Cork (Corke) was given a grant of murage dated 1/12/1462.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Pardon to the mayor and commonalty of the city of Corke in Ireland, of the fee farm of 80 marks which they used to pay for the 11 parish churches belonging to the city with the suburbs within a space of a mile, which have been wasted and destroyed by the rebels for the past 50 years, as they obtained a like pardon from the king's father when he was last in those parts, and grant to them of the cocket of the city with the fee of the same augmentation of the construction of the walls until they may be able to go freely for a mile outside the walls. By p.s.
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Edward, by the grace of God king of England {and} France and lord of Ireland, to all to whom the present letters may come, greeting. Know that we, understanding how the mayor and commons of our city of Cork in our land of Ireland have had eleven parochial churches belonging to our city of the space and length of one mile on either part of the said city for which the said mayor {and commons} yearly paid eighty marks of fee farm to our crown of England as long as the said suburbs were preserved undestroyed, but now, as we are informed, the churches and suburbs by reason of war stirred up by the Irish enemies and English rebels are altogether laid waste, thrown down and destroyed and {have remained} so for the term of fifty years, by reason whereof the said mayor and commonalty at no time within that term have ever {been able to pay} the said fee farm or any parcel thereof but {were acquitted} of the said fee farm by our most beloved lord and father when he was last in those parts {…}. We therefore, having consideration and respect both to the premisses and the insufficiency {and} poverty which our aforesaid city in these days sustained by reasons of the said enemies {and rebels as} we have understood, and to the fidelity of hearts towards our aforesaid {father and to ourselves born and} to be born by them, of our special grace have pardoned the aforesaid mayor and commons the said fee farm in future {and} also have given and granted to the said mayor and commons the cocket of the aforesaid city for {the security and} safe {keeping} of the same and for the assistance, succour and relief of the said mayor and commons, to have, occupy and enjoy the said cocket until thay are enabled to go outside the walls of the said city for one mile {…}. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters patent to be made. {Witness {myself} at Bustella the first day of December in the second year of out reign {1462}.
Granted by Edward IV. (Regnal year 1). Granted at Bisham.
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1897,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward IV (1461-67) p. 214
online copyConnolly, Philomena (ed), 2002,
Statue Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland Vol. 5 p. 310-12
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 60-67
Comments
the partial granting of cocket and remission of the fee-farm in 1423 (O'Sullivan, 51), for an indefinite period 'for the construction of the walls', which was followed by a full grant in 1463. (Thomas)
Edward IV., dated 1st Dec., 1462. Confirmed all the former charters, and after reciting that the Mayor and Commonalty had eleven parish churches in the city belonging, together with suburbs, to the said City amlexed, of the space and length of one mile, "exutraque parte civitatis", for which they paid a rent of 80 marks annually to the Crown, so long as the suburbs remained undestroyed and reciting further that the suburbs were destroyed by Irish enemies and English rebels, had been so for fifty years then past, whereby the Mayor and Commonalty were unable to pay the rent remitted the arrear, and granted them the cocket of the City for the construction of the walls, to hold until they should be able to go peaceably one mile outside the same. (
http://www.cork.ie/citycouncil/charters/)
The City of Cork Act 1465, still retained on the Irish Statue Book, was a 'Pardon of fee farm and grant of custom and cocket of the City of Cork to the mayor and commons there' (
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2007/en/act/pub/0028/id1173712768.92.html).
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 14/02/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
