The Gatehouse website record of a licence to crenellate for Chamberhouse granted on 1446 Nov 16

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Grant for good service to John Pury, king's squire, that he may crenellate his manor of Chambirehous, co. Berkshire, with stone and mortar, and impark 300 acres of land, 40 acres of wood and 4 acres of meadow; and that he may have free warren in all his demense lands of the said manor; and hold all the foregoing to him and his heirs; and that he and they may have infangenethef and outfangenethef, and chattels of their men and tenants, being felons and fugitive, and chattels called 'wayff' and 'strayff' in the said manor, with power to erect gallows on the soil of the said manor and to do justice on malefactors there taken within the liberty of ingangenthef and outfangenethef; and that he and they and their men and tenants of the manor shall be quit throughout the realm of toll, murage, pavage and pontage; and that the said John and his heirs shall have view of frank-pledge of all their tenants in the said manor and amends of the assize of bread and ale there; notwithstanding any statute or ordinance to the contrary hereof. (CChR)

Original source is;

Lyte, H.C. Maxwell (ed), 1927, Calendar of Charter Rolls Vol. 6 p. 72

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms. Licentia is best translated as 'freedom to' not 'permission'.)

Significant later sources are;

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol. 3 (Cambridge) p. 212
Page, Wm and Ditchfield, P.H. (eds), 1923, VCH Berkshire Vol. 3 p. 316-7

John Pury (1415-1480)

Pury was an esquire of Henry VI, and in 1446 he obtained licence to enclose the manor of Chamberhouse, to crenellate and embattle it, together with a grant of very considerable privileges in the manor, including the view of frankpledge. Son of Thomas Pury, a servant of Henry IV and seems to also had a career in royal service. MP for Bridport in 1447, Oxon, 1449 and Berks 1472-5.

Biographical source include;

Wedgewood, J.C., 1936, History of Parliament Biographies of the Members of the Commons House 1439-1509 (HMSO) p. 702-3

More information about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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