The Gatehouse website record of a grant of murage for Waterford granted 12/5/1488

Waterford was given a grant of murage dated 12/5/1488.

This was in the form of:-

Surtax:- £30 from coket during pleasure {forever}
Other aid:- exemption from poundage. Starting 12/5/1488 running to 30/1/1524.

Wording

Grant to the mayor, bailiffs, and citizens of the city of Waterford, in the land of Ireland, to have for ever a gallows and a prison, and to be justices of jail delivery, &c., of that prison. Further, recital of a confirmation of the patent, 1 Mar. 20 Hen. VI. (p. 2. m. 22), remitting to them for 30 years 30 li. annually of their fee-farm of 100 marks; also of another confirmation of the charter 20 Nov. 1 Edw. IV. (p. 2. m. G), remitting to them the said 30 li. for another 40 years, from the expiration of the residue of the said 30 years, for the fortification of the walls and towers of their city; the present patent grants to them a further remission, during pleasure, of the said 30 li. a year, after the expiration of the last-mentioned 40 years. Further recital that the said city is in a ruinous condition from wars and other causes, and from heavy imposts upon the inhabitants, &c., in consequence whereof the present grant exempts its mayor, bailiffs, citizens, and inhabitants from payment of poundage in the city and port of Waterford, and throughout the whole of Ireland, during pleasure; and merchants, as well strangers as others, resorting thither for traffic, are likewise, during pleasure, exempted from payment of poundage at that port. Given at Couentre. E. May 8. P. S. No. 49. Pat. p. 2. 3 (11). {pp.149-50}
12 May. Grant to the mayor, bailiffs, and citizens of the city of Waterford, in the land of Ireland, to have, for ever, gallows and a prison, and to be justices of gaol delivery, &c., of that prison, and to have, for ever, power of oyer and terminer touching all crimes, with execution of judg- ments of life and limb. Recital, also, of a confirmation of the patent 11 Mar., 20 Hen. VI., remitting to them, for 30 years, 30l annually of their fee-farm of 100 marks; and of a confirmation of the charter, 20 Nov., 1 Edw. IV., remitting to them the said 30l. for another 40 years from the expiration of the residue of the said 30 years, for the fortification of the walls and towers of their city. The present patent releases them, for ever, from payment of the said 30l. a year. Further recital that the said city is in a ruinous condition from wars and other causes, and from heavy imposts on the inhabitants, &c. ; in consequence whereof the present grant exempts the mayor, bailiffs, and citizens and inhabitants of the said city, for ever, from payment of poundage in the city and port of Waterford, and throughout the whole of Ireland. Moreover, merchants as well strangers as others resorting thither for traffic are exempted likewise from payment of poundage at that port. P. S. No. 93. Pat. p. 2. m. 16 (6). {pp.306-7}
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Jan. 31. 1524. 15 Henry VIII
"Remembrances for Ireland."
5. That the King's ancestors granted to the cities of Waterford, Cork, and Limerick, and the towns of Youghal, Kinsale, and Galway, their fee farms and customs for murage and pavage. As the walls are now well built and repaired, be it enacted that such grants be resumed.
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A copy of the Act procured by the Earl of Kildare, then Lord Deputy of Ireland, and others of the north of Ireland, to be passed in Ireland by the King's authority against the city of Waterford, and other cities and towns of Munster, temp. R. H. 8. MS 632, f. 250b {n.d.}
The Commons pray that whereas the King's father, Henry VII., did grant to Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Youghall, etc., in consideration that their walls were ruinous and their streets unpaved, not only their fee farms, but also the King's customs, cockets, and poundages, which were worth to the King yearly 1,000 marks; and as the said cities and towns are now well repaired in murage and pavage, and do nothing with the said revenues but distribute them amongst themselves, every man striving to be mayor or ruler for the great profit to be received to their own use; and as they take little or no customs from merchants strangers, in order that these shall resort to them, by reason whereof few or no such merchants resort to Dublin, Drogheda, and Dundalk, as they used to do formerly, because they pay the King's custom there, so that the King's English subjects of the four obedient shires are destitute of salt, iron, wine, and other merchandises, and can obtain none except from the said cities and towns, at the second or third hand; and as the rulers of those cities buy and sell with Frenchmen and others at war with the King, affirming that they have liberty by charter so to do, and also grant safe conduct to such enemies to resort amongst them; considering also that by such grants and divers other grants sundry persons are in possession of the King's lands; wherefore be it enacted that all grants and gifts of the King's revenues be resumed, repealed, and annulled from the last day of the reign of Richard II.

Granted by Henry VII. (Regnal year 3). Granted at Coventry.

Primary Sources

Campbell, Wm., 1873, Materials for a History of Henry VII (Rolls Ser.) Vol. 2 p. 149-150, 306-7 online copy
'Henry VIII: January 1524, 16-31', Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII Volume 4: 1524-1530 (1875), pp. 15-34. No. 80. online copy
MS 632, f. 250b held at Lambeth Palace Library

Secondary Sources

1835, Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 28 p. 583-4 online copy

Comments

By a charter dated the 12th May (sic), 3 Henry VII. (Rot. Pat. 15 Jac. I. p. 5. m. 35,) it was 3 Henry VII. granted to the mayor, bailiffs, and citizens of Waterford to have a gallows and a prison within the city; to commit traitors, felons, and other malefactors; that the mayor and bailiffs should be justices for gaol delivery, to hear and determine all causes of treason, murder, robbery, felony, arson, and other crimes, and to inflict execution, as well for life as limb. The King's justices not to interfere in such cases. This charter also recited the grant of March, 20 Henry VI. confirmed by Henry VII. of £30 per annum for 30 years out of the fee-farm of 100 marks, payable by the city to the King, and recited also the grant of 20th November, 1 Edward IV., also confirmed by Henry VII. continuing said grant of £30 for 40 years; and it continues the grant of said £30 for ever, for the repairs of the walls and towers. It ordained also that the citizens should be free in all ports and creeks in Ireland of the new custom of Is. in the pound, commonly called poundage; and that all merchants trading to Waterford should be free of the said duty. (MCI)

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