Carlisle petitioned for a grant of murage in {c. 1385}.
Wording
{c. 1376-c. 1386}
Nature of request: {A section of this petition is missing}
The petitioners state that various people have examined the problems of the defences of the city, which are in such a poor condition that the Scots would be able to take the city whenever they wish. They seek remedy for this, but point out that they have made the same complaint to every parliament for the last ten years and nothing has been done, and therefore they should not be held responsible for the problems.
Endorsement: {None}
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Circa {1385}
Petition to the K. and Council by the Mayor and citizens of Carlisle that {he would take note of the report of ?} the lords of Percy and Clifford, marchers, and others who were lately there on a March day, as to the state of their city. Their walls are in part fallen, and great part on the point of falling from weakness, the fosses {filled up ? . . . . the gates} cannot be shut without difficulty. They have neither 'pount leve, portcolys, barmecan, bretage, bareres, ne garetts' . . . . The inhabitants are now so few they cannot resist the Scottish attacks. The seigneurs of the county around, who used to repair to the city in war time, have raised castles of their own on account of its weakness, and many knights, esquires, and others no longer come to the city for same reason, and the castle, which is the K.'s, is open on the side next the city, and utterly destroyed, as the above-named lords can attest. Wherefore they beg the K. and Council to take order for remedy of these defects which have been laid before every Parliament these 10 years and nothing done. {No date.} {Parliamentary Petitions, No. 4682.}
Endorsement
{None}
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/119/5950 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 4682
Bain, J. (eds), 1888, Calendar of documents relating to Scotland 1357-1509 (Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House) Vol. 4 p. 78
Comments
Dated in PROME, Parliament of 1376, Appendix no. 6, to 1376, citing the similarities between this petition and a wider entry on the roll of the 1376 parliament relating this matter. However, the final statement here, that the same complaint has been made to parliaments for the 'last ten years', suggests that it dates from slightly later, possibly as late as 1386 (if the 1376 entry was indeed the first such complaint). (National Archive note)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 01/03/2009. Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
