Hartlepool (Hertilpole) was given a grant of murage dated 27/7/1400.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant to the mayor, bailiffs, citizens and good men of Hertilpole of murage for ten years. By K.
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Nov 18 1410. Westminster. 12 Henry IV
Whereas lately by letters patent the king granted to the mayor and bailiffs and good men of the town of Hertilpole certain customs for ten years in aid of enclosing the town, and afterwards by other letters patent under the seal of the Exchequer he appointed William lord of Roos, Richard Gascoigne, Sampson Hardyng, Thomas Sparowe, John de Kirkeby and John de Milyngthorpe to enquire about the sums of money raised; nevertheless because the letters manifestly redound to the prejudice of the bishop of Durham and his franchises, jurisdiction and royal rights, as is declared by an act before the council and before the king in Chancery, the king with the assent of the council revokes the letters and grants that the grant of murage shall not be taken as a consequence. By C.
Granted by Henry IV. (Regnal year 1). Granted at Newcastle on Tyne. Granted by K..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1903,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry IV (1399-1401) Vol. 1 p. 355
online copyMaxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1909,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry IV (1408-13) Vol. 4 p. 264
online copy
Secondary Sources
Coulson, Charles, 2009,
Murage Grants (Handwritten list and notes)
Turner, H.L., 1971,
Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 33n26
Page, Wm (ed), 1928,
VCH Durham Vol. 3 p. 265-6
online copy
Comments
in 1410, because he had infringed the rights of the bishop of Durham at Hartlepool, Henry IV was forced to revoke a grant he had made in 1400 (Turner)
Grants of murage were made during the 14th and early 15th century to the mayor and bailiffs on behalf of the burgesses. These grants illustrate one feature of the history of the borough—the continual rivalry between king and bishop for the supreme influence there. The burgesses took advantage of this rivalry to obtain charters first from one authority and then from the other, so that their right to take murage was almost continuous for nearly a century. (VCH)
Presumably Hartlepool had presented a petition for renewal as the previous grant of 1410 was about to expire and the new bishop of Durham, Thomas Langley (elected in 1405), was particularly assiduous in asserting his palatine rights.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 19/01/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
