Stokesay Castle was largely built in its present form during the 1280s and 1290s in the village of Stokesay by Laurence of Ludlow, a very wealthy wool merchant.
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LAURENCE OF LUDLOW AND MEDIEVAL WEALTH. 2
The life and times of Laurence of Ludlow offer an early example of one of the oldest tales of English aspiration: the rich tradesman redefining himself as a country squire.
But his story, and that of Stokesay Castle, Shropshire, is above all about the medieval wool trade – its unique status, the extraordinary prizes it created for its savviest merchants, and the perils of late 13th-century international travel.
In the 13th century wool was England's most important export, and the principal source of the nation's wealth. The wool of the Shropshire and Herefordshire borderlands was of particularly high quality. And from the 1270s onwards Laurence dealt, as his father had before him, in vast quantities of the fleeces produced by local sheep owners – magnates, monasteries and farmers.
Much of Laurence's business was done in Shrewsbury, but he had an office in London, and also traded overseas. He personally sold wool to merchants in the Low Countries, where it fed the cloth industry of towns like Ghent and Bruges. He attended at least one fair at Champagne, in north-west France, where merchants gathered from all over Europe.
His enterprises at home and abroad made Laurence staggeringly rich. What was a wealthy medieval merchant to do with all his money? The answer was to invest in landed property. Then, as now, ownership of land bought status – which a fine house only enhanced.
Laurence's profits were such that he was able to lend money to Edward I, as well as many of the great lords of the Welsh borderlands. The manor of Stokesay, which he bought in 1281, would have been easily within his means.
Building at Stokesay began in about 1285, and Laurence moved in about six years later....
Money and business acumen had bought him influence as well as property, and by 1294 he was advising Edward I.
It was thanks to Laurence's suggestion that Edward, desperate for money to finance a war with France, abandoned his plan for a wholesale seizure of wool. He was persuaded to raise revenue in a different way – by tripling the customs rate on wool exports, as well as arranging loans in wool itself.
The wool producers were outraged. The burden of the king's needs fell on them, rather than the merchants.
Laurence was also to be the king's paymaster, delivering wool and money to England's continental allies. A fleet carrying both left London for Flanders in November 1294, under his command.
But he never reached his destination. On the night of 26 November, the fleet ran into a storm. Most of the ships (and indeed wool) survived, but Laurence's vessel was wrecked off the Suffolk coast. He drowned.
The wool producers couldn't conceal their delight. As one chronicler wrote: 'Because he sinned against the wool-growers, he was swallowed by the waves in a ship full of wool.'
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20 Aug 1279, Rockingham
Whereas Laurence son of Nicholas de Lodelawe, sometime burgess of Shrewsbury, deceased, and Reginald de Staunton, sometime clerk of the said Nicholas, executors of his will, by grant and letters patent of the coexecutors of his said will, and also by letters of other children of the deceased and of Idonia his relict, have power to sue for, levy and receive all his debts and chattels wherever they may be, to give acquittances therefor, and do all things that all the executors, the children and Idonia should do in this behalf, as the king understands by inspection of the said letters, the king commands the mayor and échevins of Ypres to deliver the goods late of the said Nicholas to the said Laurence and Reginald for the execution of his will ; and the king will cause whatever is done by the said Laurence and Reginald to be ratified as well by the said children as by Idonia.
The like to the mayor and échevins of Ghent, St. Omer and Bruges.
Calendar of the Patent Rolls, 7 Edw. I, p. 325
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12 Oct 1281, Winchester
Adam de la Bolde acknowledges that he owes to Laurence son of Nicholas de Ludelawe 6 marks ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Salop.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 9 Edw. I, p. 135
24 Oct 1281, Westminster
Grant to Laurence de Lodelawe, and his heirs, of free warren in all his demesne lands in Stokesay, Neuton and Wotlinton, co. Salop.
Calendar of the Charter Rolls, 9 Edw. I, p. 255
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22 Feb 1284, Burton-on-Trent
To the sherilf of Salop. Order to cause Laurence de Ludelawe to have seisin of a moiety of a messuage and of a virgate of land in Wetlynton, which Richard Reynald, who was outlawed for felony, held, as the king learns by inquisition taken by the sheriff that the moiety has been in the king's hands for a year and a day, and that Richard held it of Laurence, and that the township of Stok Say had the king's year and day thereof and ought to answer to the king therefor.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 12 Edw. I, p. 255
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18 Aug 1286, Westminster
The abbot of Bruern (Bruera), of the Cistercian order, acknowledges, for himself, his successors and his house aforesaid, that he owes to Laurence de Ludelawe, John de Ludelawe, and Thomas de Ludelawe, sons of Nicholas de Ludelawe, deceased, begotten upon Margery, late the wife of Nicholas, 2,173 marks ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in cos. Oxford and Gloucester.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 14 Edw. I, p. 424
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28 Apr 1289, Westminster
Adam de Elmerugge acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Ludelawe, merchant, £6 16s. 0d.; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Worcester.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 17 Edw. I, p. 41
8 May 1289, Westminster
The abbot of Bruern (Bruera), of the Cistercian order, acknowledges, for himself and his house, that he owes to Laurence de Lodelawe, John de Lodelawe, and Thomas de Lodelawe, sons of Nicholas de Lodelawe, deceased, by Margery, his wife, 2,000 marks ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in cos. Oxford and Gloucester. Witness : Edmund, earl of Cornwall...
The aforesaid abbot acknowledges that he owes to Laurence, John, and Thomas five sacks of wool, price 100 marks, to wit 20 marks each sack ; to be levied as above.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 17 Edw. I, p. 42
21 Nov 1289, Kingston
Edmund de Mortuo Mari acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Lodelawe £321. 1s. 11d. ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in cos. Salop and Hereford.
Calendar of the Close Rolls, 18 Edw. I, p. 110
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26 Jan 1290, Westminster
Alan de Plogenet acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Lodelawe £87 ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Hereford.
Thomas do Chabenore, knight, acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Ludelawe £9 ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Hereford.
8 Feb 1290, Westminster
Henry de Solers of Dorsington acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Lodelawe £7 0s. 8d. ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Hereford.
12 Jul 1290, Westminser
Roger son of Roger de Mortuo Mari acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Lodelawe £77 18s. 9d. ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in cos. Salop and Stafford.
Calendar of Close Rolls, 18 Edw. I, pp. 119, 120, 123, 139
13 Jul 1290, Westminster
[Bond] for payment to Laurence de Lodelawe of 1,000 marks at Martinmas.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, 18 Edw. I, p. 374
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19 Oct 1291, Hereford
Licence for Lawrence de Lodelawe to strengthen his dwelling-house of Stok Say, co. Salop, with a wall of stone and lime, and to crenellate the same.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, 19 Edw. I, p. 450
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1 May 1293, Westminster
Richard, earl of Arundel (de Arundelye), acknowledges that he owes to Laurence de Ludelawe £37 6s. 8d. ; to be levied, in default of payment, of his lands and chattels in co. Salop.
Calendar of Close Rolls, 21 Edw. I, p. 316
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28 Oct 1294, Westminster
Laurence de Loudelawe, going beyond seas on the king's service, nominating Roger Foliot and Thomas Foliot until Midsummer.
Calendar of Patent Rolls, 22 Edw. I, p. 99
12 Nov 1294, Westminster
To Laurence de Lodelawe, Robert de Segre and Roger de Lincoln. Order to pay, out of the first money arising from the wool that the king lately ordered to be taken by them from his realm to Holland, to Sir Henry, count of Bar, 4,000 marks, in part payment of a sum of money in which the king is bound to him by certain agreements made between them.
Calendar of Close Rolls, 22 Edw. I, p. 376
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Laurence, as the King's paymaster, was in command of a fleet carrying wool and money which left London for Flanders. On the night of November 26, 1294, he drowned in a ship wreck off the coast of Suffolkshire, England. 2
Orthographic variations: LUDELAWE, LUDELOWE, LODELAWE