Scarborough petitioned for a grant of murage in {1324-1325}.
Wording
Nature of request: The burgesses of Scarborough make three requests:
1) They state that they hold their town, and the manor of Falsgrave, at fee farm, by charters of the king's progenitors which he has confirmed, he has now seized it into his hand, for no apparent reason, and leased it to various keepers and farmers, who have let it go to ruin. They ask that they may be able to pay their farm personally at the Exchequer, according to the tenor of their charters, paying the king a tenth of all their goods for this.
2) As their town and its harbour depend on quayage for their upkeep, and the keepers and bailiffs of the town, whom the king assigned to collect this, have not spent it properly, they ask that they may have it by commission to the community as they used to, so that they can appoint collectors, and oversee how the money is spent, or that they might have a counter-roll for the community of the receipts and expenditures of the quayage.
3) As all the streets leading to the sea are so damaged that horses and carts cannot pass, because the keepers and farmers took what they could from the farm and did nothing for the town, they request pavage and murage for seven years, to be collected by the community as above, by a fine at the king's pleasure.
Endorsement: Coram rege.
1) With regard to the first: they are to come to chancery and show their charters, and the reason why the town is in the king's hand is to be established and the king informed etc.
2) With regard to the second: Certain people are to be assigned to audit the account of all those who have had quayage etc., and henceforth a comptroller is to be appointed at the nomination of the community, as in the petition etc.
3) With regard to the third: It seems that it would be too heavy a burden on the people to have murage and pavage where there is quayage.
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July 29. 1325. Writtle. 19 Edward II.
Commission of oyer and terminer to Adam de Hoperton, John de Ellerker and Dominic de Bukton touching the accounts of the collectors of the quayage of the town of Scardeburgh, co. York, from 12 Edward II, little if any of which has been applied to the repair of the quay. By pet, of C.
Endorsement
It seems that it would be too heavy a burden on the people to have murage and pavage where there is quayage.
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/8/365 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 7880
CPR (1324-1327) p. 227
Comments
The petition is dated to 1325 on the basis of CPR 1324-1327, p.227 which is dated at Writtle, 1325 July 29. (National Archive note)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created . Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
