English Wool Trade (1340s)

Timeline

1. 1341–1345London · LondonEdward III continuously levied wool export taxes and customs duties for the Hundred Years' War; London merchants, foreign buyers, and royal fiscal officials frequently negotiated over quotas, prices, and credit arrangements, with wool revenue becoming one of the crown's largest and steadiest sources of income.
2. 1347–1350Calais · CalaisAfter the Battle of Crécy the English army controlled Calais, and English wool had to be traded centrally through the Calais staple before being shipped to Low Countries ports such as Bruges and Antwerp, forming a key trade node on the Anglo-French frontier.
3. 1348–1350Eastern English ports · EnglandThe Black Death swept England from 1348 to 1350; the shepherding workforce plummeted, transport and market demand collapsed, and wool export volumes and prices fluctuated violently, deepening the difficulties of royal finances and merchant networks.