Also 5–6 stapull, stapyll, 6 stapul, 5–6 stapill, 8 stapple. Also 5 estapell, estaple. [a. OF. estaple fem. emporium, mart (mod.F. étape halting-place):—med.L. stapula, also staplus, ad. MLG. stapol, stapel: see STAPLE sb.1
The (M)LG., (M)Du. stapel, and hence the G. and Sw. stapel, Da. stabel, have the sense ‘emporium, mart,’ in addition to the senses mentioned under the preceding sb. It is, however, uncertain whether this sense was developed in MLG., or whether it originated in OF., and was thence adopted into MLG. The precise relation of this sense to the other senses of the Teut. word is also uncertain. It has been usually held to have been developed from the sense ‘heap, pile.’ This is not impossible; but, on the other hand, in the Frankish laws regis stapulus meant the place where the king or his representative administered judgment; the original notion may have been that of ‘raised platform.’ The transition would be easy from the Frankish sense of regis stapulus to that of the ‘king’s staple’ for the collection of duties on merchandise.]
1. A town or place, appointed by royal authority, in which was a body of merchants having the exclusive right of purchase of certain classes of goods destined for export; also, the body of merchants so privileged. Now only Hist.
The English word has not been found earlier than 1423; the AF. estaple and the Anglo-L. stapula, however, occur in statutes and official documents from the reign of Edw. II. onwards, and these contain evidence that the institution of the staple was of older date. Each staple had a mayor and constables, appointed by the king, and in early times distinct from the municipal authorities, though latterly the mayor of some boroughs was ex officio mayor of the staple. At various times the chief staple was oversea, usually at Bruges or Calais; from about 1390 to 1558 it was at Calais, which is often called ‘The Staple.’ There were also staples in many important towns of England, Wales, and Ireland, the list of which varied greatly at different periods. Statute of the Staple: the ordinance 27 Edw. III (1353), which established staples in various English towns, and at Carmarthen, Dublin, Waterford, Cork, and Drogheda, and contained regulations for their form of government and the conduct of their business. (For statute of the staple in another application, see STATUTE STAPLE.)
1423. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 249/1. They may bey Wolle … atte the Stapull of Calais. Ibid. (1429), IV. 359/2. And yat ye Maire of ye Staple for the tyme beyng, have power … to make due serch. Ibid. (1450), V. 189/1. Nygh to oure Staple there [sc. the Palace at Westminster].
c. 1450. Brut, ccxxix. 305. In þe same ȝere þe Kyng reuoked … þe staple of wolles out of Flaundres into Engelond.
1473. Paston Lett., III. 97. To the Mayre, Lieutenant, and felaship of the staple.
1480. Cely Papers (Camden), 33. George Cely merchand of the estapell at Calleys. Ibid. (1481), 63. Merchant of the estaple. Ibid. (1482[?]), 130. Bryn[g]yng my ij oblygacyons of the Stapyll to Cales.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xx. 18. The kyng … gaue hym an hundred marke sterlynge, yerely to be payed out of the Staple of the wolles in London.
1538. Starkey, England, II. i. 173. The caryage out of wolle to the stapul ys a grete hurte to the pepul of Englond.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 131. Ther [in Ghent] was the staple of woolles, tynne, leade and other merchaundise.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 169. In the xix yere of this king, the staple of woolles was kept at Sandwiche, which afterwarde was kept at Caleys as long as it was Englishe, but now it is holden at Bridges in Flaunders.
1577. Holinshed, Hist. Eng., II. 519/2. He had borrowed a great summe of monie of the Marchants of the Staple. Ibid., 1771/1. Edmonde Hall one of the Conestables of the Staple.
1599. N. C. Wills (Surtees), II. 185. The worshipfull companie of marchauntes of the staple of Englande.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 540. Being ordained by King Edward the Third for the Staple, as they tearme it, that is, the Mart, of Wooll, Leather, Lead, &c.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 196. You ayme at no Monopoly, No priuate staples, but desire to sell,… Your Ware in publique places.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 50. This City is the Staple of all Merchandise, excepting Rhenish wine, for which by old priviledge Dorte is the Staple.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 110. Hodie 2 vice lecta Billa for the merchantes of the Staple.
1650. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Yr., 165. By weight and measure of the staple.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., II. xvi. 411. The system of the staple was … a combination of the principle of the guild and of the royal privilege of establishing fairs and markets.
1890. Gross, Gild Merch., I. 144. It is evident that the staple was primarily a fiscal organ of the crown, facilitating the collection of the royal customs. It also ensured the quality of the goods exported by providing a machinery for viewing and marking them.
b. † (a) A town or country that is the principal market or entrepot for some particular class of merchandise (obs.). (b) A commercial center, a chief place of business in a country or district. (Now somewhat arch.)
1436. Libel Eng. Policy, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 160. Saffron, quiksilver … Is into Flaundres shypped fulle craftylye, Unto Bruges, as to here staple fayre. Ibid., 162. The lytelle londe of Flaundres is But a staple to other londes … And alle that groweth in Flaundres … May not a moneth ffynde hem mete of brede.
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. p. xxix/1. [Punctuation corrected.] There groeth much peper, and the properest stapell therof, that kingdom of Colen, is xxiiij myles from there.
1612. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1914), April, 251. In time this Kingdom will become the staple of those easterne commodities, from whence they may be dispersed into France, Germaine, [etc.].
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 224. They enjoy also Malaca, which … is … the staple of the Traffique … of the East Ocean.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., IV. i. (1655), I. 167. The Spaniards notwithstanding they are the Masters of the Staple of Jewels, stood astonish’d at the beuty of these.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, III. i. 315. God intended not Jerusalem for a staple of trade but for a Royal Exchange of Religion.
1723. Pres. State Russia, I. 117. Novgorod … was comprehended in the League of the Hans-Towns, and was the Staple of the inferior Towns.
1737. G. Smith, Cur. Relat., I. i. 81. The rest is sold to the People or Merchants at Ucienjen, this being the greatest Staple for Porcelain in all China.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xiii. I. 380. That the city of Nisibis might be established for the place of mutual exchange, or, as we should formerly have termed it, for the staple of trade, between the two empires.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, II. xii. 202. The position … was well adapted for a great staple of commerce between the Thracian tribes … and the Greek cities.
1850. W. Irving, Mahomet, iii. (1853), 10. Its seaports … were the staples of an opulent and widely extended Commerce.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., VII. v. II. 293. Old Nürnberg … Trading Staple of the German world in old days.
c. fig.
1594. Lyly, Mother Bombie, II. v. A tauerne is the Randeuous, the Exchange, the staple for good fellowes.
1621. Donne, Serm., xv. (1640), 152. There is a Trade driven, a Staple established betweene Heaven and earth;… Thither have we sent our flesh, and hither hath he sent his Spirit.
1626. B. Jonson, Staple of N., I. ii. Tho. O Sir, a staple of newes! Or the New Staple, which you please. P. Iv. What’s that? Fas. An … Office set vp…. P. Iv. For what? Tho. To enter all the Newes, Sir, o’ the time.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., I. v. (1655), I. 9. This City of Amsterdam, though she be a great Staple of News, yet I can impart none unto you at this time.
1647. Ward, Simple Cobler, 9. That Country which hath been the Staple of Truth to all Christendome.
1699. T. C[ockman], trans. Tully’s Offices (1706), 236. Since you are gone as ’twere to a Staple and Mart of good Literature.
a. 1718. Prior, Engl. Padlock, 62. A Staple of Romance and Lies.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 366. Whitehall naturally became the chief staple of news.
† d. A ‘factory’ or authorized place of trade for merchants of a foreign country. Obs.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 61. Meluin is a little and faire City,… and at this time grew rich by the English Merchants having their staple in the same.
1634. W. Haig, Lett., in J. Russell, Haigs (1881), 468. Mr. John Forbes, a minister … of the English that are about their staple in that place.
1668. Sir W. Temple, Lett., i. (1699), 8. Attempts of removing the Scotch Staple from Teweet to Dort.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 25. The English Factory … being under the Tutelage of the Natives, as also are the Portugals and Flemmings (who each have here their Staples).
1861. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 41. This original factory and staple of the German merchants, vulgarly called ‘The Steelyard’ (Stahlhof) still stands on the banks of the Thames.
1892. Cochran-Patrick, Mediæval Scot., vii. 133–4. The establishment of the Scottish staple at Middleburgh in 1347 was followed by more cordial relations between Scotland and England.
† 2. A dépôt or storehouse for provisions, war material, etc. Obs.
1523. St. Papers Hen. VIII., VI. 171. The Kinges Grace hathe prepared the power of the north parties to a great nomber, whiche … may … either invade or defende, as they shal be commaunded, and vitailles ordred in staples for that purpose.
1552. Edw. VI., Jrnl., Lit. Rem. (Roxb.), II. 421. Duke Maurice toke … 50 peces of ordinaunce, which he conveyed to Auspurg, for that toune he fortefied and made it his staple of provision.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xix. (Roxb.), 202/1. There must be choise made of some place, Citty or Towne, to make the Staple of Ammunition.
† b. A stock, quantity of provisions or material stored up. Obs.
1549. Thomas, Hist. Italie, 75. Hauyng suche a staple of tymber (whiche in the water within Th’arsenale hath lien a seasonyng, some .20. yere, some .40. some an .100. and some I wote not how longe).
1586. Hooker, Holinshed’s Chron. Irel., 165/2. That a storehouse be prouided alwais in the towne for a staple of vittels to be kept there at all times.
1603. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw., 118. In their Arsenal they continually maintaine two hundred gallies, and such a staple of timber, that for every day in the yeare, they are able to builde a newe galley.
3. [Short for staple-ware, etc. (see 4), and elliptical use of STAPLE a.] A staple commodity.
† a. An article of merchandise the trade in which is subjected to the regulations of the Staple. Obs.
1690. Child, Disc. Trade (1698), 161. Except such species only as his Majesty and the Parliament shall think fit to make Staples, as suppose Colchester Bayes, Perpetuanoes, Cheanyes,… to be allowed the honour of a publick Seal, by which to be bought and sold here, and beyond seas, as if it were upon the publick faith of England.
b. A principal industrial product of a country, town or district; occas. the commodity principally dealt in by a person or class of persons.
1616. Capt. Smith, Descr. New Eng., 10. The maine Staple … is fish.
1640. Howell, Dodona’s Grove, 7. Corne, Wine, and Salt, her three rich staples doe so abound in her.
1733. P. Lindsay, Interest Scot., 143. Linen is our Staple, &c. but it has been wofully neglected.
1789. Ann. Reg., Brit. & For. Hist., 167. Mr. Pitt introduced it [the subject] by observing that tobacco was now to be considered as the smuggler’s staple.
1806. Gazetteer Scot. (ed. 2), 323. The manufacture of cotton … has long been the staple of this county.
1834. Ht. Martineau, Demerara, iii. 42. Sugar is our staple and sugar we must grow.
1840. Hood, Up the Rhine, 163. Villages … built by some speculating timber-merchant, who found his staple quite a drug in the market.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VII. ii. (1864), 424. The sugar-cane … formed a more desirable staple for the colony than its precious metals.
1883. Helen Jackson (H. H.), Century Mag., Oct., 818/1. Barley is always a staple [in South California], and averages twenty bushels to the acre.
1883. Stubb’s Merc. Circular, 8 Nov., 982/2. Grey shirtings show a falling-off … and … it is to be feared that the trade in this once flourishing staple will continue to decrease.
1912. Times, 19 Dec., 19/2. Good returns should also be obtained from the cultivation of maize (which was the staple of Rhodesia).
c. transf. and fig. The thing chiefly ‘dealt in’; the principal object of employment, thought or discourse. Sometimes (? with mixture of STAPLE sb.3, sense 2) used for: The chief component element, the ‘substance,’ ‘bulk.’
1826. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), II. 74/1. An unconquerable aversion to … that train of meteorological questions and answers which forms the great staple of polite English conversation.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xvi. The poultry … may perhaps be considered to have formed the staple of the entertainment.
1849. W. Irving, Goldsmith, xviii. 205. Conversation was the great staple there.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. x. 616. Events of this sort, though neglected by ordinary historians, are among the staff and staple of history.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., iv. 63. It may be said that action,… forms the staple of that part of the gesture-language.
1907. C. Hill-Tout, Brit. N. Amer., Far West, v. 100. These staples were everywhere supplemented by the flesh of other animals which varied with the habitat.
4. attrib. (Cf. STAPLE a.) ‘of or pertaining to the Staple’ (sense 1), as staple-court, -register, -roll, seal; ‘that is a staple’ (senses 1, 1 b), as staple place, port, town; † staple-good = staple-ware; † staple-hand Sc. (sense obscure: mercats of stapillhand = ‘markets of staple-ware’); staple-house, a warehouse where commodities chargeable with export duties were stored; † staple-merchandise = staple-ware; † staple rate, ? a price fixed by the Staple, a monopoly price; in quot. fig.; † staple-traffic, an organized branch of trade (fig.); † staple-ware(s, such goods as were the monopoly of the Staple (in England wool, wool-fells, leather, lead and tin).
1433. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 296. In defraude of the courte … of Watirforde, or of the *staple courte of the Kynge. Ibid. (1574), 335. The Sergeants may arrest anny challendged in the Staple-court.
1455. in Charters, etc. Edin. (1871), 80. Ony merchandice that is *staple gude.
1482. Extracts Burgh Rec. Edin. (1869), I. 46. That na maner of stapill gudis of strangearis remane … langare in Leyth … than it may be cartit and brocht to the toun.
1593. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 797/2. Cum libertate … de lie paking, peilling, loising or laidning be sey of stapill guddis or wairis.
1811. P. Kelly, Univ. Cambist, II. 310. Staple goods, such as are sold at a staple. The term is however mostly applied to goods that are not of a perishable nature, as wool, lead, &c.
1364. in Reg. Episc. Brechinensis (Bannatyne Club), II. 380. Ane Inchibitioun for halding off mercats of *Stapillband at Brechine and Fordoune.
1876. F. Martin, Hist. Lloyd’s, i. 2. In their large *staple-house on the Thames, and in two smaller ones at Boston and Lynn, there were stored the collections of raw produce—wool, tin, and hides the chief of them—which England sent away to foreign countries.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. 259. Paying no more … than for so much Goods of *Staple Merchandize as they shall … transport unto the Staple of Calais.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, III. iii. 322. Indeed Tyre,… was the *staple place which furnished it with fish.
1838. Murray’s Handbk. N. Germ., 247. Coblenz … forms the natural staple place of the Rhine and Mosel wines.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. vi. 53. It [Aden] continued many Years after the *Stapple Port for the Red Sea Commerce.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 378. The Staple-Port for Merchandize of the East.
a. 1628. F. Grevil, Cælica, lxxviii. So States proue sicke, where toyes beare *Staple-rates.
1483–4. Cely Papers (Camden), 147. Thys entercourse ys entryd in the *stappull Regester of old tyme.
1890. Gross, Gild Merch., I. 144. The *Staple Rolls in the Record Office.
1482. Cely Papers (Camden), 114. Ther shall be made vj oblijgaschons under the *stapell seal.
1617. Nottingham Rec., IV. 355. The matter of makinge this towne a *staple towne.
1756. Nugent, trans. Montesquieu’s Spirit Laws, XXI. xi. (1758), II. 51. The barbarians obliged the Romans to establish staple-towns.
1908. Athenæum, 14 Nov., 610/3. The Statute of the Staple, 1353,… established a number of Staple towns where the wools, &c., were to be weighed and sealed, the duty paid [etc.].
a. 1618. Sylvester, All’s not gold, xii. Wks. (Grosart), II. 254. That Ignatian-Latian Colledge, Where … They study State and Stratagems; Making a *Staple-Trafick of it … To murther Kings, and mangle Realms.
1432. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 417/2. Grete substaunce of marchaundises, nat *Staple ware, but other.
1587. Reg. Privy Council Scot., IV. 237. To transporte thair guidis and staple wairis to uthuris townis.
1720. Strype, Stow’s Surv., I. xxxi. I. 306/1. King James … incorporated himself into the Clothworkers: as men dealing in the Principal and Noblest Staple Wares of all these Islands, viz. Woollen Cloths.
