medieval-atlas/economic-development/256

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Overseas trade: the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century Evidence on salmon exports before duty was introduced in the 1425 is slight. The market for salmon in Flanders was never strong and under lames I most seems to have been exported to England. Salmon long remained Scotland's main export to England, although in the later fifteenth century and the sixteenth century most was exported to France. Aberdeen was always the main exporting port. Salmon exports rapidly increased as direct trade links with France expanded from the 1470s onwards. Salmon accounted for less than 3% ofcustoms receipts in the 1420s but rose to over 10% in the 1470s and stood at nearly 14% by the 1530s. Exports peaked Dumbarton 0510 at over 500 lasts p.a. in the last years of lames V. But diminishing trade with France and a vast increase in the rate of duty, from 4s or 5s per barrel under lames V to 37s 6d by 1597, greatly reduced the size of the market (if not the rate of return to the crown which collected £1,923 from salmon, almost 17% of total receipts, in 1598). For much of the period, although not the years in this series, the total volume of salmon exports cannot be accurately assessed because Aberdeen burgesses were exempted from paying duty and the customs at certain burghs, especially along the Moray firth, were usually farmed after 1485. Salmon (in lasts') 200 100 Iserwicko DD No returns extant: small returns reflecting value of less than £1 -Values too small to --J W

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