New Ross (Rosse) was given a grant of murage dated 17/7/1484.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
17 Jul. 1377 An. 1 Ric. II.
Ric'us dei gracia Rex Anglie et Franc' et Dominius hibern Omnibus ad quos patentes littere pervenerint salutem Sciatis quod per mortem diversorum mercatorum ville nostre de Rosse quidam eorum murdrati et interfecti tam per terram quam per mare in tam depauperata existit et nulla lex justicia ne bona gubernacio in aliqua parte circa dictam villam existit set rebellio extorcio murdrum interfeccio roberia et plena guerra per hibernicos Inimicos nostros super eandem villam fact' existunt sicque quod iidem mercatores ejusdem ville vix custodire nec muros et portum ejusdem reparare et sustentare valeant absque magno relevio nostro per nos in hac parte exhibito de gracia nostra speciali et ad reparacionem dict' ville et murorum ac portus ejusdem Dedimus et concessimus Superiori et prepositis et communibus ejusdem ville et successoribus suis quendam capitalem reddit' ville praedicte qui se extendit per ann' ad quatuor libras in mann' nostris certis de caus' existen' habend' et tenend' praedictem capitalem reddit' praefit' Superiori preposit' et communibus ejusdem ville et successoribus suis quamdiu in man' nostris contigerit remanere percipiend' et levand' praedictem capitalem reddit' anuatim per man' dictorum Superioris et preposit' et Successorum suorum ad festa sancti Michaelis arch'i et pasche per equales porciones absque aliquo inde solvendo seu aliquo modo computato inde reddendo In cujus rei testimon' has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentes T' praedilecto consangun'o nostro Gerrardo Comiti Kildar' Justic' terra nostre hibernie apud Dublin decimo septimo die Julii ao regni nostri primo.
----
17 Jul. 1484 Dublin
By the death of various merchants of the K.'s town of New Ross, certain of them murdered and killed both by land and by sea, is greatly impoverished and there is no law, justice nor good governance in any parts around that town but rather rebellion, extortion, murder, killing, robbery and open war waged upon the same town by the K.'s Irish enemies. Because the merchants of that town are scarcely able to keep it, nor to repair and sustain its walls and port without great relief, GIFT and GRANT of the K.'s special grace to the sovereign and provost and commons of that town and their successors of a certain chief rent of that town which extends to £4 p.a., in the K.'s hand for certain reasons, to have and to hold for as long as it remains in the K.'s hand, so that they might repair that town and its walls and port. The chief rent is to be received and levied by the said sovereign and provost and his successors at Michaelmas and Easter by equal portions, without paying anything or rendering any account.
Attested:
Gerald e. Kildare, Jcr of Ire.
----
(From Hore)
17 Jul. 1486 (sic). 1 Ric. III
Richard, by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all whom the present letters shall come, greeting. Know ye that by the death of divers merchants of our town of Rosse, certain of them having been murdered and slain as well by land as by sea, it is so impoverished, and no law, justice, or good government exist in any part about the said town, so that the same merchants of the same town can scarcely guard it, or repair and sustain the walls and port, without our great relief by Us in that behalf procured; Of our special grace and for the repairing of the said town and walls and the port of the same, We have given and granted to the Superior and Provosts and the commons of the said town, and to their successors, a certain chief rent of the town aforesaid, which extends by the year to £4, being in our hands for certain causes: To have and to hold the aforesaid chief rent to the aforesaid Superior, Provosts and commons of the same town, and to their successors, as long as it shall happen to remain in our hands. T otake and to levy the said chief rent yearly by the hands of the said Superior and Provosts, and their successors, at the Feasts of St. Michael the Archangel and Easter by even portions, without any thing thereof to be paid, or any manner of account thereof to be rendered.
In testimony whereof We have caused these letters to be made patent.
Witness our dearest kinsman, Gerald, Earl of Kildare, Justice our land of Ireland, at Dublin, the 17th day of July, in the first year of our reign.
Granted by Richard III. (Regnal year 1). Granted at Dublin.
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. 73 (Ref. E Rot. Mem. 34, 35 Eliz., m. 11. f.) (Incorrectly attributed to Pichard II)
A Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, PR 1 Ric. III
View CIRCLE record
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992,
The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 175-79
Hore, H.F., 1900 in Hore, P.H. (ed),
The history of the town and county of Wexford Vol. 1 p. 231-2
(Mis-attributed to Richard II)
1835,
Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 28 p. 559
online copyFleming, J.S., 1914,
The Town-wall Fortifications of Ireland (Paisley) p. 40
online copyMorrin, J. (ed), 1863,
Calendar of the Patent and Close Rolls of Chancery in Ireland, from the 18th to the 45th of Queen Elizabeth Vol. 2 p. 111 (Some parts plagerised from Commissioners Report)
online copy
Comments
Rent was again allowed to offset repair of the town wall and port in 1486 (Hore I 230). (Thomas)
This letter is attributed in error to the reign of Richard II in CPI, p. 73 (CIRCLE)
(mis-attributed to Richard II)
Richard II, by letters patent bearing date the 17th day of July, in the first year of his reign, (Rot. Mem. 34, 35 Eliz., m. f. 11,) granted to the sovereign, provosts, and commons of the town of Rosse, towards the repairing of the said town, and the walls and port thereof, a certain capital rent of the said town, extending annually to £4, then being in his hands for certain causes, to hold the same as long as it should happen to remain in his hands. (MCI)
A charter of Richard II., July 17, 1377, provides out of the customs £4 (four pounds), to be faithfully expended (nor applied to any other purpose) on maintenance and repairs of the town walls and port - muros et portum ejusdem repaire et sustintaire. A subsequent charter, January 26, 1394, referring to the wall's then state of dilapidation and destruction caused by "our Irish rebels," concedes for the reparation of the same that custom called "the Coquet." (Fleming)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 06/04/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
