DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57079#0125
VIII
THE CURRANT TRADE AND THE REGULATION
OF TRADE IN OTHER COMMODITIES
The staple of the Levant trade was in cur-
rants 1 and consequently questions concern-
ing the trade in, and the price of, currants
occupied the company not a little. To all
intents and purposes the company had a
monopoly in the trade, but it must have been
so tempting that there were constantly cases
of “ interlopers,” as those were called who
were not members of the company and yet
traded in this commodity. The earliest case
under the re-organized company of which
there is a record is that of some merchants of
Bristol, Yarmouth and Exeter 2 who, in 1617,
contrary to the Charter of the company,
imported currants into England. When the
company heard of this, it was resolved that
1 Cf. Min. December 2, 1619, where currants are
spoken of as “ the maine trade of this Societie.” Cf.
also Miv. October 15, 1617, 2 Min. July 30, 1617
109
THE CURRANT TRADE AND THE REGULATION
OF TRADE IN OTHER COMMODITIES
The staple of the Levant trade was in cur-
rants 1 and consequently questions concern-
ing the trade in, and the price of, currants
occupied the company not a little. To all
intents and purposes the company had a
monopoly in the trade, but it must have been
so tempting that there were constantly cases
of “ interlopers,” as those were called who
were not members of the company and yet
traded in this commodity. The earliest case
under the re-organized company of which
there is a record is that of some merchants of
Bristol, Yarmouth and Exeter 2 who, in 1617,
contrary to the Charter of the company,
imported currants into England. When the
company heard of this, it was resolved that
1 Cf. Min. December 2, 1619, where currants are
spoken of as “ the maine trade of this Societie.” Cf.
also Miv. October 15, 1617, 2 Min. July 30, 1617
109