santa cruzada. (fn. 11) Later in
July last imbarred [missing] of four, and for ought we can learn [missing]
charge of Edward Davenant [missing].
750. Your lordships have heretofore had notice of the great cruelty offered
in the city of Messina in Sicily to our ship and the people in the same. (fn. 12)
751. These and a number more, which would be tedious to lay down, are
wrongs and injuries only offered to particular citizens of London, there
being a number more such injuries offered to divers merchants of other
cities and towns, to divers masters of ships and mariners which we have
heard in general, but the particulars we have not enquired after, which we
will do if your lordships command; and therefore are unwilling to trouble
your lordships with the same, humbly craving pardon for this our boldness,
because we are assured that [missing] lordships [missing] desirous of the
same.