BRISTOL RECORD SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS General Editors: Madge Dresser Peter Fleming Roger Leech VOLUME 58 ROBERT STURMY'S COMMERCIAL EXPEDITION TO THE MEDITERRANEAN (1457/8) ROBERT STURMY'S COMMERCIAL EXPEDITION TO THE MEDITERRANEAN (1457/8) With Editions of the Trial of the Genoese before King and Council and of other sources By Stuart Jenks With a Preface by Evan Jones Published by The Bristol Record Society 2006 ISBN 0 901538 28 0 © S tuart J enks No part of this volume may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage or retrieval system. The Bristol Record Society acknowledges with thanks the continued support of Bristol City Council, the University of the West of England, the University of Bristol, the Bristol Record Office, the Bristol and West Building Society and the Society of Merchant Venturers. BRISTOL RECORD SOCIETY President: The Lord Mayor of Bristol General Editors: Madge Dresser, M.Sc., P.G.Dip RFT, FRHS. Peter Fleming, Ph.D. Roger Leech, M.A., Ph.D., FSA, MIFA Secretaries: Madge Dresser and Peter Fleming Treasurer: Mr William Evans The Society exists to encourage the preservation, study and publication of documents relating to the history of Bristol, and since its foundation in 1929 has published fifty­ eight major volumes of historic documents concerning the city. All the volumes, together with their authoritative introductions, are edited by scholars who are experts in their chosen field. Recent volumes have included: Bristol, Africa and the Eighteenth-Century Slave Trade to America (Vols. 38, 39, 42 and 47); The Goldney Family: A Bristol Merchant Dynasty (Vol. 49); William Worcestre: The Topography ofMedieval Bristol (Vol. 51); The Topography ofMedieval and Early Modern Bristol, (Vols. 48 and 52); The Diary ofSarah Fox (Vol. 55); The Pre-Reformation Records ofAll Saints' Church, Bristol (Vols. 46, 53, and 56) and Bristol Probate Inventories (Vols. 54 and 57). Forthcoming volumes will include The Topography of Medieval and Early Modem Bristol, Part 3; Bristol Probate Inventories, Part 3, and the Bristol Hearth Tax Returns. In return for the modest subscription, members of the Society receive the volumes as they are published. The subscription for private members is £10 per annum, for UK institutions £12.50, and for overseas membership £15. Subscriptions and enquiries should be made to the Secretaries, c/o The School of History, University of the West of England, St Matthias Campus, Oldbury Court Road, Bristol BS 16 2JP Produced for the Society by Tempus Publishing Limited Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... ix Abbreviations ................................................................................................ x Preface......................................................................................... xi Robert Sturmy's Commercial Expedition................................................................... 1 Introduction............................................................................ 1 The Trial before King and Council ..................................................................... 4 Sturmy's Expedition in the Light of the Trial Transcript .................................. 7 Financing the Commercial Expedition: The Noble Investors ......................... 16 Financing the Commercial Expedition: The Non-Noble Investors ................ 24 The Wider Significance of Robert Sturmy's Expedition ................................. 28 Appendix I: Transcript of the Trial of the Genoese .................................................... 49 1.21 August 1458 ...................................................................................................... 50 la. John Heyton's first petition ........................................................................... 50 2. 22 August 1458 ...................................................................................................... 51 2a. Response of the Genoese ............................................................................ 52 3. 23 August 1458 ..................................................................................................... 52 3a. Letter from the viceregent of Sicily in Candia ........................................... 53 3b. Statement of Johannes da Chanari, witness ............................................... 54 3c. Statement of Johannes Rubaglann, witness ................................................ 56 3d. Statement of Bald azar de Carreca, witness ................................................ 56 3e. Statement of Baptista Vemasann, witness .................................................. 57 3f. Statement of Jacobinus Berne, witness ....................................................... 57 3g. Letter of the captain andjurates of Malta .................................................. 57 3h. Letter of the viceroy of Sicily to the king .................................................. 59 4. 24 August 1458 ..................................................................................................... 60 5. 30 October 1458 ..................................................................................................... 60 Sa. John Heyton's second petition ..................................................................... 61 6. 4 November 1458 ................................................................................................... 64 6a. Letter of Simon Cataneus ............................................................................ 64 6b. Letter to Karolus and Egidius Lomelinus in Bruges ................................. 66 6c. Letter to Enrico and Angelo Pinelli ............................................................ 67 7. 6 November 1458 ................................................................................................... 67 7a. Deposition of Bartholomeus of Candi ............. ,.......................................... 67 7b. Deposition of Matheus Stulphus of Venice ............................................... 69 7c. Deposition of Jacobus de Messaro .............................................................. 69 ROBERT STURMY'S COMMERCIAL EXPEDITION 7d. Deposition ofPoloneus Macerio ofVenice ............................................... 69 7e. Deposition ofWilliam Denys of Devonshire ............................................ 71 8. 7 November 1458 ................................................................................................. 73 Sa. Deposition of Baltazar de Carena ............................................................... 73 8b. Statement of the Genoese defendants through counsel ............................ 74 9. 9 November 1458 ................................................................................................ 74 10. 13 November 1458 ..... , ........................................................................................ 75 11. 14 November 1458 ............................................................................................... 75 lla. Petition of the Genoese defendants ........................................................... 75 llb. Response of the Genoese to Heyton's first petition ................................. 76 12. 15 November 1458 ............................................................................................... 76 12a. Replication of the Bristol merchants to the first and second answers of the Genoese defendants ................................................................................ 77 13. 17 November 1458 ............................................................................................... 78 13a. Replication of the Genoese defendants to the replication of the Bristol merchants ............................................................................................... 78 13b. Deposition of William Ten tone ................................................................ 79 14.25 November 1458 ............................................................................................... 80 15. 27 November 1458 ............................................................................................... 80 15a. Schedule of damages .................................................................................... 81 16. 13 February 1459 ................................................................................................. 83 16a. Deposition of John Tay lour and John Richardisse, sailors ........................ 83 16b. Deposition ofPeryne de la Farga Grassco ................................................. 84 16c. Deposition of John W arde ........................................................................... 84 Appendix 11: Other Sources .......................................................................................... 86 la. Chancery petition regarding a bond for £100 (before 24 August 1438) ............ 86 1b. Suit of William Ragyt of Kilkenny (Ireland) against Robert and Elena Sturmy for £40 payable 24 June 1434 and 24 June 1435 ........................................ 86 le. Suit ofWilliam Ragyt of Kilkenny (Ireland) against Robert and Elena Sturmy for £40 payable 24 June 1436 and 24 June 1437 ........................................ 89 1d. Suit of William Ragyt of Kilkenny (Ireland) against Robert and Elena Sturmy for £20 payable 24 June 1438 .....................................................................