"The Saxon word Cope (in Low Dutch still Kope or Koope), for
trade or merchandising, makes this as much as to trade freely
for love. So that by no kind of monopoly patent, or company or
society of traders or merchants, the portsmen be hindered from
merchandising; but freely and for love, be permitted to trade
and traffick, even by such company of merchants, whenever it
shall happen their concerns lie together."
In my MSS., and in the print of Jeakes, it is "Louecope," with which
"Lofcope" may be readily identified; and _f_ may easily be misread for
_s_, especially if the roll be obscured.
If Jeakes's etymology of the word be correct, the inference would
rather be that "Lovecope" was a tax for the goodwill of the port
at which a merchant vessel might arrive; a "port duty" in fact,
independent of "lastage" &c., chargeable upon every trader that
entered the port, whatever her cargo might be. And the immunities
granted to the portsmen were that they should be "port duty free."
I do not venture to offer this as any thing more than a mere guess.
Among your contributors there are many more learned than myself in
this branch of antiquarian lore, who will probably be able to give
a more correct interpretation, and we shall feel obliged for any
assistance that they can give us in elucidating the question.
"Lovecope" might perhaps be the designation of the association of
merchants itself, to which Jeakes alludes; and the liberty of forming
such association, with powers of imposing port duties, may have been
dependent on special grant to any port by royal charter, such as that
which forms the subject of your correspondent's communication.
After all, perhaps, "Lovecope" was the word for an association of
merchants; and "Louecope-free" is to be freed from privileged taxation
by this body.