Imports of Spanish Pottery to England in the Later Middle Ages

This paper provides an overview of the documentary evidence for the mechanisms whereby the different types of Spanish pottery imported from the 13th to the 15th century reached England1. Much Iberian pottery arrived through trade with Valencia, Granada and Andalusia, but nearly all commercial imports to Southampton, Sandwich and London came in on Catalan and Italian vessels, often as containers for oil, ginger, and sugar. In London, however, the situation is complicated by Flemish interests. The problems of identifying the different forms, their provenance, function and destination are discussed with reference to entries in the records for London and Southampton, which include details of merchant, date, vessel, cost and associated cargo, and the potential of the Customs Records to contribute to pottery studies is demonstrated.