Prior and Brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (Prior Sc'i Joh'is Jerl'm in Angl') was granted an exemption from murage dated 2/10/1329.
Wording
Breve R' quod Prior Sc'i Joh'is Jerl'm in Angl' et homines sui sint quieti de clausur' et de muragio, etc.
Writ to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London that they cease to distrain on the Prior and Brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem for murage, &c., but that the said Prior and Brethren be quit of such exactions as the Templars had been, to whose property they had succeeded. Dated at Worcester, 2 Oct., 3 Edward III. {A.D. 1329}.
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Allocacio facta fratribus Hospital' Sancti Joh'is Jerl'm.
Writ to the Mayor and Sheriffs forbidding them to demand murage of the Prior and Brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, contrary to their charters and the statutes passed in the last reign. Witness the King at Westminster, 5 March, 16 Edward III. {A.D. 1341-2}.
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April 10. 1381. Westminster. 4 Richard II.
Among other liberties it was granted to the prior and brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England, that if any of their men for any offence ought to loose life or limb or should fly and refuse to abide judgement or shall have done aught else whereby he ought to lose his chattels, in whatever court justice ought to be done oft him, the said chattels shall go to the said brethren, who may put themselves in seisin thereof, as the king could have done by his bailiffs before the said grant ; and that if any of their tenants forfeit his fee, they may put themselves in seisin thereof and hold the said fee notwithstanding the king's sight of year and day ; and that if any of their men were amerced by (erga) the king or his bailiffs for any cause, offence or forfeiture, the sums of money due thence should be collected and brought in a purse to the Exchequer and there delivered to the said brethren, saving to the king's power justice of death and limb as in the said charters is more fully contained.
And now the king, at the request of brother Robert Hales, prior of the said hospital, and out of devotion to St. John the Baptist, of further grace has granted to the said Robert and his brethren that they and their successors shall have the chattels of all their men and tenants, felons and fugitive in the form above ; and that they shall have all fines for trespasses, concealments and other offences, fines for licences to agree and all amercements, ransoms and forfeited issues, year, day and Waste and murders, which can belong to the king and his heirs, from all the free men and tenants of their lands and fees, in whatever court the same may be adjudged, provided that they would have come to the king before this grant, so that the said prior and brethren themselves or by their bailiffs may take all the foregoing fines and the like of all their men and tenants and all that could come to the king from year, day and waste and murders without impediment; and that the prior and brethren and their men shall be quit of pavage, murage and pontage throughout the realm. By p.s. {1698.}
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 3). Granted at Worcester.
Primary Sources
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1903,
Calendar of letter-books of the city of London E: 1314-1337 - Folio cxcv b.
onlineSharpe, R.R. (ed), 1904,
Calendar of letter-books of the city of London F: 1337-1352 - Folio lix.
onlineMaxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1912,
Calendar of Charter Rolls Edward III 1327-1341 Vol. 4. (HMSO) p. 272-73
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 27/01/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
