Legal Definitions - corrector of the staple

Definition: A corrector of the staple is a clerk who records merchants' transactions at a staple. A staple is a key commodity such as wool, leather, tin, lead, butter, or cheese. It can also refer to a town appointed by the Crown as an exclusive market for staple products.

Example: In medieval England, the wool trade was a staple industry. The Crown appointed certain towns, such as Calais and Antwerp, as staple towns where all wool exports had to be sold. The corrector of the staple was responsible for recording all transactions related to the sale of wool in these towns.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the corrector of the staple was an important figure in the medieval wool trade. They were responsible for keeping accurate records of all transactions related to the sale of wool in staple towns. This helped ensure that merchants paid the appropriate taxes and that the Crown received its fair share of revenue from the wool trade.