Castleroche (Roch) was given a grant of murage dated 1369-70.
This was in the form of:-
This is a grant which may have been used for walls but could have been used for other civic improvements.
Wording
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De muragio villae de Athirde.
Edwardus dei gracia Rex Angl' & Franc' & Dominus Hibern dilectus sibi praepositis & Communitati ville Athirde salutem Sciatis quod nos forificacionem & emendacionem ville praedicte in relevacionem & auxilium fidelium ipsorum ibidem & resistenciam hibernicorum inimicorum nostrorum marchie eidem ville adjacencium effectuose desiderantes in auxilium ejusdem ville muro lapideo claudende & vicorum ejusdem ville paviandorum concessimus vobis quod vos & posteri vestri per vosmet vel deputandos a vobis capere & precipere & habere possitis de rebus venalibus ad eandem villam venientibus seu in eadem causa vendend' existentibus a dat' confeccionis praesencium usque ad finem decem annorum extunc proximo sequenc' plenar' complendorum consuetudines & custumas subscriptas videlicet
{ } equo ven' unum denar'
de quolibet bove vel vacca mortuo vel vivo ven' unum denar'
de quolibet sacco & de quolibet seme ven' unum obolum
de quolibet corio vacc' vel bovis ven' unum obolum
de qualibet carecta & de qualibet pari rotarum venal' unum denar'
& de quocumque genere mercandizarum vel mercimonii quod non nominatur in istis literis valoris duorum solidorum ven' quadrant' & valoris quinque solidorum unum denar'
Et ideo vobis mandamus quod consuetudines & custumas praedictas de rebus venalibus usque ad finem dictorum decem annorum collegatis levatis & precipiatis in forma { } Ita tamen quod denar' inde provenient circa muragium & pavagium ejusdem ville & non alibi fidelitur expendantur Et quod in fine cujuslibet anni compotus inde coram dilecto nobis Johane Keppok & vic' nostro loueth' qui pro tempe fuerit & non ad scaccarium nostram Hibern de anno in annum durante termino praedicto fidelitur reddatur completo termino illo consuetudines & custume praedicte penitus cessent & deleantur Proviso semper quod consimiles consuetudines & custume Johani Bellewe pro clausura ville de Roch' in marchia dicti com' situate per literas nostras patentes anno regni nostri Angl' quadragesimo tercio precipiend' in eadem villa concesse pro eo quod nos easdem literas sibi inde facas tenore praesencium expresse revocamus & adnullamus decetero nullatenus solvantur aut leventur set penitus cessent & deleantur In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patent' T' Jacobo le Botiller Comite Dormond Justic' nostro Hibern apud Dublin' xxviii die Januar' anno r' n' Angl' quinquagesimo primo regni vero n' Franc' tricesimo octavo.
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28 Jan. 1377
To the provosts and commonalty of the town of Ardee.
For the fortification of the town of Ardee against the Irish enemies in the nearby marches, the K. wishes to assist in the enclosing of that town with a stone wall and the paving of the roads. GRANT to the provost and community of Ardee and their successors that for a term of ten years they may have the following duties and customs on items for sale coming to that town, viz.:
.
Always providing that those duties and customs, which had been granted to John Bellew by letters patent in 43 Edw. III in the town of Roche in the march of the said county shall by no means be paid or owed to them .
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 43). 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. 3 Ric. II. m. 29. d.)
A Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, PR 51 Edw. III
View CIRCLE record
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 224
Comments
1376: grant to Ardee (CPI 73) specified that an existing privilege to John Bellew 'for enclosing the town of Roch situated in the Marches', involving the collecting of customs at Ardee, should cease. (Thomas)
Possibly a proto-town in the large outer bailey of the castle on a rocky plateau. The Bellew's were lords of both Castleroche and Ardee and Thomas suggest the collect of customs at Ardee may have been a 'case of co-operation in urban defence between an establish town, with a good market presumably, and a frontier one'.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 08/04/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
