Wool Smuggling and the Royal Government in Mid-Fourteenth Century Northumberland

The international wool trade was an important part of Northumberland’s economy in the fourteenth century, and participation it central to working lives many local merchants. However, mid-fourteenth century subjected unprecedented period royal regulation taxation. reaction export merchants this smuggling. This article examines both practice prosecution smuggling from Northumberland, primarily by use legal records, sets a wider commercial, constitutional judicial context reveal its regional significance. Firstly, situates Northumberland as region which illicit assumed particularly substantial measure importance commercial life. Secondly, engages with question governance. Here, focusing on perceived legitimacy taxation law enforcement North-east, argues that conflict resulted crown’s attempt reshape led blunting institutional mechanisms were supposed police Northumberland. Smuggling therefore reveals some limits authority far north England.