Coventry (Coventre) was given a grant of murage dated 3/11/1364.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Commission to the mayor and bailiffs of Coventre and Thomas de Nassyngton, William Wolf and William de Corby (Maior et ballivide Coventre ac Thomas de Nassyngton, Willielms Wolf, et Willielmus de Corby) to assess and apportion on the merchants and inhabitants of the town (civitatem) and others commorant there a subsidy for the work of crenellating the town pursuant to a licence granted by the king.
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Oct. 22. 1365 Westminster
To the mayor and bailiffs of Coventre, Thomas de Nassyngton, William Wolf and William de Corby. Order to stay altogether any demand and distraint by them made upon men of religion or other ecclesiastics for rents or goods of their ecclesiastical fee for contribution to the works of the town walls, causing such distraints to be released, and suffering them to have peace, although the king, having granted licence to enclose the said town, lately appointed them jointly and severally by letters patent to assess and apportion the costs of the said works upon merchants and inhabitants thereof and others dwelling therein, namely each according to his rents and means, and to levy and collect the sums so assessed; as it was not nor is his intention that any assessment should be made for that purpose of the rents or goods of the ecclesiastical fee of men of religion or other ecclesiastics, nor that they should pay or be made to pay anything of such their fee. Proviso that the assessment and apportionment be made upon laymen having rents and goods in the town. By C.
{Foedera.}
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De villâ de Coventre firmandâ et kernellandâ.
Rex, dilectis et fidelibus suis, majori et ballivis de Coventre, ac Thomae de Nassyngton, Willielmo Wolf, et Willielmo de Corby, salutem.
Sciatis quòd, cum probi homines et communitas villae de Coventre dictam villam ob fortificationem, et honestatem ejusdem, muro de petrâ et calce firmare et kernellare, juxta licentiam nostram ipsis concessam, proponant, quod absque subsidio habitantium in eâdem, et sumptuum gravium appositione, exequi nequeunt, ut asserunt, aut supplere:
Nos, dictorum habitantium laudabile propositum in hac parte commendantes, et pro celeriori executione dictorum operationum faciendâ, volentes providere, assignavimus vos, conjunctim et divisim, ad assidendum et apporcionandum sumptus, circa operationes murorum praedictorum apponendos, super mercatores et habitantes dictae villae, ac alios in eadem villâ commorantes; videlicet, quemlibet eorum juxta redditus et facultates suas, et id quod rationabiliter poterit, salvâ continentiâ suâ; et ad summas sic assessas et apporcionatas, ab hiis, qui eas solvere debent et tenent, juxta assessiones et apporcionationes praedictas, de tempore in tempus levandum et colligendum; et contrarios in hac parte per districtiones, et aliis viis et modis quibus melius expedire videritis, compellandum; et sumptus illos, sic levatos et collectos, in operationibus praedictis quousque finaliter terminentur et fiant, ponendum, et poni faciendum; et ad omnia alia, quae maturationem praemissorum concernunt aut concernere poterunt, facienda et exequenda:
Et ideò vobis mandamus quòd circa praemissa in formâ praedictâ facienda, cum omni diligentiâ intendatis, et ea faciatis effectualiter, ut est dictum:
Damus autem, universis et singulis villae praedictae, tenore praesentium in mandatis quod vobis et vestrûm cuilibet in executione praemissorum pareant, respondeant, et intendant, quociens et prout per vos, et quem libet vestrûm, ex parte nostrâ fuerint praemuniti.
In cujus, &c.
Teste Rege, apud Westm', iii. die Novembris. Per ipsum Regem.
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 38). Granted at Westminster. Granted by K..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1912,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1364-67) Vol. 13 p. 22
online copyMaxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1910,
Calendar of Close Rolls Edward III Vol. 12 p. 146
online copyRymer, T. (ed. A.Clark and F. Holbrooke), 1816-69,
Foedera, Litterae & Acta Publica Vol. 3 p. 753-4
Secondary Sources
Joan C. Lancaster and Margaret Tomlinson, 1969, in Stephens, W.B.(ed),
VCH Warwickshire Vol. 8 p. 1-23
online copyTurner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859,
Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 pt 2 p. 240, 416 (as licence to crenellate)
online copy
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 24/01/2009. Last updated on 05/01/2013. First published online 5/01/2013.
