| | PAGE |
| 1485 | Accession of Henry VII | 13 |
| Renewal of privileges of the Hansa in England | 41 |
| Navigation Act limiting import of Bordeaux wines to English traders | 19 |
| 1488 | Concessions to Italian merchants | 46 |
| 1489 | Commercial treaty with Spain | 22 |
| 1490 | Commercial treaty with Denmark | 41 |
| 1491 | Diet at Antwerp to settle differences with the Hansa | 42 |
| (1492 | Columbus discovers the West Indies) | |
| 1493 | Rupture of intercourse between England and the Netherlands | 19 |
| Riot against the Easterlings in London | 43 |
| (1494 | Treaty of Tordesillas) | |
| 1496 | John Cabot and his sons obtain their first Letters Patent for discovery | 53 |
| The Magnus Intercursus settles the dispute with the Netherlands | 20 |
| 1497 | John Cabot’s first voyage | 71–7 |
| Commercial treaty with the Netherlands | 20 |
| Diet at Bruges to discuss disputes with the Hansa | 43 |
| 1498 | John Cabot’s second voyage | 79–85 |
| (Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut) | |
| 1499 | Sebastian Cabot’s voyage to the North-West (?) | 86–103 |
| Commercial treaty with the Netherlands | 20 |
| Diet at Bruges to discuss disputes with the Hansa | 44 |
| 1500–2 | Voyages of the brothers Corte Real to Newfoundland, &c. | 106, 116 |
| 1501 | Letters Patent for discovery granted to Bristol merchants and Portuguese explorers | 104 |
| First voyage of the Anglo-Portuguese syndicate | 107 |
| 1502 | Second voyage of the Anglo-Portuguese syndicate | 108 |
| New Letters Patent issued reconstituting the syndicate | 109 |
| 1503 | Third Anglo-Portuguese voyage | 110 |
| 1504 | Fourth Anglo-Portuguese voyage | 110 |
| 1505 | Fifth Anglo-Portuguese voyage (?) | 110 |
| New Charter granted to the Merchant Adventurers | 34 |
| 1506 | The Archduke Philip (King of Castile) falls into the hands of Henry VII | 20 |
| The Malus Intercursus with the Netherlands | 21 |
| 1507–8 | Commercial negotiations with the Netherlands | 21 |
| 1509 | Death of Henry VII. Accession of Henry VIII | 120 |
| 1511 | Defeat and death of Andrew Barton | 374 |
| 1512 | War with France. Expedition for conquest of Gascony | 375 |
| Battle off Brest. Loss of the Regent | 376–8 |
| 1513 | Attack on Brest. Death of Sir Edward Howard | 381–3 |
| 1514 | Raids on English and French coasts. End of the war | 384–5 |
| 1515 | Commercial treaty with Spain | 216 |
| 1516 | Alleged North-West voyage by Sebastian Cabot and Thomas Spert (very doubtful) | 241–5 |
| 1517 | The Evil May Day | 141 |
| Grievances of the Hansa | 154 |
| Charter of privileges granted to English merchants in Andalusia by the Duke of Medina Sidonia | 216 |
| 1520 | Commercial treaty with the Netherlands | 185 |
| Diet at Bruges to discuss differences with the Hansa | 155 |
| 1521 | The London Companies invited to finance a voyage of discovery. Abandonment of the project | 245–8 |
| 1522–5 | Second French War of Henry VIII | 386–8 |
| 1525 | Proposal for a voyage of discovery to be led by Paolo Centurioni. Death of the latter | 249 |
| (1526 | Sebastian Cabot’s voyage to the River Plate) | |
| 1527 | Robert Thorne’s Declaration of the Indies and Book to Dr. Lee | 250–2 |
| John Rut’s voyage to the North-West | 252–8 |
| 1528 | Arrest of English merchants in Spain and Flanders | 187 |
| 1530 | The English merchants in Spain constituted a Company by Charter of Henry VIII | 218 |
| Act relating to the decay of Southampton | 368 |
| 1530–2 | Voyages of William Hawkins to Brazil | 265–7 |
| 1532 | Death of Robert Thorne | 261 |
| Diet at Bourbourg for settling disputes with the Netherlands | 187 |
| 1533 | Act forbidding export of food stuffs | 147 |
| 1534 | Act giving power to the king to suspend commercial statutes by proclamation | 124 |
| 1535 | Temporary arrest of the Hanse merchants | 157 |
| 1536 | Master Hore’s voyage to the North-West | 262–4 |
| 1538–9 | International crisis | 125 |
| 1539 | Proclamation placing foreign merchants on fiscal equality with English for seven years | 126 |
| 1539–40 | Religious persecution of Englishmen in Spain | 220–3 |
| 1540 | Extensive list of grievances presented by the Hansa | 157 |
| Comprehensive Navigation Act | 128 |
| 1540–2 | Commercial and diplomatic struggle with Imperial Government | 130–2 |
| Further voyages to Brazil | 267–8 |
| 1541 | Project for northern exploration | 265 |
| 1542 | Proposed diet with the Hansa at Antwerp | 159 |
| 1544 | War with Scotland and France. Sack of Leith and Edinburgh. Capture of Boulogne | 388–9 |
| 1545 | Arrest of the Merchant Adventurers at Antwerp | 191 |
| Capture of a Spanish treasure-ship by Robert and John Reneger | 272 |
| Arrest of all English merchants in Spain | 224 |
| Renewed religious persecution of English in Spain | 224 |
| French landing in the Isle of Wight | 395 |
| Naval actions at Portsmouth and off Sussex coast | 392–8 |
| 1546 | Peace with France | 399 |
| 1547 | Death of Henry VIII. Accession of Edward VI | 144 |
| Suspension of statutes limiting the export of unwrought cloth | 145 |
| 1548 | Return of Sebastian Cabot to England | 308 |
| 1551 | Thomas Wyndham’s first voyage to the Barbary coast | 274 |
| 1552 | Partial repeal of the Navigation Act of 1489 (1485) | 214 |
| Execution of the Duke of Somerset | 164 |
| Revocation of the privileges of the Hansa in England | 166 |
| Voyage of Roger Bodenham to Chios | 235–8 |
| Wyndham’s second voyage to Barbary | 275–7 |
| 1553 | Safe-conduct for trade in Turkey granted to Anthony Jenkinson by the Sultan | 238 |
| First English voyage to Guinea (Wyndham and Pinteado) | 277–83 |
| Formation of the Russia Company | 311 |
| Departure of Willoughby and Chancellor on the first voyage to the North-East | 317 |
| Death of Edward VI. Accession of Mary | 150 |
| Restoration of Hanse privileges | 170 |
| Willoughby discovers Novaia Zemlia | 319 |
| Chancellor discovers the White Sea and reaches Archangel | 323 |
| 1553–4 | (winter) Chancellor travels to Moscow and interviews the Czar | 324 |
| 1554 | Death of Willoughby at Arzina | 321 |
| John Locke’s voyage to Guinea | 284–7 |
| Return of Chancellor with news of discoveries | 326 |
| 1555 | Partial revocation of Hanse privileges | 174 |
| New Charter granted to the Russia Company | 326 |
| Chancellor’s second voyage to Archangel | 327–9 |
| Prohibition of Guinea voyages by the Privy Council | 291 |
| 1555–6 | William Towerson’s first voyage to Guinea | 293–5 |
| 1556 | Agreement with the Hansa allowing limited privileges | 176 |
| Third expedition to Archangel | 329 |
| Voyage of Stephen Borough in search of the North-East Passage | 330-2 |
| Wreck of the Edward Bonaventure. Death of Chancellor | 333 |
| Renewed prohibition of the Guinea trade | 295 |
| 1556–7 | Towerson’s second Guinea voyage. Fighting with the Portuguese on the Gold Coast | 296–302 |
| 1557 | Complete rupture with the Hansa | 178 |
| Banishment of Englishmen from the Hanse towns | 178 |
| Arrival in London of a Russian ambassador | 334 |
| Fourth expedition to Archangel | 336 |
| 1558 | Fall of Calais | 405 |
| Towerson’s third voyage to Guinea | 302–6 |
| Death of Queen Mary | 406 |