HANSdoc Database

15851124KOB00

Transcript available

1585, November 24

Copenhagen

King Frederick II of Denmark confirms the rights of the Hamburg merchants in Iceland according to the resolutions of Copenhagen in 1562, and Flensburg in 1579, in which they are forbidden to trade with sulfur, are obliged to acquire a written license from the king, and have to allow others to trade there as well.

16001113HAM00

1600, November 13

Hamburg

Hamburg to king Christian IV of Denmark: request for a license for the harbour Hellesand or Olefswick in Iceland, which are currently not in use, on behalf of Berndt Salfeld the Younger, including permission to sail to Reff to reclaim the outstanding debts of his father there, who sailed there for more than fifty years, but died three years ago. He had already applied for a license for Reff in January the same year, but it was given to Gerd Melsow from Bergen.

16010213HAM00

1601, February 13

Hamburg

Bernd and Henning Salfeld to Hamburg: renewed request for a license for the harbours Hellesand or Olefswick in Iceland, which are currently not in use, including permission to sail to Reff to reclaim their father's outstanding debts, who sailed there for over fifty years and died recently, but now Reff is in use by Gerdt Melsow from Bergen. A previous request was left unanswered.

16020926HAM00

Transcript available

1602, September 26

Hamburg

Johann Holdtgreve to [Hamburg]: request to be released from custody on the payment of a bail, because he has heard from his merchants from Helsingør that the Danish king is in Norway, so it will take a long time before his case can be judged, and in the meantime he cannot do business.

16030408HAM00

Transcript available

1603, April 8

[Hamburg]

Merchants who trade with Ruteforde to Hamburg: relate how they lost two ships in the last years, which forced them to leave their goods on Iceland for four years, and couldn't retrieve them because of the bad weather. Then the governor ordered them to sail back to Denmark, but a storm drove them to Hamburg, where they are not allowed to enter the harbour. Therefore, it is asked to land their goods to prevent even further damage.

16350924HAM00

1635, September 24/October 4

'Narratio et petitio Hamburg contra Dennemarck': anonymous account about the commercial position of Hamburg in Iceland and Norway.

16400629SCA00

Transcript available

1640, June 29

Scalloway

James Omand to Laurence Sinclair of Brugh: reports about his negotiations with German merchants in Unst and Whalsay concerning the export of butter, and the attacks of privateers from Dunkirk on four Dutch ships in Bressay Sound.

16400702SCA00

Transcript available

1640, July 2

Scalloway

Andro Smyth to his brother Patrick Smyth of Braco: reports about the wrecks of three Dutch ships in Dunrossness, the debts of German merchants for the export of butter, problems with the collection, storage and transportation of wadmal, and various other tax-related issues.

16400721SCA00

Transcript available

1640, July 21

Scalloway

Andro Smyth to his brother Patrick Smyth of Braco: sends a receipt for a sum of 550 dollars which was paid by Yan Sour to Joshua Averie in Hamburg, and reports that Court Warnekin has also paid his debt of 500 dollars to the same, but forgot to bring the receipt. The Dutch have started salvaging the anchors of their ships that were attacked by Dunkirkers, and further complains about the troublesome levying of taxes and rents in Shetland.

16400727SCA00

Transcript available

1640, July 27

Scalloway

Andro Smyth to his brother Patrick Smyth of Braco: reports about his troubles in dealing with the German merchants in Shetland, who have brought only little money with them, about his difficulties in travelling through the country because many islanders are out fishing, and about the problems of the sale of wadmal.