staple
staple. A staple was a trading centre in England or occasionally abroad, where traders deposited certain important commodities, bought and sold there. Edward II is regarded as the ‘father of the English Staple’ since it was during his reign that the Ordinance of the Staple (1313) made the system compulsory. The aims of the system, of particular importance in the 14th and 15th cents., were to regulate commerce in important commodities, especially wool, wool cloth, leather, and tin, and, by confining trade to a few named staple towns, to facilitate the collection of tolls or customs duties, and to bring trade under the control of royal officials who could ensure the maintenance of quality. The courts of the staple decided issues within the statutes. Because of England's importance as a trading nation, the staple system was also significant politically as an instrument of diplomacy.
Maureen Mulholland
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