THE ENGLISH COASTING TRADE,
1600-1750
By T. S. Willan
Dr. Willan's monograph on our coasting trade between 1600 and 175o (Manchester University Press, 12s. 6d.) is a very sound piece of research work. He is even able to add to the seemingly exhaustive study of the North Sea colliers which occurs in Dr. Nef's book on the coal trade. Like other inquirers Dr. Willan has found that the Port Books, especially when supplemented from municipal records, yield an astonish- ing amount of detailed information about the coasting trade, including the shippers, the shipmasters, the cargoes, and destinations and often the consignees. The author is con- vinced that the trade was efficiently supervised and that the sureties exacted to check illegal exporting were properly
enforced. While the book confirms the belief that Stuart and early Georgian commerce was largely water-borne, it will be of special interest to local historians as showing how many of our smaller ports, now decaying or dead, were then flourish- ing. Thus in 1714 two Cokhester packets " were going weekly from Wivenhoe to London with bays, says and perpetuanas, and from London to Wivenhoe with wool to be manufactured at Colchester." Dr. Willan, besides summarising the trade of each port, has a valuable chapter on the ships and their crews.
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