Customs account of London

'An accompt of his Majesties customes in the Port of London inwards and outwards from Lady-day 1672 to Midsumer following'. The document names John Thorpe, Philip Marsh, Michael Wicks and Euclid Speidell, and shows the sums paid on Spanish and sweet wines, French and Rhenish wines, currants, vinegar, cloth, calf-skins and leather, to a total of £78,391 1s. 3d. On the dorse is 'An accompt of the new impost coynage duty and petty farmes in the Port of London from Lady-day 1672 to Midsumer following'. Imposts are shown as being levied on many of the same articles, but include also coinage duty, wood, salt and spice farms, potashes, to a total of £23,015 13s. 0½d.

The term 'customs' applied to customary payments or dues of any kind, regal, episcopal or ecclesiastical until it became restricted to duties payable to the King upon export or import of certain articles of commerce.

Single item.

Access to the items in the collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the controlled environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Access to archive collections may be restricted under the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Bought from W. Myers Ltd. in 1969.

Collection level description.

14" x 9"

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLp AIM25 Project.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

University of London manuscripts relating to customs and excise include MS 39, 40, 41, 44, 90, 134, 140, 202, 203, 204, 612, 746 and 784.