Coventry was given a grant of murage dated 6/4/1399.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant, of special grace and with the assent and deliberation of the council, to the mayor, bailiffs and commonalty of the town of Coventry and their heirs and successors, that they may make their profit of all the gates and towers of the walls and of all bridges and purprestures made in lands and waters and of all wastes in the said town within the following bounds, from Jabettesassh to the mill called Nassyngtones Milne and thence to the corner of the stone wall of the park of Cheillesmore and thence along the wall (parietem) and paling of the said park to Baroneswell and thence to the house of John atte Yate, and so leaving the said manor and park and the house of the Friars Minors of Coventry on the left to the corner of Crabtrefeld and below Crabtrefeld and along a lane leading to the church of Spouna and thence to Dudmaneswell and thence to the church and cemetery of St. Nicholas, Coventry, and thence to Bottescros, and thence to Harnelle quarelle, and thence to Gosfordgrene and Jabettesassh aforesaid, in aid of the repair and amendment of the walls of the town, and in support of the fee farm of the town and of other charges within the said town without any impeachment from the king or his ministers;
and, with the assent aforesaid, grant that the burgesses of the town shall have full correction, punishment, authority and power to enquire, hear and determine by the mayor and recorder of the town and other four good and lawful men of the town to be chosen by the mayor, in all matters belonging to the office of justice of the peace, labourers and workmen, as fully as such justices in the county of Warwick had before this charter, so that such justices in the county shall no wise intermeddle therein within the said town and suburbs, provided that the mayor and recorder and four men shall not proceed to the determination of any felony without the king's special writ ; and that the mayor, bailiffs and commonalty shall have all amercements, issues and profits arising from the said office of justice, as fully as they had such profits under charters of previous kings and of the king himself;
moreover grant that none of the liberties and franchises granted by the king's progenitors and by him confirmed to the mayor, bailiffs and residents in the town of Coventry and the manor of Cheillesmore shall be denied to the present mayor, bailiffs, commonalty, ten- ants and residents for any reason or under any colour; but that they shall enjoy all such liberties and customs article by article, word for word, as they have had and used them under the charters and confirmations granting them in times past.
By K. on the information of William Lescrop, treasurer of England.
Granted by Richard II. (Regnal year 22). Granted at Westminster. Granted by K. on the information of William Lescrop, treasurer of England..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1916,
Calendar of Charter Rolls 15 Edward III - 5 Henry V 1341-1417 Vol. 5. (HMSO) p. 380
online copy
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 04/03/2009. Last updated on 05/01/2013. First published online 5/01/2013.
