Treaty of Montreuil (1274) facts for kids

The Treaty of Montreuil-sur-Mer was an important agreement made on July 28, 1274. It was signed between Edward I of England, who was the King of England, and Guy, Count of Flanders, who ruled the area of Flanders.

This treaty helped merchants from both England and Flanders. It allowed them to travel and trade freely in each other's lands. It also stopped special taxes, called customs, that English merchants used to pay in Flanders.

The treaty ended a "trade war" that had lasted four years. This war started on September 1, 1270. At that time, Margaret of Constantinople, the Countess of Flanders, seized goods belonging to English merchants. She did this because the English king had not paid a debt he owed her.

This trade fight caused big problems for the towns in Flanders that made cloth. These towns needed wool from England to make their products. Without English wool, their businesses suffered a lot.

As part of the treaty, a special group was formed. It had four merchants from Flanders and four from England. Two English officials led this group. Their job was to find out how much money each side had lost during the trade war. They had to report their findings by Easter 1275. The side that lost less money would have to pay back the difference to the other side.