1475-09-11, Westminster

Whereas Arnold Trussell late of Bayonne in the duchy of Aquitaine under pretext of letters of safe-conduct of the king was taking divers wines and other merchandise in a ship called le Martyn of Bayonne of the burthen of 200 tuns from Bordeaux to England and the ship and merchandise were seized off the coast of England by the masters and mariners of a ship of John, earl of Worcester, constable of England, and the said Arnold obtained letters from the king's kinsman Louis, calling himself king of the French, and Charles, calling himself duke of Aquitaine, directed to the king asking for restitution of the merchandise and wine and he obtained restitution of 70 tuns of wine but not of the residue of the said wines and merchandise of the value of 1,000/., and the king on 12 February, 11 Edward IV. by letters patent granted licence for him to ship in each of the ten years following woollen cloths and fodders of lead and other merchandise not being wools or wool-fells quit of customs and subsidies to the sum of 1002, and he has thus received the sum of 90/. 9s. in part satisfaction of the sum of 1,000/., as appears in the Exchequer, and the sum of 909/. remains unpaid to him, and he has surrendered the said letters patent; the king hereby grants licence for the said Arnold, now dwelling in the town of San Sebastian in Spain, or his executors after his decease or their factors or attorneys, to ship sacks and cloves of wool, woollen cloths, pieces of tin and fodders of lead in any ports of the realm and take the wools by the straits of Marrok and the woollen cloths, tin and lead to any foreign parts and bring back wines and other merchandise to any ports of the realm quit of customs and subsidies (on the wools at the rate of 4 marks on each sack) to the said sum of 9091, ; By K.