Carmarthen (Kaermerdin) was given a grant of murage dated 5/3/1233.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
De villa de Kaermerdin.—Rex commisit probis hominibus suis de Kaermerdin villam de Kaermerdin, ad percipiendum exitus ejusdem ville a Pascha anno xvij. usque in unum annum, in auxilium claudendi villam suam de Kaermerdin. Et mandatum est P. de Rivall' quod villam ipsam predictis hominibus habere faciat, sicut predictum est. Teste ut supra. {Teste rege apud Keneton', v. die Marcii.}
Granted by Henry III. (Regnal year 17). Granted at Kenyton.
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1905,
Calendar of Close Rolls, Henry III Vol. 2 p. 199
online copy
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 38, 212
Comments
The first murage grant was received in 1233 (Turner)
CARMARTHEN / CAERFYRDDIN 2408 2200. Borough twelfth century. Roman fort and regional centre. Traditionally a Welsh settlement around ch of St Teulyddog, which remained as ‘Old Carmarthen’ throughout the medieval period. Site of Norman castle from 1094, below which a new settlement developed which was granted its first privileges by K Hen I in 1109. This borough grew into a small town in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Formally granted a borough charter in mid thirteenth century. After the Edwardian conquest, it became the focus for royal government in south Wales. In 1326, the town was made a staple port licensed to deal in wool, pelts, leather, lead and tin. As an administrative and economic centre, it grew rapidly in the fourteenth century. With Cardiff and Caernarfon, Carmarthen was the most urbanised area in Wales (Soulsby, pp. 101-4). Market town c.1600 (Everitt, p. 472). See also Griffiths, pp. 131-63. (Letters, S., 2003,
Gazetter of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 (Centre for Metropolitan History)
online copy)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 01/02/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
