Waterford was given a grant of murage dated 18/7/1388.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant, by advice of the Council and in consideration of the damages and losses sustained by the mayor and commonalty of Waterford in Ireland by the arsons, homicides and thefts of the king's Irish enemies and English rebels, and by various invasions of other enemies of the parts adjacent, and also by the capture of ships, barges and other vessels and the ransom of their men by the French and Spaniards, and in consideration of the intolerable expense incurred by them in repairing the wall and fortification of their city and in paying their onerous farm, to the said mayor and commonalty, that for three years they may have a custom of the king in that city called 'coket' and all the issues and profits arising therefrom, on condition that they apply the same to the walling and fortification of their city, by survey of the chief baron of the Exchequer in Ireland. By pet. of C.
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18 Jul. 1388 Westminster
'In consideration of the damages and losses endured by the mayor and community of Waterford in Ire. by the arsons, homicides and thefts of the K.'s Irish enemies and English rebels, and by various invasions of other enemies of the neighbouring parts, as also by the capture of ships, barges and other vessels and the ransom of their men by the French and Spaniards, and in consideration of the intolerable expense incurred by them in repairing the wall and fortification of their city and in paying their onerous farm, GRANT, by advice of the council to the said mayor and community, that for three years they may have a custom of the K. in that city called cokete and all the issues and profits arising therefrom, on condition that they apply the same to the walling and fortification of their city, by survey of the chief baron of the Ex. in Ire.'
Attested: English g.s.
Authorized: By petition of council.
Footnotes: An enrolment of English letters patent. See also a memorandum recording that these letters shown and read out before the Jcr and council at Drogheda on 18 Aug. 1388 (below, §34).
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MEMORANDUM that on 17 Aug. the said letters were shown and read out before the Jcr and council at Drogheda.
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Rex, comsiderans dampna etc. que maj' et comitas civit' Waterf' per arsuras etc. inimicor' Regis sunt prepessi, concessit quod ipsi quandam custumam in civit' praedicta vocat' cokete habeant per 3 an'; ita quod super clausuram etc. civitat' expendatur. 18 Jul.-Et mem' quod 17 Aug' littere praedicte cor' just' et cons' apud Drogh' ostens' et perlecte fuer'.
Granted by Richard II. (Regnal year 12). Granted at Westminster. Granted by pet. of C..
Details of the petition which resulted in this grant can be seen
at this link. 
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1900,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Richard II (1385-89) Vol. 3 p. 492
online copyA Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, PR 12 Ric. II
View CIRCLE recordTresham, Edward (ed), 1828,
Rotulorum patentium et clausorum cancellariae Hiberniae calendarium (Dublin; His Majesty's printers) p. 138 No. 33/34
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. 582
online copy
Comments
A petition of 1388 addressed to the English council described the "arsons, homicides and thefts of the King's Irish enemies and English rebels and the invasions of other enemies of parts adjacent". As if that were not bad enough, the petition continued with complaints of "the capture of ships, barges and other vessels and the ransom of their men by the French and Spaniards" and finishes with a moan about the "intollerable expense incurred in repairing the walls and fortifications of the city" The reference to the French and Spaniards is interesting: one of the most frequent complaints as long as the Hundred Years War lasted was of the loss of ships and cargoes coming to and from Waterford. Whatever about the high profits which entrepreneurs could make, the risks were great. (Lydon p. 6)
Richard II., by letters patent bearing date 18th July, in the twelfth year of his reign, (Rot. Pat. 12 Rich. II. m. 5.) granted to the mayor and commonalty of the city of Waterford, that they might have and receive his custom in the said city called " cokete," from the date thereof to the end of three years, so that the issues and profits of the said custom should be fully and fairly expended on the enclosure and fortification of the city aforesaid, under the superintendence of the chief baron of his Exchequer of Ireland for the time being. (MCI)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 03/04/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
