Winchester was given a grant of murage dated 13/2/1441.
This was in the form of:-
This is a grant which may have been used for walls but could have been used for other civic improvements.
Wording
Grant, to the mayor and commonalty of the city of Winchester of 40 marks yearly for fifty years out of the produce, commodities and profits of the ulnage of the county of Southampton, which the said city holds of the king at farm, from the death of John Tyll, confessor of Henry IV, by whose grant he held the same for life.
By p.s. and dated by authority of Parliament.
----
May 24. Westminster
Grant to the mayor and commonalty of Winchester of 40 marks yearly for fifty years from 14 February last out of the issues and profits of the ulnage and subsidy on cloth for sale within the said city and its suburbs and the soke there and elsewhere in the county of Southampton; in lieu of a grant thereof for life to John Tylle, friar preacher, late confessor of Henry IV, deceased, by letters patent of Henry IV. By K. and dated as above.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 19). Granted at Westminster. Granted by p.s. and dated authority of Parliament..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1907,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VI (1436-41) Vol. 3 p. 507, 531
online copy
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 43, 183
Comments
Turner describes this as a long term grant of murage. Nothing in the calendar transcription of the grant mentions walls. In 1389 a similar grant (MG856) for 5 years was expressly for the repair of the city walls. Clearly the money could have been spent on walls and Winchester was claiming it needed money for its walls (MG862) at this time but was also more generally impoverished and interpreting this as exclusively murage may be a 'step to far'.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 29/01/2009. Last updated on 03/05/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
