HANSdoc Database

15210529LUB00

Transcript available

1521, May 29 - June 11

Lübeck

Proceedings of the Hanseatic Diet in Lübeck from May 29 to June 11, 1521, in which eldermen of the Bergen Kontor complain about illicit trade of Bremen and Hamburg in Iceland, among others.

15570514BRE00

Transcript available

1557, May 14

[Bremen]

Minute of the Bremen lower court, in which Hinrick Sprenger states that he bought the trading company from Christoffer Meyer in Shetland, which they use to have together, together with the booth, so that Meyer had no longer anything to do with the company. Witnesses are Reineke Hargestede and Harmen Middendorp, who confirm that Sprenger bought the company from Meyer, but do not know what both men did on Shetland.

15580207BRE00

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1558, February 7

[Bremen]

Lawyer Dirick van Minden to [Bremen]: answer to the complaint against his client Gerdt Breker by Brun Oldenburg and Johan Beling about the death of Cordt Hemeling in Shetland, in which he explains the circumstances that led to Hemeling's death. It was the rude behaviour of Hemeling himself that led to a fight on the ship, in which he was hit among others by Breker, and fell down. However, it cannot be proven that it was these events that led to his death, as he acted normally afterwards for 10 or 12 days, before he was found dead in his bunk. As Breker had no other choice than to confess, the obligation was forced upon him and therefore, it is pleaded to be declared null and void.

15590906BRA00

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1559, September 6

Brow

Olave Sinclair, governour of Shetland, testifies how in August 1557, German skipper Cordt Hemeling was slain by Gerdt Breker, a member of his crew, in Shetland, how he was sought and found, and that five men were appointed as Breker's warrantors before Sinclair on Cordt's brother Gerdt Hemeling's incentive.

15600720SCA00

Transcript available

1560, July 20

Scalloway

Olave Sinclair, governour of Shetland, permits the use of the harbour Baltasound in Unst, Shetland, to the merchant Johan Cordes from Bremen in the year 1561. One of the Low German translations is issued to Heinrick Byllen.

15621126BRE00

Transcript available

1562, November 26

[Bremen]

Johan Runge to Bremen: in replication to the answer of Segebad Detken in the lawsuit about the use of the harbour Baltasound in Shetland, Runge states that Detken had abandoned the harbour some years before, that he could have mentioned he wanted to use it again before they set sail to Shetland, and that the other harbours were in use by other merchants, so that they had no choice but to sail on to Norway.

15630818BRA00

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1563, August 18

Brow

Olave Sinclair, governor of Shetland, to Bremen: declares how he didn't want to give Johan Cordes and Johan Runge a license for the harbour of Baltasound, because there were already too many ships near the northern islands, but that they were not interested in one of the many available harbours on the mainland, and that it is a lie that they were driven from the said harbour by force by Segebad Detken and his companions.

15760213BRE00

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1576, February 13

[Bremen]

Christoffer Meyer to [Bremen]: answer and final plea to the defense of Bernd Losekanne, in which he states that Losekanne did indeed interfere with their business in Iceland, and lies by stating otherwise. Moreover, he tried to destroy evidence by tearing up the license for the harbour, traded with Icelanders which were indebted to Meyer, and told them that Meyer was attacked by English pirates and would not come to Iceland.

15871129LON00

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1587, November 29

London

Elderman Moritz Zimmerman of the London Steelyard to Bremen: has found out that the ship that was attacked by English pirates near Shetland while on the way to Iceland, is lying at the Isle of Man, most of the goods sold, and that attempts to retrieve it will cost a lot of money and trouble.

15871200BRE00

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1587, December

Bremen

Johan Hudeman and Evert Schroder to Bremen: state that they have sailed to the harbour Bodenstede in Iceland for a long time, and acquired a license in 1586. On the way back, their ship has been attacked by English pirates, who left them naked on Shetland, and also robbed them of their license. Therefore, they request intercession in acquiring a new one from the Danish king.

16100119HAM00

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1610, January 19

Hamburg

Hamburg to King Christian IV of Denmark: because Heinrich Krack was accused of having traded illegally in Iceland in 1609, he was brought to court in Hamburg, where he declared that he had been fishing near Shetland and the Faroes, and because he had caught too little and was driven by a storm to Iceland, he was forced to trade a little there to make a living. Therefore, it is asked to refrain from further prosecution.

16400318BRE00

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Bremen

1640, March 18

Letter from Cordt Warneken to Mr William Stirling, Edinburgh, intimating that he has received 500 thalers worth of butter from George Sinclair of Rapnes in Orkney, and paid the money to Joshua Averie on 29 November 1639 at Hamburg; writer asks that the money may be paid to William Stirling; if the money has reached Scotland recipient was to pay it to William Dick or Peter Smith, brother of Andro Smith.

16440200HAM00

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1644, February - 1645, July

Hamburg

Register of ships, skippers, freighters and cargoes sailing between Hamburg and Shetland that paid the admiralty toll in the harbour of Hamburg.

16460200HAM00

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1646, February - 1647, December

Hamburg

Register of ships, skippers, freighters and cargoes sailing between Hamburg and Shetland that paid the admiralty toll in the harbour of Hamburg.

16591006BRE00

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1659, October 6

Bremen

Herman Hausman and Henrich Eiling, councillors in Bremen, confirm that they have heard the testimonies of Herman Brunings, Gerdt and Segebad Detken, Herman Segelcken and Cort Lubbers, crew members on the ship of Herman Detken, about how they had to throw cargo overboard to save their ship in a storm on the return journey from Shetland. Also contains the testimony of Herman Detken himself.

16620314LON00

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1662, March 14

London

Jacob Jacobsen, Hanseatic consul in London, to Bremen: writes that he will help to further the complaints of merchants in Shetland, and reports that he has received news that David Murray will be heard in parliament, and that further information will be brought by burgomaster Hinrich Meyer.

16711026BRE00

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1671, October 26

Bremen

Bremen merchants with Shetland to Bremen: complain about the recent rise in customs in Shetland, which makes the trade there unprofitable, and requests mediation with the Scottish Privy Council to abolish or reduce these customs.

17040400STA01

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[1704, April]

[Stade]

Friederich Bossauw to the Swedish general-governor in Stade: request for a renewal of the lost sea pass for his ship Jungfer Anna of 30 to 34 lasts, for a journey from the Schwinge to a harbour in Shetland with skipper Claus Majer, with a slightly different cargo list from the original pass.

17040409STA00

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1704, April 9

Stade

Burgomaster and city council of Stade issue a sea pass on behalf of Friedrich Bossauw, for the ship Jungfer Anna of 30 to 34 lasts, with skipper Claus Meyer, for a journey from the Schwinge to Lerwick or Hillswick or another harbour in Shetland with a cargo of among others salt, beer, and tobacco, and back again with herring, clip- and stockfish, butter, fish oil and other commodities.