Bristol was the regional trade centre from about 1200, and merchants as well as merchandise came to the city. Wales was an early and close trading partner. Bristol merchants took many apprentices from Wales, and by about 1400 many of the city's merchants had Welsh roots - such as Hugh Jones, Sheriff in 1497 and Mayor in 1503, Thomas Vaghan, Baliff in 1497, Richard Vaghan, Sheriff in 1498 and Mayor in 1501, Richard Americk, Sheriff in 1504 and John Edwardes, Sheriff in 1508.

Another Welsh merchant, Henry Vaghan, has been described as Bristol's 'most successful and respected merchant'. One of the commodities in which he dealt was cloth, probably of Welsh origin. He was Bailiff in 1469/70, sheriff in 1477/8 and mayor three times in the 1480s and '90s.

Leather and woollen cloth were the main imports to Bristol from Wales, and Bristol merchants traded them on into Europe. Large quantities of Welsh woollen cloth went to Spain and Portugal.

The trade is illustrated by John Monmouth, trading in the 1480s. Of Welsh origin by his name, he was typical of the many medium-scale traders who were responsible for much of Bristol's foreign commerce at this time. He traded to different countries, in several types of goods. In two shipments he sent six and a half woollen broadcloths to Spain and imported wine, iron and oil. He also imported wine from Portugal, and woad and roisin from Gascony.