towns and castles in North Wales was given a grant of murage dated 18/3/1401.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Ordinances made on account of the late insurrection in North Wales:-
All lords having castles in North and South Wales shall keep them safely under pain of forfeiture.
Certain offices in North Wales shall be held by Englishmen only.
As for the constableships of the castles belonging to the prince of Wales in North and South Wales granted by the king to certain persons for life, if the castles are not sufficiently guarded the prince shall have the power of discharging the constables and appointing others.
Whereas in old time the commonalty of North Wales had the keeping of the peace and the right of answering for trespasses and the bodies of trespassers, the justices of those parts shall be charged with governing the commonalty in this according to ancient rights and customs.
No lord having a lordship in Wales shall receive any felon or evildoer by disclaim, avowry or otherwise, but he shall be brought to justice in the lordship where the felony was done, provided that each lord can have the fines and ransoms of his tenants.
The Welsh shall pay murage for the maintenance of the walls and gates of the towns and castles in North Wales and a contribution towards the garrisoning of the castles, for three years or more at the will of the king.
No congregations shall be made by the Welsh except with the assent of the chief officers of the lordship.
If any insurrections or congregations are made the lords and their subjects shall use their power to bring them to the law and shall be bound to satisfy any lieges of the king who may be damaged by their default.
For three years no Englishman in Wales shall be indicted, accused or attached by any of the Welsh or convicted by inquest of the Welsh.
No quilage or comorthos shall be allowed in North Wales without special leave, except reasonable comorthos due of old.
Bards and other vagabonds in North Wales shall be restrained.
On 18 March at Coldeherbergh in the city of London the king assented to these ordinances in the presence of the bishop of Exeter, chancellor, the earls of Northumberland and Worcester, the king's secretary and John Prophete; and on 22 March at the Friars Preachers the council agreed that they should be sealed with the great seal, there being there the chancellor, the bishops of Durham, Hereford and Bangor, the earl of Worcester, the treasurer, the lord of Berkeley, Sir Hugh Watton, the keeper of the privy seal, Sir Hugh Sturmy, John Scarle, John Frome and John Prophete. French. {Foedera.}
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item, en perpetuel Remembrance de les Insurrections, Robberiez, Larcins, Arsures, & Prises des Chastelx, & autres Feloniez q'ore tarde lez Galoys ont faitz en Northgales, est Ordinez que mesmes les Galoys soient Charges & Paient Murage, a le Mendement & Sustinance de lez Mures & Portz de lez Villes & Chasteaux deinz Northgales, & auxi un certain Contribucion a la sustinancez dez Garnistures dez ditz Chastelx, selonc la bon descrecion de lour Seignurs, a durer par Trois Ans & pluis outre a la volunte de Roy.
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Granted by Henry IV. (Regnal year 2). Granted at Westminster.
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1903,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry IV (1399-1401) Vol. 1 p. 469-70
online copyRymer, T.,1740,
Foedera Vol. 3 p. 199
online copy
Comments
A petition by the burgesses of Conway in 1322 had stated that they 'cannot tax the Welsh as this is against custom'
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 26/01/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
