The Gatehouse website record of a petition for a grant of murage for Poole dated {1433}

Poole petitioned for a grant of murage in {1433}.

Wording

Nature of request: The petitioners request that the various rights enjoyed by the port of Melcombe Regis be transferred to the port of Poole, since Melcombe Regis is poorly inhabited and unable to withstand attacks by the King's enemies, demonstrated by the losses suffered by Roger and others. They say that Poole is better inhabited and equipped, and they also request licence to fortify the town, and that it should enjoy all the franchises and liberties currently enjoyed by the port of Southampton.
Endorsement: {None}
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\The port of Melcombe./
38. Item, une autre petition fuist baille au roy, en mesme le parlement, en la fourme q'ensuit:
To oure soverain lorde the kynge: plese it to your rial mageste, bithavis of your discrete and noble counseil, havynge consideration to the feblesse and nonsufficeante of youre porte of Melcombe, nouht enhabited, ne of strengthe to considere the goodes and marchaundises of youre marchantz it usynge, as it semed welle, by the losse that John Roger and other hadde ther late, for lakke and scarcete of helpe of peuple, to withstonde and resiste the malice of youre enemys, to grete fere and doute to youre marchantz to shippe eny good of value there, the whiche is bothe hurtynge of youre custume, and hyndrynge to youre seid marchantz; and on the tother side, gracious liege lorde, howe youre toune and havyn \of Pole/ , is wele enhabited and manned, and ere is a seure and a sufficeaunt havene for shippes, where youre mair and burgeys been fully purposed, your gracious licence therto hadde, to walle, enkernell and fortefie, youre seid towne and havyn sufficiently by Goddes grace, for the saufgarde of alle marchaundises and other goodes thedir comynge: and also yn strengthinge and encresinge of \alle the cuntre/ eraboute.
Wheruppon it like to youre seide mageste, to graunte hem youre seid licence, so to fortefie the seide towne and havyn, and yn relevation of that charge, of youre habundant grace to anulle the seide porte of Melcombe, and make youre seid towne and haven of Pole a porte; so that alle manere marchantz, bothe denizeins and straungers, mowe there have shippynge, and dischargynge of alle manere marchaundises, stapleware and other, as frely as yn any of youre portes: and that youre mair ther may have sufficeant power to take reconisances of the staple and to have and use all other fraunchises and libertees as the porte of Suthampton hath, any statut or ordenance of the contrarie made nouyt withstondinge; yn the wey of charite.
A la quele petition, les communes de mesme le parlement doneront lour assent, solonc la fourme d'une cedule a mesme \la/ petition par eux annexe. Le tenour de quele cedule cy ensuyt:
The communes ben assented to this bille, so that the seide towne and haven of Pole, ferst begynne to be aporte at the fest of Seint Hillary next comynge, and not afore: and that the seide porte Melcombe, lese not his strength, ne be not adnulled afore the seide fest of Seynt Hillary. And that alle maner assignementz of paiement made yn the seide port of Melcombe, may stande as effectuell yn the saide port of Pole, as they now do in the saide port of Melcombe.
Les quelles petition et cedule, devaunt le roy en mesme le parlement lieux et entenduz, la dite petition fuist responduz en la fourme ensuant:
Le roy le voet. {PRO SC8/126/6255, with the reply at C49/21/6.}

The port of Melcombe.
38. Item, another petition was presented to the king in the same parliament in the form which follows:
To our sovereign lord the king: may it please your royal majesty, by the advice of your discreet and noble council, to consider the poverty and insufficiency of your uninhabited port of Melcombe, which does not have the ability to take care of the goods and merchandise of your merchants who use it, as is most apparent by the loss which John Roger and others recently had there on account of the lack and shortage of people helping to withstand and resist the malice of your enemies, to the great fear and dread of your merchants who ship any valuable goods there, which is both damaging your customs and a hinderance to your said merchants; and, on the other hand, gracious liege lord, how your town and harbour of Poole is well inhabited and manned, and there is a secure and a sufficient haven for ships, where, by God's grace, your mayor and burgesses fully intend, having received your gracious licence thereupon, to wall, crenellate and fortify sufficiently your said town and harbour for the safe-keeping of all the merchandise and other goods arriving there: and also for the fortification and reinforcement of all the surrounding area.
Whereupon may it please your said majesty to grant them your said licence to fortify the said town and harbour, and in relief for that charge, from your abundant grace to annul the said port of Melcombe, and make your said town and harbour of Poole a port; so that all manner of merchants, both denizens and foreigners, may have shipping there and the discharge of all kinds of merchandise, stapleware and other things as freely as in any of your ports: and that your mayor there may have sufficient power to take recognizances of the staple and to have and use all other franchises and liberties as the port of Southampton has, notwithstanding any statute or ordinance made to the contrary; by way of charity.
To which petition the commons of the same parliament have given their assent, according to the form of a schedule attached to the same petition. The tenor of which schedule folows here:
The commons have assented to this bill so that the said town and harbour of Poole may commence to be a port at the next feast of St Hilary {13 January 1434}, and not before: and that the said port of Melcombe shall not lose its position, nor be annulled before the said feast of St Hilary. And that all kinds of methods of payment made in the said port of Melcombe may be as valid in the said port of Poole as they are now in the said port of Melcombe.
Which petition and schedule having been read and understood before the king in the same parliament, the said petition was answered in the following form:
The king wills it. {PRO SC8/126/6255, with the reply at C49/21/6}

Details of the murage grant which resulted from this petition can be seen at this link.

Primary Sources

National Archive SC 8/126/6255 Former Reference - Parliamentary Petition 5526
National Archive C49/21/6
Curry, A. (ed), 2005, 'Henry VI, 1433 July, Text/Translation', in The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 38. Internet version, at http://www.sd-editions.com/PROME, accessed on 14/05/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)

Comments

Enrolled on the roll for the parliament of July 1433. (National Archive note to SC 8/126/6255)
printed in Rotuli Parliamentorum IV, p 445 this is the reply to SC 8/126/6255 from which it was apparently detached c 1854 (National Archive note to C49/21/6)

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