Merchants of the Steelyard

Merchants of the Steelyard Act 1534
Act of Parliament
Long titleA Provysyon for the Marchauntes of the Stylyard in London.
Citation26 Hen. 8 c. 26
Territorial extent England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent18 December 1534
Commencement3 November 1534[a]
Repealed30 July 1948
Other legislation
Repealed byStatute Law Revision Act 1948
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Merchants of the Steelyard was the English name for the merchants of the Hanseatic League who first settled in London in 1250 at the Steelyard on the river-side, near Cosin Lane, now Ironbridge Wharf[1] and established their London Kontor in 1320. Located just west of London Bridge near Upper Thames Street. Cannon Street station occupies the site now. It grew significantly over time into a walled community with its own warehouses, weighhouse, church, offices and houses, reflecting the importance and scale of the activity carried on. It is first referred to as the Steelyard (der Stahlhof) in 1422.

The land and buildings still remained the property of the Hanseatic League, and were subsequently let to merchants for business purposes.[1] Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 they were rebuilt as warehouses, and were finally sold to the South-Eastern Railway Company in 1852 by the Hanseatic towns, Lübeck, Bremen, and Hamburg.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ Start of session.

References

  1. ^ a b c This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Steelyard, Merchants of the". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.