Shopping has never been as exotic as in the presentage, when imported essentials and fancy goods come from all over the globe. Scarborough matrons looking for imported luxuries, five hundred and more years ago, were more likely to draw on France and the Iberian peninsula, for wines, on the low countries and Burgundy for rich cloths, and the Baltic countries for wood and other raw materials, lacking in England. Scarborough was within the Hull customs port. Its records show the cargoes of some boroughtraders in the late 15th century.
William Skot's Scarborough ship the "Julyan" brought doles, pipes and hogsheads of wine, for fourteen buyers in 1453. John Hewet's vessel, the"Mary Knight carried salmon in 1465 while William Slegge's "Christopher" had chalders of salt and wainscott for furniture. Walter Young's ship the "Roos" had a cargo of wheat in 1471. Roger Young brought the "Katherin" back with fodders of lead, with bitumen and half lasts of red and white herring. A later cargo included candlewick, line ,iron, counters, soap, pitch and kettles. John Ryedale's ship , the "Thomas" brought oil, wax, split timber, baskets and hops, for making the new "beer". Painted cloths, paper, ginger and brushes were among the luxuries arriving in 1490.
