SCOTTISH COMMERCIAL CONTACTS WITH THE IBERIAN WORLD, 1581-1730 Claire McLoughlin A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2014 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/4525 This item is protected by original copyright University of St Andrews Scottish Commercial Contacts with the Iberian World, 1581-1730 Claire McLoughlin University of St Andrews PhD Thesis February 2014 Abstract This thesis analyses the commercial relations between Scotland and the geo- political area known as the Iberian world in the early modern period. Despite being geographically one of the largest areas of Europe, as well as arguably the politically most weighty, there has, until this thesis, been no scholarly research on Scottish trade relations with this area. Though the archives suggest regular and sustained contact, very little is known about Scottish-Iberian connections beyond the overtly political. When compared to northern Europe the region of Iberia and its dominions differed significantly, not only due to a different branch of Christianity being practised there but also due to the influence of the Habsburg empire and the power it was perceived to give the Spanish Habsburgs. Looking predominantly at Scottish commercial contacts with Spain, the Spanish Netherlands and Portugal, this project considers a number of angles such as England’s impact on Scottish commercial relations with Iberia. For example, very little would be known about Scottish commercial relations with Iberia in the late-sixteenth century if it were not for the Anglo-Spanish war of that period. The central role of conflict in Scottish-Iberian relations continues into the seventeenth century, with the Cromwellian/Stuart struggles with the Dutch Republic and later disputes between the new state of Great Britain and Habsburg Spain all affecting trade. This thesis demonstrates the important role of triangular and entrepôt trade, which was popular with Scottish merchants who wished to obtain Iberian goods without the risks of sailing into North African corsair territory. Scots did not merely pick up Iberian goods from the entrepôt markets of London and the Dutch Republic they also organised trade to Iberia and its dominions via other Scots, providing evidence of a complex trade network. Further, this thesis has sought to ascertain that, despite the lack of a large Scottish community such as those seen in Poland-Lithuania and Scandinavia, Scottish commercial relations with Iberia were valuable both to the Scottish economy and its merchants. This thesis which continues the work of the Scotland and the Wider World Project, addresses a lack of scholarly work regarding Scottish commercial connections with this key geo-political area. 2 Declarations. 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, Claire McLoughlin, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2010 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2010 and 2013. Date: 24 February 2014 signature of candidate: 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of ……… in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date: 24 February 2014 signature of supervisor: 3. Permission for electronic publication: (to be signed by both candidate and supervisor) In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Embargo on both [all] of printed copy and electronic copy for the same fixed period of 5 years on the following ground(s): publication would preclude future publication. Date: 24 February 2014 signature of candidate: signature of supervisor: 3 Contents Abstract 2 Declarations 3 Acknowledgements 6 Stylistic Conventions 7 Abbreviations 8-9 Introduction 10 ‘It is certain that since 1581 Scots merchants have begun to make voyages to, and have factors in, Spain and other countries where they were not previously accustomed to have such intercourse’ Chapter One: The Commercial Standing of Scotland and Iberia 24 ‘The town of Bilbao has a good trafficke ye Chief commodity it exports is wolle and iron’ Chapter Two: The Anglo Spanish War and Early Mercantile Connections 59 ‘ratefeis and approvis the act burrowis maid agains the traffik and negotiatioun of burrowis with the dominions of Spayne’ Chapter Three: Triangular Trade and Importance of Rotterdam and London 90 ‘I am glad the uglie debate with our friends at Barcelona is ended thou at a loss’ Chapter Four: Test Run for Great Britain?: The Early Stuarts and Cromwell 124 ‘Wm Dick is hardlie spoken of for trafficking w[i]t Spane’ Chapter Five: Charles II to Carlos II 155 ‘My love to my loving brother William who I desyer in his nixt to show me qt is the best comodities from ys to Cadiz’ Chapter Six: The War of Spanish Succession to the Siege of Gibraltar 190 ‘the imports into this place consist chiefly in dryed cod fish from Scotland, Newfoundland and New England’ 4 Conclusion 221 Appendices 227 Bibliography 239 5 Acknowledgments Upon reaching the conclusion of an academic journey that began almost ten years ago there are a number of individuals and institutions whose support have been fundamental to this thesis. Firstly, I extend my thanks to the Arts Humanities Research Council for their generous scholarship and to School of History at the University of St Andrews who provided financial support to my numerous research trips. My supervisor Professor Steve Murdoch has been unfortunate enough to know me since his own arrival in St Andrews in 2004 and was fundamentally responsible for persuading me to return to history in 2009. Without his encouragement, endless support and championing of my unusual learning style this project would never have been attempted. I owe a large debt of thanks to Melanie Forbes, Lorna Harris, Elsie Johnstone and Jennifer Todd in the School of History for whom I created a significant amount of extra work. Archives at home and abroad are the backbone of this thesis and I would like to thank the staff at several repositories including: National Archives of Scotland (especially Bob and Stuart), Archivo Municipal de Cadiz, Archivo Historico Nacional, Archivo General de Simancas, Bruges City Archives (especially Jan D’hondt), Archivo Foral de Bizkala (especially Felipe Pozuelo Rodríguez) and, finally, the Arquvio do Torre Tombo. Thanks is due to Dr. Alexia Grosjean who translated a number of documents for me and had the unenviable task of proofreading this thesis. Dr. Kathrin Zickermann (UHI) has been an immense source of support and has also provided me with examples from her own research. Thanks also to my fellow Weirder Wild and ISHR colleagues for kindly forwarding items that were of interest and to Duncan Davidson for setting up the database which accompanies this thesis. Sometimes thanks is due to kind strangers, in this case: Dr Regina Grafe (North Western University), Sue Mowat, Dr Alistair Ross (Stirling) and Matthijs Wibier (St Andrews). In the cut throat world of academia its nice to be reminded that humanity still exists. Personally my thanks is owed to numerous individuals, Wayne Cuthbertson, Andy Drinnon, Adam Grimshaw, Claire Hawes and Jasmine Witmer have always been willing to chat no matter how short the notice. The wider Tapscott family (including adoptive members) have provided support, holidays and cake recipes - all fundamental to thesis completion. Thanks also to the fantastic Edinburgh crew for the pints, endless hasselback potatoes and general time-out. My best friend and biggest cheerleader at St Andrews has undoubtedly been Beth Tapscott - whether in Scotland or from across the pond her support has been continuous. To mum and dad- I promise I won’t be a student forever, thanks for allowing me to come home and eat the contents of the fridge and treat the house like a hotel. Finally to Dave Jones, who has provided chocolate, cups of tea and has the patience of a saint. 6 Stylistic Conventions Individuals who are documented in this thesis often appear in primary sources with several variations of both their given and surname. In Iberia, as elsewhere in Europe, it was common practise to have a local variant of names. For example, James Cunningham often appears in Spanish documents as ‘Diego Coningam’ and, indeed, signs his own name as either Coningam or Cunningham depending on the authorities he is dealing with.