Waterford was given a grant of murage dated 21/3/1442.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
By a petition presented to the king on behalf of the mayor and citizens of Waterford, Ireland, it has been shown that they and their predecessors pay to the king a fee farm of 100 marks for the city, which has now fallen into such poverty as well through the robberies, destructions and oppressions done by Irish enemies, English rebels, Scots, Bretons and Spanish, as because of late certain Bretons took a balinger of Flanders coming with merchandise to the value of 4000 marks to the said citizens; and that their goods are daily wasted and suffice not to repair the walls and towers,and many citizens have left and daily leave the city; and further that HenryIII gave to the mayor and citizens a tun of tbe prise of his wines from each ship, barge or balinger laden in the port of Waterford, in support of the payment of the farm and for the repair of the walls and towers, and by virtue whereof they might receive in a year 20 tuns of wine, until by a statute of Henry V the grant was taken from them:— the king therefore has granted to them 30l. yearly for the fortification of the walls and towers from the fee farm of the city for thirty years from the Purification last, and that they be quit of the payment thereof for that term. By p.s. etc.
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March 20. 1442. Westminster. 20 Henry VI
To the mayor and bailiffs for the time being of the city of Waterforde within the lordship of Ireland. Order to pay to the mayor and citizens thereof 30l. a year of the fee farm of the city for thirty years, and to pay them the arrears since the Purification last; as the king has granted to the mayor and citizens for thirty years from that feast 30l. a year of the said fee farm by the hands of the mayor and bailiffs for strengthening the walls and gates of the city.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 20). Granted at Westminster. Granted by p.s. etc..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1908,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VI (1441-46) Vol. 4 p. 58
online copyStamp, A.E. (ed), 1937,
Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry VI Vol. 4 p. 22
online copy
Secondary Sources
Lydon, J.F., 1979, 'The city of Waterford in the later Middle Ages'
Decies Vol. 12 p. 5-15
online copy1835,
Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 28 p. 583
online copy
Comments
A grant to the Mayor, &c. of Waterford, dated 21st March, 20 Henry VI. (Rot. Pat. 15 20 Henry VI, Jac. I. p. 5. m. 35.) recited that the city had been injured and impoverished by the Scots, Britons, and Spanish ships, and recited also that Henry III. had granted to the city, out of the prisage of wine, one cask from every vessel coming into that port, from which grant the city, in some years, received 20 casks of wine, until such grant was withdrawn by a statute in England in the reign of the late King; and this charter granted £30 annually for 30 years out of the fee-farm of the city for the repairs of the walls and towers. (MCI)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 21/02/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
