Bristol was given a grant of murage dated 18/12/1461.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
{Translation from Bush}
For the Mayor and Commonalty of the Town of Bristol.: The King to his Archbishops, Bishops, &c. greeting.— Know, ye, that we, for the laudable services of the Burgesses of our town of Bristol, who heretofore have shewn themselves grateful and willing in all things, to the most noble and renowned of recorded memory, our ancestors, late Kings of England, especially our beloved the now Burgesses of the same town, for late services done at their own expence, costs, labour, charges, and risk (not a little to their merit), contemplating and hoping that by our grant, the same now Burgesses, their heirs, and successors, may enjoy more amply the liberties and privileges that have been granted to their Commonalty, by so much the more force and effect from us, and our heirs, for bettering and lessening the like expences hereafter, we being willing and desirous to exert ourselves for their assistance, of our especial grace, and of our certain knowledge and mere motion, have granted, and by these presents for us, and our heirs, we do grant to the Mayor and Commonalty of the town aforesaid, and to their successors, and to the aforesaid Burgesses, their heirs and successors, that the Mayor and Sheriffs of the town aforesaid, for the time being, shall hold all, and all manner of personal pleas in our Court, in the Guildhall of the same town, (to wit) of debt, covenant, distress, account, trespass, deceit, of trespass and contempt, taking and detaining of beasts and chattels, and of other personal contracts, causes, and matters whatsoever, which have before this time arisen, or hereafter to arise, within the town of Bristol, county and suburbs of the same, and liberty and precinct of the same, by bill and plaint before the same Mayor and Sheriff, in that court, to be levied and appointed — and to summon such persons against whom such bills and plaints in the said court shall happen to be prosecuted or issued, and to attach and distrain them by their lands, goods, and chattels, and where the case shall require it, by their bodies, and goods and chattels, within the town, suburbs, liberty, and precincts aforesaid, as by due process of law, it is lawful to arrest, attach, and commit their bodies to prison, and all such pleas to hear and determine, and judgment thereupon to give, and that they shall cause executions thereon to be made by their officers, for ever. And moreover we, at the humble request of the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty, and Burgesses of the town aforesaid, understanding that they have been accustomed (in the time of our renowned ancestors) all and singular, wool and woollen cloths, and other heavy merchandizes whatsoever, carried and brought to, and into the town aforesaid, by any person whomsoever, not being a Burgess of the same town (as well by land as by water) to sell the same, at a certain place within the town aforesaid, ordered and assigned by the Mayor and Common Council of the town for the time being, and not to be sold and weighed in any other place within the same town, whereby not only our tolls, and many other dues, but also the public advantage of our faithful subjects, as well of the town aforesaid, as of others resorting to the same, hath increased; and that from many causes it hath happened, that by omitting those salutary customs, and by the negligence and carelessness of certain officers heretofore being in the same town, for a short time now passed, the same are diminished and subtracted, not a little to our loss and disadvantage, and of our faithful subjects aforesaid, by certain deceptions and false practices, by reason of such wool, cloths, and merchandizes being sold in private places, little considering the losses, injuries, and expences manifest by these presents, we, desiring to strengthen and increase all and singular those things which may be done by us for the public advantage, by politic government within the same town, of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion for us, our heirs and successors, as much as in us lies, we will, and by the tenor of these presents we do grant to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty, and their successors, and to the aforesaid Burgesses of said town of Bristol, their heirs and successors, that they shall order, assign, and appoint, and for ever shall have one certain place convenient for meeting together within the town aforesaid, in which all and singular the wool, and woollen cloths, and other heavy merchandizes, from henceforth to be carried and brought to the town aforesaid, in that place shall be sold and weighed; and that all persons not being Burgesses of the town aforesaid, any wool, woollen cloths or other heavy merchandizes whatsoever, within the same town, henceforth wishing to sell such wool and woollen cloths, and such like merchandizes, in the place ordered, assigned, and appointed by them, the Mayor and Commonalty, and Burgesses in that place, shall sell the same, and all other heavy merchandizes whatsoever may weigh under the inspection of the Chamberlain of the same town, for the time being, to be elected by the Mayor and Common Council of the same town, or of the officers of him, the Chamberlain, and not in any other place within the same town. Also we have granted, and by these presents for us, and our heirs, we do grant to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty, and their successors, and to the aforesaid Burgesses, their heirs and successors, that they, for ever, shall have one Fair within the town, liberty, and precinct aforesaid, where it shall appear most convenient to them, every year, to be holden on the day of the translation of Saint Edward, the King and Martyr, (to wit) on the 20th day of June, and the nine days then next and immediately following, with all liberties and free customs to such fair belonging, unless that fair may be to the hurt of the neighbouring fairs; wherefore we will and firmly command, that the said Mayor and Commonalty, and their successors, and the aforesaid Burgesses, their heirs and successors, for ever, shall have one fair within the said town, liberty, and precinct aforesaid, where it shall appear most fitting to them, every year, to be holden on the translation of Saint Edward, the King and Martyr, (to wit) on the 20th day of June, and the nine days next and immediately following, with all liberties and free customs to such fair belonging, unless that fair be to the hurt of any neighbouring fair. And, moreover, of our abundant grace, and in aid of the repairing and amending, as well the walls of the Key of our town aforesaid, as of other walls and Pavements of the same town, we have granted to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty, and their successors, and to the aforesaid Burgesses, their heirs and successors, that they, for ever, shall take of things, for sale, coming by water to the town aforesaid, by the hands of those whom they shall appoint for this purpose, and for which they shall be required to answer, the underwritten customs, (to wit):
For every Merchant Vessel coming within the same port with merchandize, for every time which the same shall come 6d.
For every Vessel coming there freighted with fish or herrings 4d.
For every Market or Fishing Boat with merchandize, fish, or herrings, or coming there freighted 2d.
For every quarter of Corn and Rye for sale 1/4d.
For every two quarters of Beans, Peas, Malt, Oats, and Salt, for sale 1/4d.
For every cask of Wine for sale 2d.
For every weigh of Onions for sale 1d.
For every last of Herrings for sale 3d.
For every cwt. of Fish for sale 1/2d.
For every Vessel freighted with sea weed, brush wood, or turf, for sale 2d.
For every chaldron of Sea Coal for sale 1/4d.
For every horse-load of Garlic or Onions for sale 1/4d.
For every Vessel laden with bark 1d.
For every Boat or Barge laden with brush wood for sale 1/2d.
For every ten stone of Hemp or Flax for sale 1/2d.
For every horse-load of Iron for sale 1/4d.
For every fother of Lead for sale 1d.
For every cask of Pitch and Bitumen for sale 1/2d.
For every cask of Salt for sale 1d.
For every cask of Cinnamon 1/4d.
For every cwt. of Charcoal for sale 1d.
For every cwt. of Wax for sale 1d.
For every hundred of Woollen Cloths for sale 1d.
For every hundred of Spun Linen or Canvas for sale 1/2d.
For every cwt. of Pepper for sale 1d.
For every — frail—of Figs and Raisins for sale 1/2d.
For every hundred of Nutmegs for sale 1d.
Of Cattle and things by weight (to wit) for every hundred (or cwt) 1d.
For every hundred of Planks for sale 1/2d.
For every Mast for sale 1d.
For every—for sale 1d.
For every bale of Cordwain and Baize for sale 1d.
For every chaldron of Earth for sale 1d.
For every Vessel laden with — for sale 1d.
For every Horse or Mare, Ox or Cow for sale 1/2d.
For ten Sheep, Goats, and Pigs 3d.
For every cwt. of Tin and Copper for sale 1d.
For all kinds of merchandizes and things for sale, not here specified, coming by water to the aforesaid town for sale, (excepting wool, leather, and skins of wool) one penny for every pound (of money,) one halfpenny for ten shillings and one farthing for five shillings; so that the actual value or any other value being expressed, or by the certainty of these presents known, or of any other gift and grant to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty, or to their predecessors made, or to the aforesaid Burgesses, or their ancestors, by us or by our progenitors, or any one of them, before this time made, in no way mentioned in these presents, or by any statute, act, ordinance, use, custom, or provision to the contrary made, ordered, used, or provided, or by any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever, notwithstanding. These (persons) being witnesses: our most dear cousin, Thomas, of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Legate of the Apostolic See; William, Arch bishop of York, and Primate of England; our dear cousin, G—, Bishop of Exeter; our Chancellor, W. Bishop of Ely; George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, our most dearly beloved brothers; Richard Earl Warr, Steward of England; Henry, Earl of Essex, our Treasurer; and William, Earl of Kent, Steward of our Household; our dear cousins and our well beloved John de Montague, and William Hastynges, our Chamberlain, Knights; and our well beloved Clerk, Robert Styllyngton, Keeper of our Privy Seal, and others. Given by the hand of the King, at Westminster, the 18th day of December.
Granted by Edward IV. (Regnal year 1). Granted at Westminster. Granted by Writ of Privy Seal, &c. and date, &c..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1927,
Calendar of Charter Rolls 5 Henry VI - 8 Henry VIII, AD 1427-1516, with an appendix, 1215-1288 Vol. 6. (HMSO) p. 162-64 (dated 1462)
Bush, Henry, 1824, 'Chapter 3: Murage, keyage and pavage',
Bristol Town Duties: A collection of original and interesting documents etc. p. 84
online copy
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 16/03/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
