His agents in London and Essex bought cheese and butter for delivery by sea to London. With a few other tradesmen he cornered the market and this de facto cartel was able to sell at an inflated price that fomented butter riots in London in the 1590s.
A coalition of traders in London and Essex controlled the market for dairy products, using their agents to purchase cheese and butter for oceanic transport to London. As a result, they were able to charge excessive prices, leading to social unrest and butter-related riots in London during the 1590s.