medieval-atlas/economic-development/239

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Overseas trade: the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century The Wars of Independence transformed both the economic situation with Normandy. On the west coast there was a modest trade with of the country and the relative ranking of the Scottish burghs. Perth Ireland, Brittany and the Biscay ports. lost its precedence in central Scotland and thereafter had to share There was a serious trade deficit from the fourteenth power with Dundee, whose coastal position was better suited to the century onwards. The Scots became dependent on the importation larger ships of the late Middle Ages. By the acquisition of subserof manufactures and many raw materials, mainly via Bruges, and vient ports (at Leith, Blackness and Aberlady), Edinburgh, Linlithgow often on grain from the Baltic, Normandy and, occasionally, from and Haddington each secured part of Berwick's former trade; as did England. The price of wool declined throughout the fourteenth other, smaller burghs. By the 1320s Edinburgh had already taken century and demand dropped catastrophically at its end. The trade part of Berwick's trade. It was therefore well placed to take the in hides and woolfells also declined. In order to boost customs largest share of the remainder when Berwick fell to the English in revenues James I (1406-37) greatly expanded the list of exports 1333. In the course of the fifteenth century Edinburgh pushed aside subject to duty, a process completed by James III (1460-88). The all its rivals and by the 1470s controlled over half the Scottish export customs accounts from then on give a fuller picture of the extent of trade; by the 1530s it controlled two thirds and was the only port of Scottish exports. They confirm a downward spiral of Scottish trade consequence south of the Forth (see below, Burghs' shares of until the 1470s, when the sea fisheries were revived on a limited customs). By then the former regional structure of the country had scale. It was not until the last quarter of the sixteenth century that effectively been transformed and Edinburgh had become an ecothere was a marked and prolonged expansion of Scottish trade. nomic centre for the entire country (see below, Taxation of burghs As trade with Flanders declined there was increasing 1535 to 1705). It was this economic power base that made Edinburgh pressure to open or expand alternative markets, a process greatly the natural capital of Scotland. helped by abandonment ofthe Bruges Staple. After a period without Before the Wars of Independence Scotland had devela staple port from 1477 to 1508, the small port ofVeere on the island oped a diverse international trade, attracting merchants from NorofWalcheren (see below, Ports of departure to Veere) became the way, England, Western Germany, the Low Countries, northern designated distribution point (a looser form of staple) for ttie major France, Brittany, Gascony, Spain and Italy. In the fourteenth century commercial centres in the Low Countries and nominally maintained links with most of these became tenuous. Few foreign merchants this role, with a few short intervals, until 1799. Trade with the Low visited Scotland and Scottish traffic was mainly directed to Flanders. Countries continued to decline until the late sixteenth century. This By the I 290s Bruges was already the principal centre of Scottish loss was mainly made good by a great expansion in trade with overseas trade. Probably in the reign of Robert I (1306"29) the France, particularly with Dieppe (see below, Destination of ships primacy of trade links with Bruges was formally recognised by from Leith), stimulated by privileged access to the French market; establishing it as the Scottish Staple -to which all wool, hides and and, to a lesser extent, in trade with the Baltic (see below ,Trade with woolfells exported by Scottish merchants had to be sent (unless northern Europe). For much of the sixteenth century France was special dispensation had been given). With a few short intervals, the Scotland's principal overseas market. In the later sixteenth and early Scottish Staple remained there until 1477. Since wool, hides and seventeenth centuries the main growth areas were the Baltic and woolfells were directed by law to Bruges, and the Scottish sea Scandinavia (see below, Overseas trade in the seventeenth century). fisheries had almost disappeared during the fourteenth century, the Each market had different demands and the changing pattern of wherewithal for trade with other lands was greatly diminished. Scottish exports is a reflection of this. The trade in wool became Cheap cloth, salmon, (other) skins and salt were the main exports to insignificant in the sixteenth century, while the trade in cloth, fish other countries. Much of the salmon was exported to England in and possibly skins greatly expanded; and with the rapid expansion times of peace, and by the late fourteenth century there was a of Baltic trade late in the sixteenth century salt and coal exports also flourishing east coast trade with the Baltic ports of Danzig and burgeoned. Stralsund (see below, Overseas trade in the seventeenth century) and • Linlithgow I , Haddington "/ Vilh I 'f)J\e" River \~j ~(; \ r " •Berwick upon Tweed -/ I \ \ • royal burghs • other burghs and ports " Before the Wars of Independence almost all of southern Scotland's burghs of Edinburgh, Linlithgow and Haddington jealously guarded international trade had passed through Berwick. Its loss, from 1296 to their privileges as the administrative centres of the sheriffdom of 1318 and again from 1333 onwards, necessitated the development of Edinburgh and its subsidiary constabularies (later Midlothian, West alternative ports. Several minor harbours had long existed in the Lothian and East Lothian). Each effectively seized control of their Lothians, which had acted as transit points for inter-regional trade and nearest harbours. Leith became the out-port for Edinburgh. Linlithgow for the shipment of goods to and from Berwick; but, Berwick apart, there secured the small harbour at Blackness, 4 miles to the northeast. was no major coastal burgh south of the Firth of Forth. The inland Haddington secured a less satisfactory tidal harbour, 5 miles to the north-west, at Aberlady. Position of Edinburgh after the Wars of Independence ML, ASt 239

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