The Staple

In European historiography, the term "staple" refers to the entire medieval system of trade and its taxation; its French equivalent is étape, and its German equivalent stapeln, words deriving from Late Latin stapula with the same meaning,[1] derived from stabulum.

The antiquary John Weever, quoting the 16th-century Tuscan merchant Lodovico Guicciardini, defined a staple town "to be a place, to which by the prince's authority and privilege wool, hides of beasts, wine, corn or grain, and other exotic or foreign merchandize are transferred, carried or conveyed to be sold".

In England they were obliged to pay a levy to the Crown on goods for export to the continent of Europe.

The system made it easy for local and regional governments to monitor the overseas trade and to levy taxes and derive income and revenue from it.

From 1617, wool exports were stopped entirely, and only domestic staples would remain in England.