The Early History of the Levant Company

M. Epstein

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781138192737
• eBook ISBN: 9781317274889
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

The Levant Company in England was first established in 1592 to help regulate trade with Turkey and the Levant area. Originally published in 1908, this study details the early origins of the company as well as providing information on surrounding issues such as the regulation of shipping, piracy and the officials of the company. This title will be of interest to students of history and business.

APPENDIX I

THE CHARTER TO THE COMPANY OF JAMES I. 1605.¹

JAMES by grace of God Kinge of England, Scotland, Britnnie, and Ireland, defendor of the faithe, etc., to all our officers, ministers and subjects and all other people as well within this our realme of England as elswhere within our obeysance and jurisdiction or otherwise unto whome these our lrs² shall be seene shewd or read greeting: whereas the trade of the Signiorie of Venice and the Domynions of the graund Signior hath heretofore bin granted by our late deceased sister Elizabeth of famous memorye late queene of England unto dyverse particuler marchants of our citie of London by twoe generall grauntes of priviledges and hath bin enioyed by those marchants for dyverse yeares by some of the said several grants which grants being determyned and the said trade at this present without government, we being desierous not onely to uphold and mayntayne the trade and traffique of our kingdomes for the increase of our navigacion and the benifit of our subjects but by the best means we may devise to advance and enlarge the same have resolved hereafter not to appropriate the said trade of the Signiore of Venice and Turkey to any lymited nombre of marchants nor to anie one cittie towne or place within these our realmes and Domynions nor to suffer the same to be used or enjoyed in anie degree of monopoly but to lay open the same to all our loving subjects using onely the trade of marchandize whoe are willing to enter into the said trade upon such reasonable tearmes and condicions as shall necessaryly belong to the supporte of the same. And to that end we have of late intimated our pleasure in this behalfe and have caused notice thereof to be geven by lres wrytten under the hand of our welbeloved cousin Thomas Earle of Dorset our high Treasorer of England to all our porte Townes within this our realme of England wherein marchants doe reside requyring all such marchants whoe shall be willing to enter into the said trade to repaire unto our cittie of London to the Guildhall of the said cittie and there to conferre with such commissioners as we had or should appoynte in that behalfe. And in theire conference to consider not onely of the necessary charge of the said trade of the Signiory of Venice³ [and the Dom] ynion of the graund Signior but of the trade of all other the partes of the levant. And whether the Islandes Portes havens creekes and other places of traffique within the levant seas not heretofore contayned with³ [in the pri]viledge granted to the said marchants of London weare fitt to be conteyned under one entire government of marchants trading to the levant. And whereas after such intimation made of our pleasure for the e³ [] trade for the general good of our subjects repaire hath bin made by dyverse marchants as well from sondrye other Ports of this our realme of England as of oure Cittie of London to the said place appoynted and sondrye conferences have beine there had betwene our said commissioners and the said marchants touching the said trade and the meanes to mayntaine and supporte the same wherein it hath bin resolved fforasmuch as the late discovery of the trade of the East Indies wherby manie spices druggs silks and marchandize which formerlie weare brought into this realme of England and the Domynions thereof by the trade of Turkey are nowe brought i

ediately from the Indyes to the diminucion of the said trade of Turkey that therefore for the repayre of the said trade it weare convenient that all the Islandes havens ports creekes and all other the places of trade and traffique within the levant or Mediterranean Seas should be annexed and united unto the Priviledges and gouvernement of this trade of the Signiory of Venice and the Domynions of the graund Signior and especiallye for that those Islands havens Portes creekes and other places of marchandizing have theire peaceable and safe trafique against the Turkes Galleyes by reason of the capitulacion of intercourse holden by us with the Graund Signior and by the residence of our Ambassador within his Domynions. And whereas it was resolved in the said conference for the necessarie supporte of the said trade that active payment and contribucions should be levyed rated and collected uppon all and everie of the marchants which should enter into the Priviledges and freedomes of this trade ffyrste by the payment of a reasonable some of money uppon their fyrst entry thereunto and afterwardes from tyme to tyme by a rateable levy uppon theire goodes and marchandizes sent and retorned into and from the places of traffique by waye of consulage as three, two or one in the hundred more or less in and out as the necessary charge of the trade shall require wherein one equall and generall rate and proporcion of consulage is to be kepte soe that all mens goodes shall be charged and rated alike uppon all which and severall proceadinges in the navigation of the trade aforesaid and uppon the desire of diverse of our loving subjects whose names doe hereafter ensue to have the said trade established under a forme of governement manifesting theire desyre and redyness to enter into the said trade of the Levant by the payment of the severall so

es of twentye and fyve poundes by everye of them uppon theire first entry towards the necessarye supporte of the present charge of the said trade giving theire full and free consent to beare and paye uppon theire goodes to be sent and retorned to and from all and everie partes of the said trade such rateable consulage as from tyme to tyme shall be found proporcionable to supporte the future necessarye charge thereof, know ye that we for the consideracions aforesaid and for dyverse other good causes and considerations as thereunto especiallye moving, of our especiall greate certaine knowledge and meere mocion have willed ordayned constituted graunted and declared and by ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Dedication
• Prefatory Note
• Abbreviations
• Printed Books and Pamphlets to which reference is made in the notes
• Table of Contents
• I Introduction
• II The First Charter of the Turkey Company, 158l
• III The First Charter of the Venice Company, 1583
• IV The Founding of the Levant Company, 1592
• V The History of the Company from 1592 to 1605
• VI Officers and Officials of the Company
• VII Meetings of the Company and Membership
• VIII The Currant Trade and The Regulation of Trade in Other Commodities
• IX The Regulation of Shipping
• X Pirates, Interlopers and Factors
• XI Conclusion
• Appendix I The Charter to The Company of James I. 1605.
• Appendix II Governors of the Company (of the reorganized company 1605)
• Appendix III Ambassadors at Constantinople (to 1640)
• Appendix IV Consuls and Vice-Consuls and their Seats
• Appendix V List of Ships Belonging to the Company.
• Appendix VI List of Ports
• Appendix VII Impositions
• Appendix VIII Miscellaneous Documents