There is associated evidence for murage, dated 1498, concerning Coventry.
Wording
Award of Arbitrators between the Prior and Convent and the City of Coventre, in respect to Contributions to the Murage of the City.
14 Henry VII. {1498–9}.—Award of Arbitrators—to wit, of William Bishop of Lincoln, and John Bishop of Coventre and Lichfield, "and other of the Counsell lerned of Arthur the first begoten sonne of King Henry VIIth, Prince of Wales . . . indifferently chosen and named between Richard, Priour of the Monastery of Saint Mary in the Citie of Coventre, and the Convent of the same place on the one partie, and Thomas Bonde, Maire, and Commoinaltie of the same Citie on the other partie"—for determining discord and variance respecting a yearly sum of 10l., which the said Mayor and community claimed of the said Prior and Convent for the murage of the city. The Arbitrators ordain that from the date of their award "the said Priour and Convent and their successors shall bere and pay ratably with the citesyns of the Citie to the forseid murage and making of the saide walles about the said citie unto such tyme as the same walles be fully made up and accomplished, that is to say yearly xli at the fest of All Sayntes, when the said citesens and all other having londes and tenementes within the same citie shall be proportionably charged after the rate of the quantite of their said londes and tenements to the same murage, provided always that, if any of the citizens or other personnes that have londes and tenementes within the same be hereafter rated and assessed to a lesse somme of money, then the Priour and Convent and their successours shalbe in like forme lesse rated."
Granted by Henry VII. (Regnal year 14).
Primary Sources
HMC, 1899, 'The corporation of Coventry: Miscellaneous documents',
The Manuscripts of Shrewsbury and Coventry Corporations {etc}: Fourth report, Appendix: Part X p. 127-151
online copy
Comments
The murage here seems to be a fee of £10 pa, presumably for that part of the wall that formed part of the precinct of the priory.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 28/02/2009. Last updated on 20/01/2013. First published online 9/01/2013.
