Kells (Kenlis) was given a grant of murage dated 12/11/1467.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
12 Nov. 1468 Drogheda
GRANT to the town of Kells, which is situated on the frontier of the march and needs much for the repairs of its walls, of the following customs of things saleable coming to the town or to any township within its barony, viz.:
from each crannock of corn, 1/2d;
from each crannock of salt for, 1/4d;
from a working horse or cow for sale, 1d;
from a goshawk and tercel for sale, 1/2d;
from a hide of pig or cow, 1/2d;
from a hide, salted or tanned, of pig, cow or horse, 1/4d;
from 10 sheep or goats for sale, 1d;
from 5 ? 1/2d;
from 12 eels, 1/2d;
from 100 sheepskins, unsheared or sheared, 2d;
from each 100 lambskins called fells, 1/2d;
from 100 skins of kid, hare, rabbit, wolf, cat or squirrel, 1/2d;
from 100 skins of deer, otter or fawn, 1/2d;
from a hundredweight of Irish cloth, 2d;
from a hundredweight of linen or woven cloth, 2d;
from a measure of broadcloth of whatever colour, 1d;
from a measure of Irish broadcloth, 1/4d;
from a frieze cloak, 1/4d;
from a cask of wine, 1d;
from a stone of onions, butter or cheese, 1/2d;
from a cartload of big timber, 1/2d;
from a cartload of firewood, 1/4d;
from a stone of refuse wool, 1/2d;
from a hundredweight of wax, 4d;
from a sum of flour, 1d;
from a hundredweight of lead, and tin, 4d;
from a hundredweight of verdigris , 2d;
from 100 iron keys, 1d;
from 100 spokes, 1/2d;
from a hundredweight of piscis zuti ,1/2d;
from a hundredweight of tiles, 1/2d;
from a hundredweight of brass copper or other metal, 2d;
from a pair of wheels, 1/2d;
and from all other merchandise valued at 2s selling price, 1/2d.
These customs are to be levied and used for fencing and fortifying. And the lord and provost of Kells and their successors may each year, with the assent of the burgesses, or a majority of them, appoint two upright men of the town to collect the customs and the money to be spent on enclosing and fortifying the town at the discretion of the lord, provosts . The two men are to account. Always providing that this is not prejudicial to the franchise of the city of Dublin and the town of Drogheda or any other ancient city or franchise, saving to James Ketyng, prior of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Ire. and his successors all rights and interests.
Attested:
John, e. Worcester, deputy
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Edward IV. subsequently granted to this borough a charter, which bears date the 12th November, in the eight year of his reign. This charter stated, that by the authority of the Parliament held at Dublin, on the Friday next after the feast of St. Nicholas the Bishop, then last past, he granted to the sovereign, provosts, burgesses, and commons of Kenlis, and their successors for ever, that, in aid of the enclosure and fortification of said town, they might levy the following customs of things for sale; viz.,
a crannock of corn (unthrashed) "bladi" 1d.;
a crannock of salt, 2d.;
a horse, heifer, hobby, or cow, 1d.;
a goshawk or tercel, 1/2d.;
a carcase of an ox or cow, 1/2d.;
a hide of an ox, cow, horse, or heifer, 1/4d.;
four sheep or goats, 1d.;
five dishes, 1/2d.;
12 eels, 1/2d.;
100 pelts of sheep, with or without the wool, 2d.;
1000 lambs' pelts, called hobetfell, 1/2d.;
100 pelts of cocklings, hares, conies, foxes, cats, or squirrels, 1/2d.;
100 pelts of stags, otters, or deer, 1/2d.;
a hundred of Irish cloth, 4d.;
a hundred of linen cloth or web, 2d.;
an entire English cloth, of any colour, 1d.;
an entire Irish cloth, 1/4d.;
a hood, 1/4d.;
a barrel of wine, 1d.;
a stone of tallow, butter, or cheese, 1/2d.;
a car load of tan dust, 1/4d.;
100 boards, 1/2d.;
a car load of gross building materials, 1/2d.;
a car load of wood, 1/4d.;
a stone of flocks and coarse thread, 1/2d.;
a hundred of onions, 4d.;
a horse load of meal, 1d.;
a hundred of lead, or tin, 4d.;
a hundred of verdigrise, or of any colour, 2d.;
2000 eggs, 1d.;
1000 iron nails, 1d.;
100 spokes, 1/2d.;
a hundred of dried fish, 1/2d.;
a hundred of eels, 1d.;
10 stone of hemp, 1/2d.;
a hundred of chequers, 1/2d.;
a hundred of brass, copper, or other kind of batry, 2d.;
a pair of fowl, 1/2d.;
every other kind of merchandise, to the value of 2s., 1/2d.
And that the sovereign and provost might appoint two men of the town to collect these tolls, and might expend the proceeds on the town, at the discretion of the sovereign, provost, burgesses, and the commonalty, for the time being, and not otherwise. The account of the expenditure to be rendered to two men of the town, to be elected annually by the corporation at large, and not at the Exchequer, saving the franchises of the city of Dublin, town of Drogheda, and of other ancient cities; and also the right of the prior of St. John of Jerusalem, and all others. (MCI)
Granted by Edward IV. (Regnal year 8). Granted at Drogheda. Granted by John, e. Worcester, deputy.
Primary Sources
A Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, PR 8 Edw. IV
View CIRCLE recordBerry, H.F. (ed), Statute rolls of the parliament of Ireland, first to the twelfth years of the reign of King Edward the fourth (Dublin) p. 644-8
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 121-23
O'Connell, P., 1960, 'Kells, early and medieval' Ríocht na Midhe Vol. 2 p. 10
1835, Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 27 p. 181
Comments
a series of 15th century grants in which repair of the walls is mentioned in 1468 and the costs this imposed on the inhabitants in 1472 (MCI 181). These, it was claimed, had caused some inhabitants to leave the town (O'Connell 1960, 10). (Thomas)
Feast of St. Nicholas the Bishop is 6 Dec. If this is taken at face value then the original parliamentary charter was granted 11 Dec 1466, and this confirmatory grant is 11 months later.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 28/03/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
