Villefranche (Vilefranke; Vilefraunks; Villefranque; Vilefranque) petitioned for a grant of murage in 1/4/1305.
Wording
SC 8/145/7213
Nature of request: The people of Villefranche-du-Queyran make three requests:
1) They ask that their burgesses who live outside the town might be able to bring their goods to market there safely.
2) They request permission to enclose their town, and to erect a building in their fort.
3) In consideration of their poverty they ask the King to order that the Jews might be expelled from their town, as they are ruining it.
Endorsement: With regard to the first petition, the Seneschal is to be ordered not to allow wrong to be done to them. And if they complain, he is to do justice to them. With regard to the enclosure, the King has ordained all the issues to the people of Gascony for debts he owes them. When they are fully paid, he will have a good regard for them. With regard to the Jews, he will do with them as with others in other towns of the country.
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SC8/291/14544
Petitioners: People of Villefranche-du-Queyran.
Addressees: King and council.
Places mentioned: Villefranche-du-Queyran, {Guyenne, France}; Perigueux diocese, {Guyenne, France}; L'Espaut, {Guyenne, France}.
Nature of request: The people of Villefranche-du Queyran request timber to construct a chapel at Villefranche, or ask for the house of L'Espaut, which is not worth more than £20 tournois, to build it.
Endorsement: The king has granted it of his grace. The Seneschal of Gascony will have orders on this. To be entered.
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CCLXXXVIII. (vers 1290.)
PÉTITION DES HABITANTS DE VILLEFRANCHE
Pour qu'ils puissent amener sûrement leurs blés et bestiaux marché de la ville.– Pour se faire clore de murs et bâtir une maison de ville.– Pour que les juifs soient chassés de chez eux.– Réponse du roi d'Angleterre. (Des liasses de la Tour de Londres.– Bréq. t. XVI.)
ITEM supplient les gents de Vilefraunks que leur borgeys qui demeurent hor de Villefranque et de la baillie, puyssent seurement et sauvement aporter leur biens, blet, et vin, et bestiail et toutes autres choses à leur marché de Vilefranque, sans contredit que li balli circunstant ne leur facent.
LES GENS DE VILEFRANKE
ITEM, cum le leu de Vilefranque soyt entre leur malvolens, soupplient à nostre seigneur le roy que son playsir soyt q'il leur facent sa grante pour cloure le leu de Vilefranque, et que leur doynct congé de fayre une maison en son chastelar de Vilefranque.
ITEM, cum le leu de Vilefranque soyt povres, soupplient à noste seigneur le roy que son bon playsir soyt que il comant que les Juyeus issent hors du leu de Vilefranque; car ils destruyent de tot en tot la vile et le leu.
On lit au dos l'ordonnance suivante: «Quant à la première pétition, qu'il soit mandé au séneschal q'il ne suffre qe torts ne leur soit faits; et si se playnent, qe il leur face raison. Et endroit de la clôture, le roy ad ordené totes les issues as gents de Gascogne pur dettes qe il leur deit, et quant il seront parpaïés, il aura bon regard devers eaux. Quant as Jeus, il fera de eaux ausi come de autres en les autres viles du pays.»
N.B. Copié sur 'original en parchemin. Vers l'an 18. Ed. I. B.
Endorsement
Endorsement: With regard to the first petition, the Seneschal is to be ordered not to allow wrong to be done to them. And if they complain, he is to do justice to them. With regard to the enclosure, the King has ordained all the issues to the people of Gascony for debts he owes them. When they are fully paid, he will have a good regard for them. With regard to the Jews, he will do with them as with others in other towns of the country.
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/145/7213–
National Archive SC 8/291/14544–
Champollion-Figeac, M. (ed), 1839, Lettres des rois, reines et autres personages des cours de France et d'Angleterre depuis Louis VII jusqu'a Henri IV tirees des archives de Londres par Brequigny Vol. 1 (1162-1300) p. 380-1
Bémont, C., 1906, Rôles Gascons Vol. 3 no. 4770, 4808
Secondary Sources
Beresford, M., 1967, New Towns of the Middle Ages (London) p. 630
Trabut-Cussac, J.P., 1954, "Bastides ou forteresses? Les bastides de l'Aquitaine anglaise et les intentions de leurs fondateurs," Le moyen age Vol. 60 p. 103-104
Comments
This petition is dated to 1305, by Champollion and with reference to Roles Gascons, vol. III, no. 4770, which dates from that year and is clearly in response to this petition. (National Archive note)
Roles Gascons, vol. III (1290-1307), ed. C. Bemont, (1906), no.4770 (order to the Seneschal not to impede burgesses living outside the town from bringing their goods to market there safely) (National Archive note for SC 8/145/7213)
Dateable to 1305 by Roles Gascons, vol. III no.4808, which is dated 3 April 1305. SC 8/145/7213 is dated by Roles Gascons, vol. III no.4770, which is dated 1 April 1305. (National Archive note for SC 8/291/14544)
Berefords writes 'The petition is partly printed in Trabut-Cussac, Le Moyan Age, lx (1954) pp. 103-104; the dating is his: original is SC8/145/7213, but SC8/291/14544 which is the head of the same petition, refers to Villefranche as in the diocese of Périgueux, which would seem to rule out this bastide {Villefranche de Queyran} and make the document refer to Villefranche de Longchapt or Villefranche de Périgord
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 23/02/2009. Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
