Dover petitioned for a grant of murage in {1300-1325}.
Wording
Petitioners: Mayor and barons of Dover.
Addressees: King and council.
Places mentioned: Dover, {Kent}.
Nature of request: The mayor and barons request a grant of murage to enclose their town with walls as they have been burnt by the enemy and the town will be lost as it has no means of defence. This is of great importance because the town is the key to the realm {'un clef du Roialme'}.
Endorsement: Coram rege.
Endorsement
Coram rege.
Details of the murage grant which resulted from this petition can be seen
at this link. 
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/319/E404
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 32n20
Comments
The petition is dated to 1300-1325 on the basis of the hand. The petition clearly refers to the burning of the town by the French in 1295, but the hand suggests a later date. (National Archive note)
The first recorded grant of murage to Dover is in 1324 for 3 years although it was reissued in a slightly modified form the next year.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created . Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
