Oswestry (Oswaldestre) was given a grant of murage dated 17/12/1283.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant to the bailiffs and burgesses and the other good men of Oswaldestre, of murage for twenty years from the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle.
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The king to the bailiffs and burgesses and other good men of Oswaldestre, greetings. Know that we have granted to aid in the enclosing of our town of Oswaldestre, that from the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle in the twelfth year of our reign (21 December 1283) to the end of twenty years thence ensuing, you may take in the same town, for the repair of the walls of the said town
From every horseload of saleable corn, 1/2d.
From every horse, mare, ox and cow sold, 1/4d.
From every fresh, salted or tanned hide of horse, mare, ox or cow, 1/4d.
From every cart bringing salted flesh to sell, 2d.
From five porkers sold, 1/4d.
From a fresh salmon sold, 1/4d.
From ten sheep, goats or pigs sold, 1d.
From ten woollen fleeces, 1d.
From a hundred sheep, goat, stag, hind and doe skins, 1d.
From a hundred lamb, kid, hare, rabbit, fox, cat and squirrel skins, 1/4d.
From every cart of saleable salt, 1d.
From every horse-load of salt sold weekly, 1/4d.
From every horse-load of cloth for sale, 1d.
From every entire cloth for sale in the town of Gloucester, 1d,
From every silk cloth brocaded and diapered with gold, 1d.
From every silk cloth without gold or chef de cendal, 1/4d.
From every cask of wine for sale, 2d.
From every horse-load of honey for sale, 1d.
From every cask of honey for sale, 4d.
From every sack of wool for sale, 4d.
From every bale of cloth for sale brought in by cart, 4d.
From every horse-load of cloth and sundry other small things coming to the same town to be sold, 1/4d.
From every cart-load of iron for sale, 1d.
From every horse-load of iron for sale, 1/4d.
From every wagon-load of lead for sale, 2d.
From tallow and lard for sale, 1/4d.
From every hundred of alum and copperas for sale, 1/4d.
From 2,000 onions, 1/4d.
From every thousand of herring for sale, 1/4d.
From every hundred of boards for sale, 1/4d.
From every mill sold, 1d.
From every thousand of laths sold, 1d.
From every new cart sold, 1/4d.
From every hundred of faggots
From every quarter of salt, 1/4d.
From every dozen horse-loads of coal sold, 1/4d.
From every thousand of miscellaneous nails for sale, except cart nails, 1/4d.
From a thousand of cart nails for sale, 1/4d.
From every hundred horse-shoes and cart-clouts for sale, 1/4d.
From every pack of sundry merchandise of the value of two shillings coming into the aforesaid town for sale, 1/4d.
From every brewing cauldron sold, 1d.
From every quarter of oatmeal for sale, 1/4d.
And we therefore command that you take the said custom to the end of the term aforesaid, but once the said term of twenty years is complete the said custom shall cease and shall be completely abolished. In witness &c, at Shrewsbury … … (17 December 1283).
Granted by Edward I. (Regnal year 12). Granted at Shrewsbury.
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1893,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward I (1281-91) Vol. 2 p. 108
online copy
Secondary Sources
Coulson, Charles, 2009, Murage Grants (Handwritten list and notes)
Pratt, D., 1980, 'Search for town wall' West Midlands Archaeology Vol. 23 p. 105-8
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 33n28
Comments
Pratt refs the translation as Oswald's Well Magazine (September, 1848), I, pp. 178-9; I. Watkin, Oswestry &c ., pp. 109-110; W. Cathrall, History of Oswestry &c ., pp. 28-30.
'Oswald's Well Magazine' was, presumably, a local periodical but no longer exists (nor seems to be elsewhere referenced)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 09/01/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
