The Gatehouse website record of a grant of murage for Dover granted 19/2/1440

Dover was given a grant of murage dated 19/2/1440.

This was in the form of:-

Other aid:- Monopoly of passenger trade.

Wording

Grant to the mayor and commonalty of the town of Dover and their successors, upon their petition, that they may continue to enjoy the following franchises, and may make any penal ordinances requisite for the due preservation of the same and for ensuring that the ships used for the passage to Calais be of good material in work of timber and iron;— that the people of Dover, when they make their passage, should cross to Calais and not else whither, and the people of Calais in like manner to Dover, unless prevented by great and sudden tempest or the king's command, or having freight or lading not belonging to the passage; that the people of Dover should have the whole freight and profits of the passage to Calais and of the ships going thither and putting in there, and in like manner the people of Calais should have that of those coming to Dover, unless a fresh agreement be made to the contrary; that no merchant stranger, horse or animal should cross to Calais from any Kentish port except Dover, and if the owner of a ship appointed for the passage of Dover should sell her or any share in her to any person dwelling in a place not belonging to the said passage, that then the said ship should be expelled from the said passage. The said franchises are said to have been interrupted in recent times, and the inhabitants of Dover cannot, therefore, without the king's aid keep their sea walls in proper repair, while the town is nearly half empty of inhabitants and many of its dwellings have fallen into decay. {Statham, Dover Charters. No. LXV} by p.s.
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{H}enricus dei gracia Rex Anglie et ffrancie, et Dominus Hibernie, Omnibus ad quos presentes littere pervenerint — Salutem. Sciatis, quod cum dilecti nostri Major et Communitas ville nostre Dovorre nobis nuper intimaverunt, ut cum persone villam predictam inhabitantes muros ejusdem contra rabiem et seviciem maris ibidem, aliaque onera importabilia prefatis inhabitantibus pro defensione ville predicte imposita, reparere et manutenere teneantur similiter et astringantur, quamquam ea facere nequiunt nee sufficiunt quovis modo, per quod muri predicti in defectum reparacionis et construccionis eorundem dirruti sunt et prostrati, sicque mare ibidem villam nostram predictam processu temporis superundare et destruere assimilatur nisi per nos cicius relevetur et succuratur: Ac ubi a tempore quo villa Cales per nobilem progenitorem nostrum Edwardum conquesta fuit et adquisita quousque ipsi de eadem villa nuper pro magnis sumptibus et deperditis ac aventuris, que ipsi de tempore in tempus pro conversacione et custodia predicti passagii ibidem supportarunt, libertates et franchesias subsequenter habuerunt et tenuerunt eisque usi fuerunt et gavisi, videlicet, quod ipsi de Dovorra cum passagio suo usque dictam villam Cales, et non ad alium locum ; nee ipsi de Cales cum suo passagio ad alium locum preterquam ad Dovorram transirent seu applicarent, nisi ipsi per magnam vel subitaneam tempestatem, vel preceptum Regium, seu frettum sive onustacionem mer- chandise que ad passagium non pertinent, impedirentur ; et quod ipsi de Dovorra integrum frettum sive onustacionem et proficuum passagii nostri ac navium versus dictam villam Cales transeuncium et applicancium, consimili modo quod ipsi de Cales de illis qui ad Dovorram confluerent haberent, ita quod nee ipsi de Cales aliquos frettum sive passagium navium de Dovorra, nee ipsi de Dovorra de fretto sive passagio navium Cales, perciperent quovis modo, nisi per aliquam novam composicionem inter eos contingentem faciend' im- pediretur ; et quod nullus mcrcator peregrinus equus sive animal extra aliquem portus in Comitatu Kancie usque Cales exiret preter Dovorra; et si possessor alicujus navis pro passagio Dovorre ordinate navem illam, vel aliquam partem ejusdem, alicui alii in alio loco habitanti quam eidem passagio spectanti et intendenti venderet sive alienarit, quod tunc navis ilia extra passagium illud pro perpetuo foret expulca: quas quidem libertates et franchesias ad presens variis mediis interrupte sunt et subtracte, in ejusdem ville iiostre Dovorre et inhabitancium ejusdem, ac in speciali Custodum passagii ibidem, deterioracionem et diminucionem multiformes: sicque villa ilia, tarn ex causis predictis, quam pro eo quod inhabitores ejusdem pro majori parte ab eadem penitus recesserunt, ac medietas ejusdem ville quasi vacua et desolata exstitit, mansionesque ejusdem in ruinam muitipliciter devenerunt, de verisimili finaliter destruentur, habitantesque in eadem eam necessarie relinquere oportebit, ut dicitur, nisi sibi de remedio in hac parte congruo cicius provideatur: unde nobis supplicarunt Major et Communitas supradicti ut quandem paupertatem et inopiam dicte ville Dovorre ac habitancium ejusdem considerare velimus, ac pro salvacione relevamine eorundem benignissime providere et prefatis Majori et Communitati quod ipsi et successores sui libertatibus et franchesiis predictis absque contradiccione interrupcione sive impedimento quocumque uti et gaudere, ipsique inter et super seipsos tales ordinaciones penales quales sibi pro debita conservacione et custodia earundem libertatum et franchesiarum {videbi}tur necessarie et opurtune, ac pro factura et construcione navium, que pro passagio predicto sic fiunt et fient, ut naves ille fideles fortes et secure, ac de bona materia tam in maeremio ac bono opere et fideli quam in opere ferreo et omnibus aliis rebus necessariis pro securitate et fortificacione navi{um illorum} facte et fabricate existant licite facere valeant. Nos, ad premissa consideracionem habentes, ac pro conservacione et salvacione dicte ville nostrc providere volentes, ut tenemur, de gracia nostra speciali concessimus prefatis Majori et Communitati dicte ville nostre Dovorre et successoribus suis, quod ipsi habeant omnes franchesias predictas eisque gaudeant et utantur juxta vim, tenorem, et effectum earundem, imperpetuum, absque contradiccione, impedimento, sive obstaculo quocumque; et quod ipsi inter et super se tales ordlnaclones penales quales sibi pro debita observacione et custodia franchesiarum predictarum, ac factura navium que passagio predicto sic fiunt et fient ut eedem naves de secura forti ac bona materia et fideli, tarn in maeremio et fideli opere, quam in opere ferreo quocumque ac omnibus aliis rebus necessariis pro fortificacione et securitate navium predictarum videbitur necessarie et oportune, licite facere valeant. In cujus rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste me ipso apud Redyng decimo nono die ffebruarii, anno regni nostri decimo octavo. {Per breve de privato sigillo — Louthe}

Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom these present letters shall come — Greeting. Know ye that, whereas our beloved the Mayor and Commonalty of the town of Dover have lately made known to us that as the persons inhabiting the said town are bound and similarly engaged to repair and maintain the walls of the same against the rage and cruelty of the sea there, and other burdens insupportable by the aforesaid inhabitants, laid upon them for the defence of the said town, although they are not able or sufficient in any way to do so, because the walls aforesaid, in defect of their repair and construction, are battered and prostrate, so that the sea there is like to inundate and destroy our said town in process of time unless by us it be speedily relieved and succoured: and whereas, from the time when the town of Calais was conquered and acquired by our noble progenitor Edward, they of the said town have until recently, by great expenses and losses and ventures, which they from time to time have supported for the preservation and custody of the aforesaid Passage there, used and enjoyed liberties and franchises subsequently had and held to them, to wit, that they of Dover, with its Passage, should cross to, or land at, the said town of Calais, and not to any other place; nor they of Calais, with its Passage, to any place except Dover, unless they be impeded by a great or sudden tempest, or the King's precept, or by a freight or cargo which does not pertain to the Passage; and that they of Dover might have the whole freight or cargo and the profit of our Passage and ships crossing to, and landing at, the said town of Calais, and in like manner they of Calais from those crossing to Dover, so that neither they of Calais should take in any way whatsoever any freight or passage of the Dover ships, nor they of Dover the freight or passage of the Calais ships unless impeded by any new arrangement about to be made between them; and that no merchant pilgrim or horse should leave any port in the County of Kent for Calais except Dover; and if the owner of any ship allowed for the Passage of Dover should sell or alienate that ship, or any share of it, to anyone else dwelling in any place other than one belonging to, or connected with, the said Passage, that that ship be expelled from that Passage for ever: which liberties and franchises, indeed, at the present time by various means are broken and disregarded to the multiform deterioration and diminution of our said town of Dover and the inhabitants of the same, and especially of the Wardens of the Passage there; so that the said town, as well for the causes aforesaid as because the inhabitants of the same for the greater part have almost entirely left it, and half of the town is empty and desolate, and its houses have in many cases fallen into ruins, will very likely finally be destroyed, and its inhabitants necessarily compelled to leave it, as is said, unless some fitting remedy on this behalf be provided quickly: wherefore, the abovesaid Mayor and Commonalty have besought us that we be willing to consider the said poverty and want of the said town of Dover and its inhabitants, and most graciously to provide for their relief and salvation, and for the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty that they and their successors may use and enjoy the liberties and franchises aforesaid without contradiction, interruption, or impediment whatsoever, and that they be able to make among themselves and for themselves such penal ordinances as shall appear necessary and fitting to them for the due preservation and ward of their liberties and franchises, and for the building and construction of ships, which for the Passage aforesaid are and shall be so made, that those ships may be made and built true, strong, and safe, and of good material, as well in wood and good and faithful work as in iron work, and all other things necessary for the safety and strengthening of those ships. We, having regard to the premises, and wishing, as we are bound, to provide for the preservation and safety of our said town, Grant of our special grace to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty of our said town of Dover and their successors, that they may have all the aforesaid franchises, and use and enjoy them, according to the power, tenour, and effect of them, for ever, without contradiction, impediment, or obstacle whatsoever ; and that they may make among themselves, and for themselves, such penal ordinances as shall appear necessary and fitting to them for the due preservation and ward of the franchises aforesaid, and for the making of the ships, which for the Passage aforesaid are and shall be so made, that the said ships be of sure, strong, and good and true material, as well in wood and true work as in all sort of iron work, and all other things necessary for the strengthening and safety of the ships aforesaid. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be patent. Witness myself at Reading on the nineteenth day of February in the eighteenth year of our reign. {By a writ of Privy Seal — Louthe.}

Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 18). Granted at Reading. Granted by p.s..

Primary Sources

Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1907, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VI (1436-41) Vol. 3 p. 392-3 online copy
Statham, S.P.H. (ed), 1902, Dover charters and other documents in the possession of the Corporation of Dover (London: Dent & co.) p. 198-203 online copy

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