Harwich (Herewicz) was given a grant of murage dated 25/8/1352.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Licence for the good men and tenants of Herewicz to strengthen and crenellate their town with a stone wall. By C.
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 26). Granted at Westminster. Granted by C..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1907,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1350-54) Vol. 9 p. 316
online copy
Secondary Sources
King, D.J.C., 1983,
Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 150n33
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859,
Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 pt 2 p. 415
online copy
Comments
Here civic pride and economic conflict with Ipswich (granted a licence the previous month) seem the most likely motivation for obtaining a licence, although the loss of trade following the Black Death of 1348-9 may have also been significant, since the main function of town walls was to regulate trade and the collection of taxes. Ipswich had protested when Harwich had been granted murage (to be collected on goods coming by land or water) in 1338 and that grant was revoked. Walls where built sometime after 1352 but Ipswich again protested when murage was granted in 1377.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 09/02/2009. Last updated on 05/01/2013. First published online 5/01/2013.
