Lopez, Robert and Irving W. Raymond. Medieval Trade in the Mediterranean World. New York. Columbia University Press. 1990.
[Florence, between 1310 and 1340]
For expenses to transport wool from London, England, to Aigues-Mortes, Provence, for 1 sack of wool, which is made into 2 bales, which is considered 1
load, that is, 1 packload of a mule, which ought to be 4 cantara of Provence, being about 500 lbs. of Florence.
| Itemized Detail |
Distance |
£ |
s. |
d. |
| First of all, for the freight from London to Libourne in Gasgony it comes to 12d sterling the bale; (paid in sterling) the packload
amounts to |
800 km |
|
2 |
|
| For pilot fee, ½d sterling the bale; (paid in sterling) the packload amounts to |
|
|
|
1 |
| And for hoisting fee to the sailors of the ship when it is unloaded from the ship in Libourne½d sterling the bale; (paid in
sterling) the packload amounts to |
|
|
|
1 |
| And for the salary of the swain who comes with it from London to Libourne, 1d sterling the bale; (paid in
sterling) the packload amounts to |
|
|
|
2 |
| And for the custom of Royan on the Gironde, 1d sterling the bale; (paid in sterling) the packload amounts to |
|
|
|
2 |
The document states that the above totaled 2 shillings 6d sterling, sterling being the English currency of the time. Since the gold florin was equal to
3 shillings sterling this bit cost less than a gold florin. It appears sea travel was quite inexpensive when checked against the costs when moving on a
river or land, see below.
| And for the custom of Bourg of Gasgony, 1 shilling 8d the bale; (paid in silver Tournois) the packload amounts to |
|
|
3 |
4 |
| And for the custom of Vayres, (paid in silver Bordeaux) the load |
|
|
|
3 |
| And for the custom of Fronsac near Libourne, (paid in silver Bordeaux) the load |
|
|
|
3 |
| And for the custom of Libourne, (paid in silver Bordeaux) the load |
|
|
|
2 |
| And to unload it from the ship at Libourne and to carry it to the inn and weight it and stock it in piles in the inn, (paid in
silver petty Tournois) the load |
|
|
|
8 |
| And for two ropes to tie the two bales, each one by itself, in Libourne, (paid in silver Tournois) in total |
|
|
|
8 |
| And for storage and service of the innkeeper in Libourne, who receives them and sends them from Libourne to Montpellier, 1 shilling
the bale; (paid in silver Tournois) the packload amounts to |
|
|
2 |
|
| And for carrying and toll from Libourne to Montpellier in total, from 50 to 60 shillings Tournois the load; (paid
in silver Tournois) one can estimate the average price the load at |
465 km |
2 |
15 |
|
Just or the short stretch of river traversed here, 120-150 km, customs tolls have been paid four times, the heaviest being at the main port at the river
Gironde's mouth.
It was common practice among the French and maybe other regions as well, to have innkeepers serve as intermediaries and transportation contractors for
merchants not traveling with their own goods. In this case the merchant as paid for the unloading and repackaging of his goods and then paid the
innkeeper a flat rate per load to store and care for the goods and see that they are sent off to Montpellier.
However, he has also paid a separate rate for the actual transportation of the loads to Montpellier. The extremely high rate shown here shows that this
leg of the journey was done overland in a mule train.
| And for storage with the innkeeper of Montpellier, who receives them and sends them entirely at his own expense from Montpellier to
Aigues-Mortes, 2 shilling 1d the bale; (paid in silver Tournois) per load it amounts to |
17 km |
|
4 |
2 |
At Montpellier another innkeeper has been contracted to take receipt of the goods and forward them on to the port of Aigues-Mortes. This time his
contract also requires the innkeeper to do this all at his expense. It must be assumed that the estimated cost of transporting them and his fee to do so
have all been figured into the final fee shown here.
It appears there were no customs or tolls along this last route unless they were hidden in the cost.
| And for the duty of the customs house of Aigues-Mortes, (paid in silver Tournois) the load |
|
|
5 |
|
| And for the export duty of the king of France, 30 shillings the load of [sheep's] wool, and 50 shillings the load of lamb's wool;
(paid in silver Tournois) the [sheep's] wool pays |
|
|
30 |
|
| And for storage with the innkeeper of Aigues-Mortes, who receives it in his home in Aigues-Mortes and then carries
and lades it, personally paying all expenses for porters and small boats until it is loaded in a galley in the port of Aigues-Mortes, 1 shilling 4d
the bale; the packload amounts to |
|
|
2 |
8 |
This last leg has the goods back into the hands of another innkeeper who is tasked with storing, arranging transport and loading the goods onto a vessel
at the port. Again all the costs and his fees are included in the total and he is responsible for all expenses incurred.
It appears that the merchant had to pay the customs fee upon the goods arriving in Aigues-Mortes; but also has to pay an export duty to the king.
Hârn does not list such duties, but should it?
The merchant says that the trip, 1282 kilometers up to this point, has cost 9 florins or 27 shillings sterling or £1, 7 shillings.
Compare the cost of this trip with that shown for 'THE COSTS OF INLAND TRANSPORTATION' which is
a little over six times the cost of this one.
|
