Hartlepool (Hertilpoll) petitioned for a grant of murage in {1318-1319} {c. 1328}.
Wording
Petitioners: Mayor and community of Hartlepool
Addressees: King
Places mentioned: Hertilpoll (Hartlepool), {County Durham}; the bishopric of Durham
Other people mentioned: Robert {I} de Brus (Bruce), {King of Scotland}; Robert de Musegrave (Musgrave)
Nature of request: The Mayor and community of Hartlepool state that Robert de Brus has granted a truce to the rest of the bishopric of Durham, but is threatening to burn their town down because of a ship which they seized, loaded with arms and provisions, and that for this reason they have enclosed much of the town and are rebuilding their wall as far as they can; and to do this they ask the king to grant them 100 marks which are owed to him for provisions bought from his father by Robert de Musegrave, for which payment is due a year after next Easter.
Endorsement: It is to be done in aid of the work on the walls. They are to be assigned to the said burgesses in aid of the work etc., so that they might swiftly be applied to the repair of the walls so that danger does not come.
----
{1318.} Circa June.
The Mayor and community of Hertilpolle shew the K. that Sir Robert de Bruc has granted a truce to the whole bishopric of Durham except their town, which he intends to burn and destroy for their capturing a ship freighted with his 'armeours' and victuals, and, as they are enclosing great part of the town, and building a wall to the best of their power, they beg him to give them 100 marks him for victuals bought on their pier by one Roberd de Musegrave, due at Easter next year. {No date.}
(Endored) Let the money be assigned in aid of the work, and they must hurry it on. that the peril be anticipated. {Parliamentary Petition, No. 4146.}
Endorsement
It is to be done in aid of the work on the walls. They are to be assigned to the said burgesses in aid of the work etc., so that they might swiftly be applied to the repair of the walls so that danger does not come.
Details of the murage grant which resulted from this petition can be seen
at this link. 
Primary Sources
National Archive SC 8/51/2537 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 4146
Bain, J. (eds), 1887,
Calendar of documents relating to Scotland 1307-1357(Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House) Vol. 3 p. 114
view online
Secondary Sources
Page, Wm (ed), 1928, VCH Durham Vol. 3 p. 265-6
view online
Comments
Dated on the guard to 1318-19 with reference to Bain and CPR 1317-21 p.354. Bain, vol.III no.602 dates this petition to 1318, circa June, without further explanation. CPR 1317-21 p.354 is dated at York, 3 July 1319, and seems to refer to this ship. CCR 1318-23 p.62 (the order to the bishop of Durham or his substitute to deliver a ship manned by Scottish rebels, which was forfeit to the king but which was seized by malefactors and taken to Hartlepool, to the king's serjeants to be taken to York, and to have the malefactors attached) is dated at York, 17 March 1319, CCR 1318-23 p.90 (the order to the bailiffs and community of Hartlepool to deliver up a ship on which Scottish rebels were found to the men whom the king will send to take it to York) at York, 3 July 1319, and CCR 1318-23 p.201 (a letter to the count of Flanders about the restitution of two ships of his dominion, one of which is the one seized at Hartlepool) at York, 8 July 1320. (National Archive note)
If the petition is to recover some already expended monies the petition may well date to several years after the seizing of the ship. I expect the petition dates to c. 1328 when the men of Hertilpole are granted 100 marks (CPR (1327-1330) p. 233) for £160 due to Robert Musgrave.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 23/02/2009. Last updated on 22/03/2012. First published online 6/01/2013.
