The Smugglers' City
Department of History, University of Bristol

Bristol Merchants Landing Wine at Chepstow, 1564

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. 25, pp. 45-6.
Manuscript: National Archives, E 159/350 Easter 418
Web version by: Katharine Clarke (2005)

p. 45

Rychard Newton of Tawnton in the countie of Somerset,
marchaunt, of th'age of xxxiiij yeres, sworne and examyned to the
fyrste, upon his othe dothe say and depose that he well remembreth
there arryved at Chepstowe in the county of Monmouth thre severall
straingers shippes, twoo of them laden with wynes and the other before
the comying of this deponent thether discharged of his wynes, betwene
the first of June, anno 1564 and the laste of July then nexte folowyng.
Which wynes of the too shippes were there dischsrged and put on
lande to his certen sighte and knowledge. And the wyne of the other
third shippe sellered there in the saide towne of Chepstowe before the
comyng of this deponent to the same towne.

Item, to the seconde he deposeth and sayeth that, to his
remembryng, the first of the saide thre shippes was of the burden of
xxxix tonnes or thereaboutes, the ladyng whereof was on lande before
the comyng of this deponent thyther as before is saide. The seconde
was of the burden of xxxvij or xxxviij tonnes by reporte and the thirde
of the burden of fyftye tonnes or above, as this deponent remembreth.

Item, to the thirde he deposeth that notwithstandyng the burdens of
the saide shippes before declared, he thinketh that the firste of the saide
shippes did not discharge above the nomber of xxxiiij tonnes, the
second thirty tonnes and the thirde xxxix or xl tonnes.

Item, to the fourthe he deposeth that at the landing of the saide
wynes in the saide three shippes before mencioned, one Wylliam Jeyne
who is nowe one of the defendauntes and Martyn Barlowe, servaunte
or factor unto Thomas or Domynycke Chester, marchauntes of
Bristoll, were there present, who had the custody of the saide wynes
and made sales thereof and, as he supposeth, paide all the charge for
the same.

Item, to the fifte he deposeth that about the same tyme, one John
Leeke, pretending to be the Quenes customer was then in Chepstowe,
who them demaunded of this examynate the subsidie of the tonage, but
whether the said subsidie were demaunded or answered for the saide
thre shippes ladyng before mencioned or no he knoweth not.

Item, to the vj this examinate deposeth that too of the saide shippes
came thither freighted with gascoigne wynes and the other with wynes
of Nautes or wynes called Wynes of Courte, being white. And

p. 46

touching the oners of the same this deponent doth not certenly knowe
but he saieth that the said William Jeyne and Marten Barlowe made
sale of the same. And more in this matier this deponent nowe
remembreth not, by me Richarde Newton...