Calais (Caleys) petitioned for a grant of murage in 12/5/1432.
Wording
XIIII. {Repairs to Calais.}
42. \Marches of Caleys./ Please unto the kyng oure soveraine lord, and to all the lordes espirituell and temporell of is present parlement, to be remembred: howe at for the grete warkes and reparations, beyng in diverses places aboute your toune and marches of Caleys, and amongez other the jetties of e haven, and a place ere called Paradys, full nedefull of grete reparation and amendement in hasty tyme, were graunted by a statute and acte of parlement, {Parliament of 1397, item 83; SR , II.108 (c. xviii)} annexed here unto, certaines impositions and charges to be hadde and payed, unto the sustenyng of e saide warkes, of every shipp and boote resortyng thider, as is more playnely expressed in the saide statute; the which afterwardes was by ano er statute and acte of an o er parlement, {Parliament of 1399, item 66.} also annexed here unto, revoked and adnulled, unto right grete harme and hynderyng of the saide warkes.
Lyke it erfore unto youre highnesse, by advys of all the full worthy lordes spirituell and temporell of is present parlement, to have e saide first statute of newe refourmed, for e wele of yowe, oure soveraine lord.
Item, come entre plusours overaignes esteantz entour la ville de Caleys, queux en defence et salvation de mesme la ville, et les marches illeoqs, il emboseignent de jour en autre estre maintenuz et reparaillez, y sount deux grosses overaignes le pluis necessariez de tout dis estre sustenuez et supportez; c'estassavoir, les bekenes devaunt la port illeoqes, et le lieu appellez Paradis, qu'est bien pres les fosses de mesme la ville; les queux bekenes, par hidouse concourses et rages de la meer, sount tout dis enfeblez et empanez, sibien des piers horsbuttes, et la stuffure d'icell, come auxi de maesreme, ensy qe s'ils ne soient hastement amendes, faitz et reparaillez, la dit porte est en voie d'estre destruitz de tout et anientisez pur toutz jours: et le dit lieux de Paradis, est a present si ruinouse et feble, qe s'il ne soit de novell fait, et sufficiantment maintenuez et gardez, il est semblable qe en ce defaut, les mures du dite ville en cell partie, en poy de temps, par les treshabundantz concourses du meer, serront de tout deschies, en destruction et anientisment du dite ville, a graunde dammage nostre seignur le roy, et son roialme, qe Dieu defende. Et countre les queux perils tout dis mettant sufficeant remedie, as costages et despenses nostre seignur le roy soulement, il luy est et serroit tresgraunde et tresgrevouse charge, si ent ne soit mys ordinaunce covenable; par quoy nostre seignur le roy, par assent suisdit, ad ordeigne et estable, qe toutz maners des niefs, au dit port accustumez de venir hors d'Engleterre, les bateux des pessoners soulement forspris, portent ovesqe eux, tout lastage de bones peers, covenablez pur la stuffure de lez bekenes suisditz, ent faisant resonable deliverance de temps en temps a lour venu illoeqes, all tresourer qe pur le temps y serra, ou as autres ministres a ceo par luy ordeinez; sur la peyne de deux deners pur la poys de chescun tonell, et atantz qe les ditz niefs soient de portage. Et qe toutz maners des niefs au dit lieu de Paradis pur y reposer entrantz, paierount a chescun lour entree illeoqes, .iiij. d. d'esterlinges. Et sur ceo, bien loure lise, s'ils voillent, y demourer par .iiij. jours, ovesqe atantz des noetes adonqes proschein ensuantz, sauns pluis ent paier pur lour dit entree. Et en cas q'ils demourgent pluis outre les quatre jours et noetes suisditz, adonqes paient ils pur chescun jour et noet un denier, et pur le soul jour ob', et pur le soule noete ob'. Et outre ceo, qe null manere de persone, ne se presume de null manere nief ne batell, par cable, corde, n'autrement, fermer a les maesrisme, ne les peers de les ditz bekenes, ne Paradis, ne le novell kaye, autrement appelle querf, a la cost du dit porte de Caleys, sur la peyne de .xl. d., a leverez de la nief qe ensy serra trouve ferme. Et qe le dit tresorer qe pur le temps serra, eit pleine poiar, pur luy, et ces deputes, de lever et receiver les deniers de les peines suisditz encourruz et sourdauntz, et d'ent faire paiement, solonc ceo qe la bosoigne luy serra en son dit office, par vieu et countrerollement de countreroller nostre dit seignur le roy illeoqes.
Item, come a lundy proschein apres le fest de del Exaltation de la Seyn Croys, l'an du reigne du dit nadgairs roy d'Engleterre Richard .xxi., une parlement fuist sommone et tenuz a Westm', et d'illoesqes ajournez a Salop'; a quele ville, certaine poiar fuist commys par auctorite du parlement, a certeins persounes, de proceder sur certeins articles comprys en roull de parlement ent fait, come par mesme le roull y purra apparere; {SR , II.108-9 (c. xviii).} en quele parlement, et auxint par l'auctoritee suisditz, divers estatutes, juggements, ordinaunces et establissementz, furent faitz, ordeignez et renduz, erroynousement et tresdolorousement, a graunde desheriteson et final destruction et anientisement, de pluseurs honurables seignurs, et autres lieges du roy du roialme, et de lours heires a toutz jours. Nostre seignur le roy, considerant les graundes mischiefs avauntditz, de l'advis et assent de toutz les seignurs espirituelx et temporelx, et de tout la communalte de roialme, ad juggez le dit parlement, tenuz le dit an .xxi., et l'auctorite ent doune come desuis est dit, en toutz lez circumstaunces et dependences d'icelles, d'estre de null force ou value; et qe mesme le parlement suisdit, et toutz les circumstaunces et dependences d'icelles, soient de tout revercez, revokez, irritez, cassez, repellez et adnullez, pur toutz jours.
Soit fait come il est desire. {PRO SC8/198/9865, 9866; SR , II.274 (c. v).}
XIIII. {Repairs to Calais.}
42. The marches of Calais. May it please the king our sovereign lord and all the lords spiritual and temporal assembled in this present parliament to recall: whereas for the great works and repairs which are taking place in several places around your town and marches of Calais, and on the other jetties of the harbour and a place there called Paradise, which is in great need of speedy repair and correction, certain taxes and charges to be levied on and paid by every ship and boat going there were granted by a statute and act of parliament, {Parliament of 1397, item 83; SR , II.108 (c. xviii).} attached herewith, for the maintenance of the said works, as is more fully specified in the said statute, which was afterwards revoked and annulled by another statute and act of another parliament, {Parliament of 1399, item 66.} which is also attached herewith, to the very great harm and hindrance of the said works.
May it therefore please your highness, by the advice of all the most worthy lords spiritual and temporal assembled in this present parliament, to have the said first statute newly enacted, for the good of you, our sovereign lord.
Also, whereas among many works being carried out around the town of Calais, which are essential to be maintained and repaired from day to day for the defence and safety of the same town and the marches there, there are two great works which are more essential to be always kept in good repair and maintained, namely, the beacons in front of the port there, and the place called Paradise, which is very close to the ditches of the same town; which beacons are continuously weakened and damaged by the terrible motion and violence of the sea, both on the stone buttresses and their reinforcements and also on the timber, and unless they are quickly mended, put in good order and repaired the said port is in danger of being completely destroyed and ruined forever: and the said place of Paradise is at present in so ruinous and weakened state that if it is not built from new and sufficiently maintained and kept it is likely that, from its defects, the walls of the said town will be totally destroyed in a short time by the most violent motion of the sea, to the destruction and ruin of the said town, to the great damage of our lord the king and his realm, which God forbid. And as sufficient protection against these dangers has always been provided at the cost and expense of our lord the king alone, it is and will be to his most great and most grievous cost unless a suitable ordinance it decreed; whereupon our lord the king, by the aforesaid assent, has ordained and established that all manner of ships accustomed to come to the said port from England, saving only the boats of fishermen, shall continually bring ballast of good stone with them which is suitable for the reinforcement of the aforesaid beacons, making due delivery of this at the time of their arrival there to the treasurer at the time or to other officers appointed by him for this, on pain of 2 d . for each ton weight and as many times as the said ships are carrying it. And that all manner of ships which enter the said place of Paradise in order to berth there shall pay 4 d . in sterling each time they enter there. And thereupon, for their ease, if they wish they may remain there for four days with as many of the nights then next following without paying more for their said entry. And in case they remain beyond the aforesaid four days and nights then they shall pay 1 d. for each day and night and a halfpenny for the day only and a halfpenny for the night only. And in addition, that no person shall presume to secure any ship or boat by cable, cord, or other means to the timber or the stones of the said beacons, or the Paradise, or the new quay otherwise called wharf alongside the said port of Calais on pain of 40 d . to be levied on the ship that will be thus secured. And that the said treasurer at the time shall have full power for himself and his deputies to levy and receive the money for the aforesaid penalties incurred and arising and to make payment on this in accordance with that which will seem best to him in his said office by the inspection and control of the controller of our said lord the king there.
Also, whereas on Monday after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the twenty-first year of the reign of the said late King Richard of England {17 September 1397} a parliament was summoned and held at Westminster and from there adjourned to Shrewsbury; at which town certain power was committed to certain persons by the authority of parliament to proceed with certain articles contained on a roll of parliament made thereupon, as is apparent from the same roll; {SR , II.108-9 (c. xviii).} in which parliament, and also by the aforesaid authority, several statutes, judgments, ordinances and establishments were erroneously and most regretably made, ordained and given to the great disinheritance and complete destruction and ruin of many of the honourable lords and of the other king's lieges of the realm and of their heirs forever. Our lord the king, considering the aforesaid immense wrongs, with the advice and assent of all the lords spiritual and temporal and of all the commons of the realm, has adjudged the said parliament held in the said twenty-first year and the authority given in it, as is said above, to be of no force or value in all its circumstances and dependencies; and that the same aforesaid parliament and all its circumstances and dependencies be completely reversed, revoked, invalidated, quashed, repealed and annulled forever.
Let it be done as it is desired. {PRO SC8/198/9865, 9866; SR , II.274 (c. v).}
----
Petitioners: {Commons}.
Addressees: King and lords of parliament.
Places mentioned: Calais, {France}.
Nature of request: The petition states that a statute and act of parliament, a copy of which is attached to this petition, was made, granting taxes and charges to make very necessary repairs to several places in and around Calais, but that this was later repealed by another act of parliament, a copy of which is also attached to this petition. It requests that the first act might be re-enacted.
Endorsement: {On face} Let it be sent to the lords. The commons have assented to this bill. {None on dorse}
Endorsement
Let it be done as it is desired.
Let it be sent to the lords. The commons have assented to this bill.
Primary Sources
Curry, A. (ed), 2005, 'Henry VI, 1432 May Text/Translation', in
The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 42. Internet version, at
http://www.sd-editions.com/PROME, accessed on 14/05/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)
National Archives SC8/198/9865
Comments
Problems concerning essential works in the harbour at Calais were brought before the parliament. Although a levy had been authorised in 1397 and 1399 on boats entering the port, there had been difficulties because the pronouncements of the parliaments of Richard II's reign had been overturned at the Lancastrian usurpation (item 42). (Curry - Introduction to Henry VI, 1432 May PROME)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 14/05/2009. Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
