There is associated evidence for murage, dated 14/2/1471, concerning Great Yarmouth.
Wording
Commission to the king's kinsman John, earl of Oxford, William Calthorpe and John Paston, knights, William Knyvet, William Jenneye, one of the king's Serjeants at law, Hugh Fenne, John Haydon, Edmund Clere and James Arblaster to enquire into the petition of the burgesses and inhabitants of the town of Great Jernemouthe that whereas the town is situated on the sea coast and is the defence of the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk and formerly was in great prosperity as a resort of merchants, both denizen and alien, for the herring fishery, which was formerly carried on there only but is now in many other places, and formerly there were in the town 80 ships with 'fore castellis' and 140 others and the men of the town then paid a fee farm of 60l. yearly and supported other charges for the defence of the town, and now because of the departure of the merchants and because they are charged with a yearly rent of 6l. to the bailiffs of the Cinque Ports, alms for the college of St. George, Windesore, and other alms, watches for defence against the king's enemies, the repair of the walls of the town and the cleansing of the moats, bombards and powder for the defence of the town, and the repair of the port, and because only 24 ships called 'fisshers' belong to the town, and many inhabitants leave the town in consequence, and the town and the adjacent parts will thus come to desolation, the king should pardon to them a great part of the said fee farm.
By K. and C. in Parliament.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 49). Granted at Westminster. Grant by By K. and C. in Parliament..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1900, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward IV, Henry VI (1467-77) p. 250
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 17/03/2009. Last updated on 20/01/2013. First published online 9/01/2013.
