citizens of Salisbury (civibus nove Sarum) was granted an exemption from murage dated 12/4/1328.
Wording
Inspeximus and confirmation in favour of the bishop and canons of St. Mary, New Salisbury, of a charter dated at Doncaster, 15 December, 9 Edward II. {Calendar, Vol. III. p. 290} inspecting and confirming with additions a charter dated at Westminster, 28 May, 34 Edward I. {Ibid. p. 67.}
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and whereas in the said charters it is contained that the citizens dwelling in the said city shall be quit through all the king's lands of toll, pontage, passage, payage, lestage, stallage, carriage and all other custom of all their goods by land or water, and they have been distrained for pesage and other customs in various places within the king's realm and power on the ground that these are not mentioned by name in the said charters; the king has granted that the citizens and their heirs shall be quit of pesage, pavage, terrage, picage, chiminage, murage, fossage, pedage and quayage and of all other customs of all their goods and merchandise within the king's realm and power as well by land as by water.
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by p. s. and by fine of 20l.
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Allocacio facta civibus nove Sarum de murag' et pavag'.
Monday the Feast of St. James {25 July}, 2 Edward III. {A.D. 1328}, came Henry Russel, Stephen de Coumbe, and Richard le Sealer, of New Sarum, before the Mayor and Aldermen in the Guildhall, and complained that citizens of that city had been unlawfully distrained for murage and pavage contrary to the charter of King Edward III., which they produced. Thereupon it was agreed that citizens and merchants of Sarum should thenceforth be quit in the City of London of murage and pavage.
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Br'e allocat' per Maior' et Alderm' civib' Sar' de mu ragio non prestando.
Be it remembered that on Monday the morrow of St. Valentine {14 Feb}, 13 Edward III. {A. D. 1338-9}, came Henry Russel and Richard Seler, citizens of Sarum, and complained on behalf of themselves and their fellow-citizens of being distrained for payment of murage in the City, and prayed that allowance might be made to them as allowed in the second year of the reign of the aforesaid King in the White Book of Memoranda, (above) and they brought the King's writ (dated at Byflet, 20 Dec., 12 Edward III. {A. D. 1338}) to that effect. Pursuant to which writ it was agreed by the Mayor and Aldermen that the citizens and merchants of Sarum should for the future be quit of murage in the City of London.
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 2). Granted at Stamford. Grant by by p. s. and by fine of 20l..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1912, Calendar of Charter Rolls Edward III 1327-1341 Vol. 4. (HMSO) p. 82
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1903, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London E: 1314-1337 - Folio clxxxvii. [online > http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33113#s31
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1904, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London F: 1337-1352 - Folio xxii. [online > http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=33530#s8
Comments
Dealing with challenges to customs exemptions on a case by case bases must have ensured a reliance of frequent royal intervention.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 27/01/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
