Charter of the Muscovy Company

Timeline

1. 1553–1554Arkhangelsk · ArkhangelskSebastian Cabot and Richard Chancellor led an expedition via the Northeast Passage to the White Sea, establishing trade contacts with the Tsardom of Russia at Arkhangelsk, proving the feasibility of an Anglo-Russian sea route and laying the groundwork for subsequent chartered trade.
2. 1555London · LondonMary I signed a charter consolidating the merchant adventurers into the Muscovy Company, granting it a monopoly on trade with Russia, the right to establish its own courts, and the right to send representatives. The company was headquartered in London, with shareholders including London and Norwich merchants.
3. 1555–1559Moscow · MoscowIn the later 1550s the Muscovy Company regularly sent fleets to Arkhangelsk, presenting gifts to the Moscow court and exchanging furs, cordage, ironware, and English cloth. The company established a relatively stable diplomatic-commercial relationship with Ivan IV's government, becoming an institutionalized channel for Anglo-Russian trade.