The Harbour, Wicklow Town, ca. 1880-1914. Image: Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland, Lawrence Collection.

From time immemorial, sea trading ports have been of great value. We can only make informed guesses for the goods traded through Wicklow, incoming and outgoing, before written records were kept. Fortunately, the minute book of the Wicklow Borough Corporation has two listings of the major portion of what passed through the harbour. In 1664 the following are the goods and their customs charges as transcribed from the minute book, please note contemporary spellings and terms:

"Order for payment of Customs by foreigners & strangers: Ordered by the Portreeve, Burgesses & Commonality that the Customs here under written (having been anciently paid to the portreeve of the Burrough) be paid to & recorded by the Portreeve of the Burrough & his successors to their own proper use, vizt"

(From the Wicklow Borough Corporation minutes, 21st November 1664, page 23r)

Key: ixd = 9 pence; vjd = 6 pence, etc. 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = a pound