There is associated evidence for murage, dated 1327, concerning Nottingham (a complaint by burgesses of Nottingham).
Wording
{1327}
Petitioners: Burgesses of Nottingham.
Addressees: King and council.
Places mentioned: Nottingham, {Nottinghamshire}; Stamford, {Lincolnshire}.
Nature of request: The burgesses of Nottingham say that murage was granted to them for five years at the council of Stamford, but that a writ was then sent ordering them to cease taking murage until Christmas one year later. They ask that they might be able to have the grant of murage, notwithstanding this writ, and that a command might be given to cease demanding pontage instead, until the walls are complete.
Endorsement: The stay of demand was made with the assent of the burgesses of the town, and for that reason it is to remain in force.
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{1328-9}
Petitioners: William de Mekesburgh (Mexborough), Mayor of Nottingham, and the Commonalty of Nottingham.
Addressees: Bishop of Lincoln, Chancellor of the King.
Places mentioned: Nottingham, {Nottinghamshire}.
Other people mentioned: {Henry Burghersh}, Bishop of Lincoln, chancellor; Alice le Paumer (Palmer).
Nature of request: The mayor and people of Nottingham state that although the king granted them murage for five years, he has now suspended this while pontage granted to Paumer is collected. They request that this be superseded until the murage is collected, as it is to the great harm of the town.
Endorsement: {None}
Granted by Edward III.
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/65/3216 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 5966
National Archive SC 8/127/6323 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 5775
Comments
Apparently firmly dated to 1327-1332 by reference to CPR 1327-30, p.96, dated at Stamford, 20 April 1327. The grant of pontage, CPR 1327-30, p.102, is dated 3 May 1327, and its extension by a year (CPR 1327-30, p. 30) is dated 30 August 1328, which would suggest that the petition is most probably datable to 1327-1329, although there may have been further extensions. (National Archive note)
Dated in error on the guard to 1317, with reference to 'Records of the Borough of Norwich', vol. i, p.423. William de Mexborough was mayor of Nottingham in 1316-17 and 1324-5, but that volume names the mayor in 1324-5 as 'William de Mekysborough, alias de Amyas', and a William de Amyas also served again in 1328-9, and probably 1333-4. The only bishop of Lincoln to serve as chancellor around this time was Henry Burghersh, between 2 July 1328 and 28 November 1330, thus dating the petition to Mexborough's third term as mayor, between Michaelmas 1328 and Michaelmas 1329. An order superseding Palmere's pontage collection was made on 10 May 1329, presumably in response to this petition. Further references given on the dorse of the petition appear to refer to earlier aspects of this episode. (National Archive note)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 26/02/2009. Last updated on 18/01/2013. First published online 9/01/2013.
