ELBING (German - Polish Elblag) is a city in northern Poland. Elbing and Konigsberg had Scots communities before 1500.  Elblag became part of the Hanseatic League, which contributed much to the city's wealth. Through the Hansa agreement, the city was linked to other major ports like Danzig (Gdansk), Lübeck and Amsterdamand later annexed by Poland. It then flourished and turned into a significant trading hub. In the 17th century nearly half of the trade in Flax and Hemp to the UK came from Elbing, Konigsberg, Narva and Riga. Oberland flax from an area in Switzerland came to the UK via Elbing and was little esteemed in the British markets.After 1660 our trade with Poland via Elbing and Konigsberg virtually ceased. Polish demand for our cloth almost disappeared due to their own industry growing, and being able to get much cheaper imports from Holland and with Russian products becoming more accessible. While naval stores and undressed flax were obtained from Narva, Reval or Riga, spruce linen yarn came usually from Konigsberg and Elbing. Later its trading role greatly weakened, until the era of industrialization, which occurred in the 19th century. It was then that the famous Elblag Canal was commissioned and business boomed. Oberland flax from an area in Switzerland came to the UK via Konigsberg and Elbing but was little esteemed in the British markets. Elbing linen came from the area of the River Elbe in Germany. The two entries in the Books of Rates, respectively for 1643 and 1657, are ambiguous, but they suggest Elbing may have been a synonym for, or very like, Dansk cloth or Queensborough canvas. Found described as Double - Ploy, Spruce in units of the Bolt of 28 Ell, Ell.

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An article about England's trade with the Baltic from 1600 - 1660 ..  click on the thumb nail

Nearly half of the trade was in Flax and Hemp from Elbing, Konigsberg, Narva and Riga.

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