In the 1300s war raged between Flanders and France. The victims were often Merchants of one or the other. Finally in 1333 a treaty was concluded in England to protect financial interests of all three nations. In 1305 the following curious incident is recorded in the Calendar of Patent Rolls, concerns a French ship lost in a storm on the Dorcet coast. All hands were saved. However a crowd of individuals, a great many of which with foreign sounding names, decended on the hapless ship and "entered the ship, carried away the goods, broke the ship and cut it to pieces." Among those listed were Robert le Carpenter, Edward le Carpenter, Martin le Carpenter, William le Carpenter and John le Carpenter. Flemmings helping themselves to the goods of the enemy? Sincerely, Bruce E. Carpenter