Terry Foreman on 21 Jan 2012  •  Link

Merchant Strangers' Company

A company to encourage and regulate foreign merchants in London

"In 1283, the first mention occurs of legal encouragement given by act of Parliament to foreign merchants, then called called "Merchants' Strangers,' who, excepting always those at the Steelyard, till now met with many discouragements from the jealousy borne towards foreigners so little was the true interest of he public understood. These merchants were chiefly Lombards, and other merchants of Italy, viz. of Genoa, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Venice, who then supplied all the rest of Christendom, westward, with Indian and Arabian spices and drugs, as well as with their own fine manufactures of silks and stuffs, and with the wines and fruits of Italy. The Italian merchants styled Lombards, who resorted to England, became likewise great remark, lenders of money, both to the king and nobles: and though, from narrow views, opposed by the people, furnished its best sinews to trade, as do now their successors on the same spot of residence -- the bankers of Lombard-street."

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Bill on 24 Oct 2016  •  Link

Merchants, Merchandise.
I. Magna Charta, Stat.5R.2.Stat.2.1. Merchant-Strangers shall have safe Conduct of coming into, going out, and remaining in England, to buy and sell, without being exacted upon by excessive Tolls, except in time of War, if they be of our Enemies Countrey : and albeit they be so, yet so long as our Merchants be used well there, they shall have the like usage here.
II. Stat.9E.3.1. Merchant-Strangers may freely buy and sell within the Realm without Disturbance, except they be Alien Enemies.
etc., etc. etc.
---An Exact Abridgment of All the Statutes in Force and Use from the Beginning of Magna Charta. 1704.