Southampton (Suthampton) was given a grant of murage dated 28/6/1355.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant to the burgesses of Suthampton, who for the protection of the town and the parts adjacent have begun to build a wall round their town but cannot finish it of themselves, of murage for ten years. By K.
----
Grant of Edward III to the burgesses of Southampton of a special toll of 1d. in the pound on all goods and merchandise brought into or taken out of their liberty, to be spent on the completion of the fortifications of the town.
----
Edwardus dei gratia, etc., salutem. Supplicarunt nobis dilecti nobis Burgenses ville nostre Suthamptonie, ut, cum ipsi pro periculis ibidem multociens i'mminentibus euitandis villam predictam, pro securiori custodia eiusdem et partium adiacentium, muro de petra et calce inceperint claudere et firmare, ipsique ad clausuram predictam' perficiendam non sufficiant, velimus concedere eisdem Burgensibus, ut ipsi de bonis et mercimoniis infra libertatem ville predicte adductis, seu extra eandem libertatem eductis, tam per terram quam per aquam, tam videlicet ipsorum Burgensium quam aliorum quorumcumque ad dictam villam et libertatem eiusdem confluentium, percipere et colligere possint vnum denarium de libra de omnibus bonis et mercimoniis supradictis, usque ad certum tempus per nos limittandum. Nos considerantes villam predictam et partes adiacentes per clausuram dicte ville, si perficiatur, contra dicta pericula imminencia posse multipliciter assecurari, ac volentes securitati ville predicte et partium adiacentium prouidere prout decet, concessimus eisdem Burgensibus in auxilium clausure ville predicte, quod, a die confectionis presentium vsque ad finem decem annorum proxime sequentium plenarie completorum, capiant et colligant per manus illorum quos ad hoc deputare et pro quibus respondere voluerint, de quibuscumque bonis et mercimoniis infra libertatem dicte ville adductis seu ab eadem eductis, tam per terram quam per aquam, tam videlicet ipsorum Burgensium quam alioram quorumcumque, vnum denarium de libra, et de decem solidis vnum obulum {=obolum}, et de quinque solidis vnum quadrantem; Ita quod denarij inde prouenientes per ipsos Burgenses seu deputatos suos circa clausuram ville predicte ponantur, prout melius viderint faciendum. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod eisdem Burgensibus et deputatis suis in premissis intendentes sitis et auxiliantes durante termino supradicto. In cuius rei testimonium has litteras nostas fieri fecimus patentes per predictos decem annos duraturas. T'este me ipso, apud Westmonasterium xxviijo die Junii, Anno regni nostri Anglie yicesimo nono, regni nostri ffrancie sextodecimo.
Edward by the Grace of God, etc. . . . greeting. Our beloved burgesses of our town of Southampton have besought us that whereas they, for the avoidance of the dangers that so often threaten them there, and for the greater security of the town and of the adjacent parts, have commenced to enclose and strengthen the said town with a wall of stone and lime, but are unable to provide for the completion of the said enclosing, we should be willing to grant the said burgesses that they, for the goods and merchandise brought into the liberty of the said town or taken out of the same liberty, as well by land as by sea, both of the burgesses themselves and of any others whatsoever who come to the said town and the liberty of the same, may gather and collect one penny in the pound upon all the said goods and merchandise for a certain time to be by us limited. We, considering that the said town and parts adjacent, if the enclosing of the said town be completed, can in manifold ways be secured against the said imminent dangers, and wishing to provide for the security of the said town and the parts adjacent, as is fitting, have granted to the same burgesses, in aid of the enclosing of the said town, that from the day of the completion of these presents to the end of the ten years next ensuing fully complete, they may take and collect by the hands of those whom they may wish to depute for this purpose and for whom they are willing to answer, upon any goods and merchandise whatsoever brought within the liberty of the said town or taken from the same, as well by land as by sea, both of the burgesses themselves and of any others whatsoever, one penny in the pound, and one half-penny in ten shillings, and one farthing in five shillings; so that the pence thence forthcoming be applied by the burgesses themselves or their deputies to the enclosing of the said town, as they shall see it better to be done. And therefore we bid you that ye shall help and aid the same burgesses and their deputies in these premises during the term above mentioned. In testimony of which thing we have caused these our letters patent to be made to continue in force the ten years aforesaid. Witness, ourselves at Westminster, on the 28th day of June, in the twenty-ninth year of our reign in England, in the sixteenth of our reign in France. {A.D. 1355.}
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 29). Granted at Westminster. Granted by K..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1909,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1354-58) Vol. 10 p. 254
online copyStuder, P. (ed), 1911,
The Oak Book of Southampton Vol. 2 (Southampton) p. 118-121 (a mid to late C14 copy of the original)
online copy
Secondary Sources
Coulson, Charles, 2009,
Murage Grants (Handwritten list and notes)
Hannes Kleineke, 2006, 'Market Privileges 1351-1370',
Borough Market Privileges: The hinterland of medieval London, c.1400 online copyTurner, H.L., 1971,
Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 173
Page, Wm (ed), 1908,
VCH Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol. 3 p. 493-530
online copy
Comments
In view of the past history of this project, quite intensively backed by the Crown since 1326, it is odd to find such a bald expression in such simple and 'ordinary' terms, reproduced here from the petition (Coulson).
Grant of Edward III to the burgesses of Southampton of a special toll of 1d. in the pound on all goods and merchandise brought into or taken out of their liberty, to be spent on the completion of the fortifications of the town. (Oak Book II, 118-121) (Kleineke)
During the Hundred Years' War the town suffered much at the hands of the French. Indeed, as early as A.D. 1338 it was captured and partially destroyed by a band of foreign pirates. It became, therefore, a matter of great urgency to strengthen and complete the already existing fortifications On various occasions the king enjoined his burgesses to accelerate the work, and in 1355 he granted them by letters patent, and for a period of ten years, the right to levy a special toll of one penny in the pound on all goods brought into or taken out of the town, whether by burgesses or strangers. The resulting revenue was to be expended on the town walls. It is interesting to note that the original, from which the copy had been made in the Oak Book, was destroyed (probably by fire) before the ten years had expired, and the king was petitioned by the burgesses to grant them an exemplification of his letter. This exemplification, witnessed on the 10th February, 1365, is preserved among the local archives, and the text has been published by Mr. Gidden in Vol. I, pp. 22-25, of his Charters. (Studer, p. ix)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 17/01/2009. Last updated on 24/04/2013. First published online 5/01/2013.
