Kinsale (Kynsale) was given a grant of murage dated 28/1/1382.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
De Parva nova custuma burgensibus de Kynsale concessa.
R' omnibus ad quos &c' salutem Sciatis quod cum villa de kynsale in Com' nostro Cork' ad ripam maris assessa ac ejusdem ville Burgenses per inimicos nostros hispannos gravem nuper insultum sint passi ac innimici nostri hibernici & Anglici rebelles ad distruccionem ejusdem ville quod absit ymaginentur cotidie juxta posse Nos ad salvacionem ville praedicte que in Com' nostro praedicto maximum locum tenet consideracionem habentes ac affectantes ut eadem ville pro sui salvacione contra innimicorum & rebellium praedictorum maliciam muro lapideo concludatur prout juxta testimonium dilecti clerici nostri magistri Johanis Colton' Decani Dubl'in Justic' nostri hibern & aliorum de consilio nostro ibidem Burgensium ejusdem ville ipsam propriis eorum sumptibus circumcludere egregie inceperunt Nos praepositi & commun' dicte ville supplicacionibus inclinati commisimus eisdem praeposito & Communibus custodiam preve nostre custume de omnibus mercandizis extra portum ejusdem ville per mare carcand' provenientur habend' quamdiu eadem custuma juxta tenorem in forma concessionis praelatorum magnatum & Communium in ultimo parliamento nostro apud Dubl'in tento facte ad nos debeat pertinere reddend' inde annuatim nobus ad scaccarium nostrum hibern decem marcas ad festa Pasche & sancti michelis per equales porciones et ad solvend' nobus ad scaccarium nostrum hibern dictas decem marcas ad festa praedicta Johanes Galvy & Patricius Galvy plegii & manucaptores praepositi & Communim ville praedicte devenerunt volumus tamen quod si quid ultra decem marcas praedictas eisdem praeposito & Communibus de custuma praedicta remanserit illud circa construccionem murorum praedicte expendant fideliter & exponant In cujus &c' T' praefato Justic' apud Cork' xxviii die Januar'.
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28 Jan., 1381. "The town of Kynsale being situate on the sea shore, and the burgesses having of late received a great insult or attack from the Spanish and Irish enemies, and English rebels, who designed the destruction thereof to the utmost of their power, and the King, considering the safety of the said town, which was a place of note in the county Cork, and desirous that it might be surrounded with a stone wall, as by the testimony of the lord justice and council he understood the inhabitants had begun to surround the same at their own expense, did hereby commit to the custody of the provost and commons the small custom of the port of the said town, to hold, whilst the same should continue in the crown, according to the tenor of the grant thereof made to the crown in the last parliament held at Dublin, at the rent of ten marks, payable into the exchequer, and applying the surplus in building of the said walls. With a mandate of John Warner, sheriff of Cork, collector of the said custom, to permit the said provost and commons to receive the same." (5 Rich. II.) (Caulfield)
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28 Jan. 1382Cork
The town of Kinsale, co. Cork, sits by the sea-coast, and the burgesses of that town have lately suffered a grave attack by the K.'s Spanish enemies, and also the K.'s Irish enemies and English rebels daily plan to destroy of the same town with force (which God forbid!). Having consideration for the salvation of that town, which holds the greatest place in that county, and so that the same town might be enclosed with a stone wall for its salvation against the malice of the said enemies and rebels—just as the burgesses have begun to enclose the same town at their own costs, according to the testimony of the K.'s beloved clerk, master John Colton, dean of Dublin, Jcr of Ire., and others of the K.'s council there—, GRANT to the provost and commons of that town of custody of the K.'s small custom derived from all merchandise carried outside the port of that town by sea, to have for as long as it ought to pertain to the K. by the form of a grant made by the prelates, magnates and commons in the last parliament held at Dublin, rendering annually to the K. at his Ex. of Ire. 10m at Easter and Michaelmas by equal portions. John Galvy and Patrick Galvy have become pledges and mainpernors of the provost and commons of that town. The K. wishes that if anything should remain to the provost and commons of that custom beyond those 10m, they should spend it upon the construction of the walls of that town.
Attested: The Jcr
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Rex (recit' quod villa de Kynsale ac ej' burgens' per Hispanicos inim' gravem nuper insultum sint passi; et ad salvacionem ville praed' consideracionem habens, ut ea muro lapideo concludatur'), praeposito et commun' dicte ville commisit custod', perve custume de omnib' mercandizis ext' portum ville per mare cariand', habend' quamdiu ea custuma ad Regum debeat pertinence. 28 Jan.-Et mandr Johani Warn' vic' Cork collectori dicte custume, quod eisdem preposito etc. de ea dispoñe permit'. T. ut s'.
Granted by Richard II. (Regnal year 5). Granted at Cork. Granted by praefacto Justic' (magistri Johanis Colton' Decani Dubl'in).
Primary Sources
Commissioners on the Public Records of Ireland, 1889 (prepared 1829-30),
Chartae Privilegia et Immunitates, being transcripts of charters and privileges to cities, towns, abbeys and other bodies corporated, 18 Henry II. to 18 Richard II., 1171 to 1395 (Dublin; Irish Record Commission) p. 79 (Ref. e Rot. Pat. 5 Ric. II. p. 1. m. 6. d.)
Caulfield, R. (ed), 1879,
The Council Book of Kinsale (Guildford) p. xi
view onlineA Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, PR 5 Ric. II
View CIRCLE recordTresham, Edward (ed), 1828,
Rotulorum patentium et clausorum cancellariae Hiberniae calendarium (Dublin; His Majesty's printers) p. 114 No. 193
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 137-41
1835, Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 27 p. 75-6
Comments
In the later Middle Ages there is evidence that murage was granted fairly constantly, for example in 1348 and 1381 (MCI 75-6). In the latter reference was made to a stone wall. The use of the 'small' or 'petty' custom at the rate of 10 marks was granted because Kinsale was 'a place of note', whose inhabitants had been working on the town wall 'at their own expense' (CPI 79; Caulfield XI) (Thomas)
By charter of the 28th January, 5 Rich. II. (A.D. 1381,) enrolled in Chancery, (Rot. Pat. 5 Ric. ii. p. 1, m.6, d.) the custody of the king's petty custom, arising from goods exported from the town, was committed to the provost and commons, to hold so long as the same custom should pertain to the King, according to a grant lately made in a Parliament held at Dublin, yielding ten marks yearly; and on the same roll (art. 193) the sheriff of Cork, collector of the said custom, was commanded to permit the provost and commons to dispose of the said custom at their pleasure. (MCI)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 04/04/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
