La justice comtale et le négoce de la garance dans la région de Valenciennes (deuxième moitié du XIVe siècle).

Abstract

Justice and the Madder-dye Trade in the Valenciennes region in the Second Half of the XVIth Century. The judiciary sources of the provostry of the Valenciennes Earldom mitigate the picture of the customary sanctions imposed on the circulation, the control and the handling of madder-dye on its territory. In opposition to the intransigence displayed by the Hainault custom and best exemplified by the municipal court and the Valenciennes "Halle aux Draps", the Earl's justice shows more flexibility in the enforcement of the sentences passed. It accepts to negotiate with the profession the possibility of getting part of the seized goods, otherwise to be destroyed, bought back. These sales benefit the Earl's finances without putting the local market at risk, as the smuggled merchandise purchased back by the trade is diposed of outside the borders of the Hainault province.