East Tilbury (Est Tilbury) was given a grant of murage dated 17/7/1402.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Commission, for one month, to Robert Gosholm, William Lee, Nicholas Denys and John Archer to take labourers and workmen for the fortification of the town of Est Tilbury, co. Essex, with a wall of earth and garrets, which the men of the town intend to make for defence against French and other enemies. {Foedera.} By C.
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Pro Hominibus Villae de Est Tilbury.
Rex, Dilectis sibi, Roberto Gosholm, Willielmo Lee, Nicholao Denys, & Johanni Archer, Salutem.
Sciatis quòd,
Cùm diledti Ligei nostri Homines Villae de Est Tilbury in Comitatu Essexiae, Considerantes quàm magna Deperdita, Dampna, & Destructiones, quae eidem Villae, per Applicationem Francigenarum & aliorum Inimicorum ibidem, temporibus retroactis evenerunt, majoraque , Processu temporis , tàm ibidem , quàm Partibus Adjacentibus, per hujusmodi Inimicos , praefertim cum nulla alia Applicatio alibi per magnura spatium existat , verisimiliter evenire formidantcs, nisi super hoc congruum Remedium celeriùs apponatur , pro hujusmodi Deperditis, Dampnis, & Destructionibus evitandis, & ut caeteri, super Costeras Maris Habitantes, conformiter facere corda assumant hilariora , Villam praedictam per Costeram Maris, cum quodam Muro Terrae, Garettis, aliisque modis, quibus poterunt, in parte fortificare proponant & intendant ut accepimus,
Nos, Attendentes Piam Intentionem Hominum praedictorum, ac quamplura Bona & Commoda, quae Villae & Partibus praedictis, per dicti Propositi Complementum, poterunt redundare, & ut Inimici nostri, coram dicta Villa de die in diem velantes,cùm de Fortificatione hujusmodi ejusdem Villae Notitiam habuerint, Aquam Thamisiae modo Guerrino de caetero intrare magis timeant & evitent,
Ad Supplicationem ipsorum Hominum, ac propter Indigentiam, Paupertatem, & Inopiam eorumdem,
Affignavimus vos, Tres, & Duos veftrum, ad tot & tales Laboratores & Artifices , quot pro Expeditione & Perfectione Operis praedicti necessarii fuerint, tàm infra Libertates, quàm extra (Feodo Ecclesiae dumtaxat excepto) Eligendum & capiendum, & eosdem Laboratores & Artifices, in Operatione illa, pro Denariis praedictorum Hominum, eis in hac parte, prout inter ipsos Homines & praefatos Laboratores & Artifices poterit rationabiliter concordari, prompte solvendis, Ponendum , ibidem quamdiu indiguerit moraturos;
Et ideo vobis Mandamus quòd circa Praemissaa diligenter Intendatis , & ea faciatis & exequamini in Forma praedicta,
Damus autem universis & singulis Vicecomitibus, Majoribus , Constabulariis, Ballivis, Ministris, Laboratoribus, & Artificibus, ac aliis Fidelibus & Subditis nostris, Tenore Praesentium, firmiter in Mandatis quòd vobis, Tribus, vel Duobus vestrum , in Praemissis faciendis & exequendis, Pareant, obediant, & intendant prout decet.
In cujus, &c. per unum Mensem duraturas. Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium, xvij. die Julii.
Granted by Henry IV. (Regnal year 3). Granted at Westminster. . Granted by C..
Details of the petition which resulted in this grant can be seen
at this link. 
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1905,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry IV (1401-05) Vol. 2 p. 113
online copyRymer, T., 1740,
Foedera Vol. 4 p. 33
online copy
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 138
Comments
East Tilbury is not in Letters, S., Gazetter of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 (Centre for Metropolitan History). What was at East Tilbury worth raiding/defending? What forces were intended to be put behind these earthwork defences? Artillery was know and used by this date, but was still rare and expensive and one might expect mention of it and I'm uncertain if the concept of relatively fixed coastal defences against ships had been developed although, since this location was used in that way at later dates, this might be evidence of such. Some protection for archers might also be intended, with archers providing some defence against ships.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 25/01/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
