The Gatehouse website record of a grant of exemption for murage for civibus Norwyci.

citizens of Norwich (civibus Norwyci.) was granted an exemption from murage dated 8/7/1305.

Wording

Sciatis, nos per finem, quem cives nostri civitatis nostre Norwyci fecerunt nobiscum, coram consilio nostro, necnon pro decem libris annuis, quas ijdem cives et successores sui, cives ejusdem civitatis, solvent nobis et heredibus nostris, singulis annis in perpetuum, ad Scaccarium nostrum et heredum nostrorum, in augmentationem firme sue civitatis predicte, Concessisse, et hec Carta nostra confirmasse, eisdem civibus, et successoribus suis predictis, pro nobis et heredibus nostris,
Quod nullus eorum, placitet vel implacitetur, extra dictam civitatem Norwicensem, de aliquibus placitis, assissis, seu querelis de tenuris aliquibus, infra eandem civitatem existentibus, nec de transgressionibus, seu contractibus aliquibus, in civitate illa factis, nisi res ipsa nos vel heredes nostros specialiter tangat,
Et quod cives illi, vel successores sui predicti, super aliquibus appellis, rectis, calumpnijs, transgressionibus, contractibus, aut demandis intrinsecis, per aliquos forinsecos, minime convincantur, set solummodo per concives suos, nisi factum illud tangat nos, vel heredes nostros, seu totam communitatem ejusdem civitatis,
Et etiam, quod non summoneantur, nec ponantur in assisis, juratis, vel inquisitionibus aliquibus, de tenuris intrinsecis, seu super quocunque facto, contractu, calumpnia, sen querela, in dicta civitate aliqualiter emergentibus, nec recognitiones aliquas, in assisis, vel juratis illis faciant, extra civitatem predictam, nisi factum illud, nos, vel heredes nostros, specialiter tangat,
Concessimus insuper eisdem civibus, pro nobis et heredibus nostris, quod ipse et successores sui predicti, in perpetuum sint quieti, de theolonio, pontagio, passagio, muragio, pavagio, lastagio, cariagio, picagio, cayagio, et rivagio, per totum reguum nostrum, et protestatem nostram,
Et quod nullus de civitate predicta, vel alius in eadem, civitate indictatus, vel arrestatus, pro quocunque delicto vel causa fuerit, alibi quam in prisona nostra ejusdem civitatis imprisonetur; set omnes ibidem indictati, vel arrestati, in prisona illa detineantur, et per ballivos nostros ejusdem civitatis custodiantur, quosque inde deliberentur, secundum legem et consuetudinem regni nostri, nisi exinde amoveantur per speciale preceptum nostrum, vel heredum nostrorum, vel eciam per preceptum justiciarij nostri de foresta, qui pro tempore fuerit, si fortassis, de aliqua transgressione fereste indictati fuerint, et ea occasione capti et detenti,
Et quod summonitiones, districtiones, et attachiamenta, ac alia officia regalia quecunque, que infra eandem civitatem, vel suburbium ejusdem emerserint, facienda fiant per ballivos nostros ejusdem civitatis,
Ita quod nullus vicecomes, coronator, aut alius ballivus, vel minister noster forinsecus, aliquod officium regale in civitate predicta, videlicet, infra fossata ejusdem civitatis et ripariam de Wensum, vel in suburbio predicto, exerceat, seu aliqualiter exequatur, nisi in defectum ballivorum nostrorum, civitatis ejusdem,
Et liceat, ballivis nostris civitatis illius, qui pro tempore fuerint, tallagia, et alia auxilia racionabilia, super communitatem dicte civitatis, per assensum tocius communitatis illius, vel majoris partis ejusdem, pro tuitione, et communi utilitate civitatis illius, intra se, quociens opus fuerit, assidere, et pro tallagijs, et auxilijs illis levandis, racionabiles facere districtiones, sicut hactenus in casu hujusmodi, in alijs civitatibus racionabiliter fieri consuevit,
Et Concessimus eis, pro nobis et heredibus nostris, quod ipsi, et successores sui predicti, letam nostram de Neugate in eadem civitate, quam versus Priorem Sancte Trinitatis Norwycensem, in curia nostra, coram nobis, per consideracionem ejusdem curie nuper recuperavimus, et que ad duos solidos extenditur per annum, habeant, et teneant, et percipiant amerciamenta, et omnia alia proficua, inde proveniencia quoquo modo in perpetuum.
Et si fortassis cives illi, aliquibus libertatum sibi, vel antecessoribus suis, civibus dicte civitatis, per Cartas nostras, vel progenitorum nostrorum quondam regum Anglie, prius concessarum, hactenus plene usi non fuerint, volumus et concedimus pro nobis et heredibus nostris, quod ipsi, et successores sui predicti, libertatibus illis, quocunque tempore casus ex nunc contigerit, quod eis uti possint, plene et absque impedimento, nostri vel heredum nostrorum, aut ministrorum nostrorum quorumcunque, gaudeant racionabiliter, et utantur,
Hijs testibus, ven. patribus R. Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo tocius Anglie Primate, A. Dunelmensi Episcopo, Humfrido de Bohun Comite Hertford et Essex, Guidone de Bellocampo Comite Warrewyk, Johanne de Britania, juniore, Rob. de Clifford, Willo de Brewosa, Willo de Leyburne, Thoma de Bykenore, et alijs.
Data per manum nostram, apud Cantuariam, octavo die Julij, anno regni nostri tricesimo tercio. (Indorsed, Irrotulatur in Banco (sc. in the Common Pleas) coram R. de Hengham et Socijs suis Justiciarijs, &c. &c. in secundo Rotulo de Cartis et protectionibus irrotulatis de termino Sci. Michis. Ao Reg. Regis E. filij Regis H. 330.)

Know ye, that we for a fine paid us by the citizens of our city of Norwich, before our council, and also for ten pounds yearly to be paid by the citizens and their successors into our Exchequer, as an augmentation of the fee farm of the city aforesaid, yearly and for ever, have given and by this our Charter confirmed, to the said citizens and their successours aforesaid, for us and our heirs,
That none of them shall plead or be impleaded out of our said city of Norwich, in any pleas, assizes, or plaints, concerning any tenures whatsoever within the said city, nor concerning offences or any contracts made in the said city, unless it be a matter that concerns us or our heirs in particular.
And that the citizens and their successours aforesaid, shall not be convicted before any foreign officers, in any appeals, writs of right, claims, offences, contracts, or demands, arising among themselves, but by their fellow citizens only, unless it shall be for such a fact as concerns us or our heirs, or the whole community of the said city,
And also that they shall not be summoned to assizes, nor empanneled on juries, or any inquisitions concerning tenures in the city, or concerning any fact, contract, claim, or plaint, arising by any means in the said city, neither shall they be forced to make any recognizances to serve at assizes, or on juries, out of the aforesaid city, unless the fact particularly concerns us or our heirs,
Furthermore we have granted for us and our heirs, to the said citizens, that they, and their successours aforesaid, shall be for ever free, from toll, pontage, passage, murage, pavage, lastage, carriage, picage, cayage, and rivage, throughout our whole kingdom and our dominion,
And that none of the said city or any other, indicted or arrested in the said city, for any debt, or action, shall be imprisoned any where but in our city goal, and all that shall be so arrested and indicted, shall be detained in that prison, and shall be kept by the bailiffs of our said city, until they be thence delivered according to the law and custom of our realm, unless they be thence removed by the special precept of us and our heirs, or otherwise by the precept of the justice of our forests, for the time being, in case they be indicted, taken and detained, for any offence done in our forests,
And that all summons, distresses, attachments, and other royal offices whatever, arising within the said city or its suburbs, shall be made by our bailiffs of the said city,
And that no sheriff, coroner, or other bailiff, or any other foreign officer of ours, shall any way perform or execute any office royal in the aforesaid city, that is to say, within the ditches of the same city, and the bank of the river Wensum, or in the suburb aforesaid, unless our bailiffs of the same city shall neglect to do it themselves.
And it shall be lawful for our bailiffs of the city for the time being, to assess tallages, and other reasonable aids, upon the community of the said city, by the consent of the whole community or the major part thereof, as often as there shall be occasion so to do, for the defence and profit of the city, and to make reasonable distresses in levying such tallages and aids, as hath been heretofore in like cases reasonably used in other cities,
And we have granted to them for us and our heirs, that they and their successours aforesaid, shall have and hold our leet of Neugate in the said city, which we lately recovered by judgment of our court, against the Prior of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, which is valued yearly at 2s. and that they shall receive the amerciaments and all other profits any way arising therefrom, for ever,
And if by chance the citizens have not heretofore fully used all the liberties granted to them and their ancestors, citizens of the said city, by our Charters, or by the charters of our ancestors, King's of England, formerly granted them, we will and grant for us and our heirs, that they and their successours aforesaid, may reasonably make use of, and enjoy all those liberties, whenever hereafter they shall want to use them, without any impediment from us, our heirs, or any of our officers,
The witnesses are, the venerable fathers, R. Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, A. Bishop or Durham, Humfry de Bohun Earl of Hertford and Essex, Guy de Beauchamp Earl of Warrewyk, John de Brittain the younger, Rob. de Clifford, Will. de Brewse, Will. de Leyburne, Tho. de Bykenore, and others.
Given by our own hand at Canterbury, the 8th day of July, in the 33d year of our reign.
{From Blomfield}
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Allocacio muragii facta civibus Norwyci.
Thursday after the Feast of St. Ambrose {4 April}, 14 Edward III. {A. D. 1340}, came William de Blakeneye, Alan de Sharlyngtone, William de Dunstone, and John Blaunchard, citizens of Norwich, and complained of murage being demanded of them in the City of London, contrary to the liberties granted to them by the King's predecessors. Thereupon, their charter being read, it was agreed by the Mayor and Aldermen that citizens of Norwich should thenceforth be quit of murage.
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Br'e pro civibus Norwyc' quod sint quiti {sic} de theolon' et al' custumis.
Writ to the Mayor and Sheriffs that they allow citizens of Norwich to pass free of certain tolls. Witness the King at Westminster, 20 Feb., 51 Edward III. {A. D. 1376-7}.
Nothing done with respect to the above.
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Br'e pro civib' Norwici de lib' allocand'.
Another writ to the Mayor and Sheriffs touching citizens of Norwich being free of toll, &c. Witness the King at Westminster, 24 Feb., 51 Edward III. {A. D. 1376-7}.
Nothing done, as with the former writ.

Granted by Edward I. (Regnal year 33). Granted at Canterbury.

Primary Sources

Hudson, William, and J.C. Tingey, (eds.), 1906, The Records of the City of Norwich Vol. 1 p. 18-20 online
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1904, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London F: 1337-1352 - Folio xxxi b. online
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1907, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London H: 1375-1399 - Folio liiib.; Folio liv. online
Norwich Liber Albus, fol. 23

Secondary Sources

Hannes Kleineke, 2006, 'Market Privileges 1301-1350', Borough Market Privileges: The hinterland of medieval London, c.1400 online
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 38
Ballard, A. and Tait, J. (eds), 1923, British borough charters, 1216-1307 p. 262
Blomefield, Francis {continued by Charles Parkin}, 1739-75, An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk (Fersfield and Lynn) Vol. 3 online

Comments

Charter of Edward I granting to the citizens of Norwich (among other liberties) quittance from toll, pontage, passage, picage, murage, pavage, lastage, carriage, quayage and rivage throughout the realm. {Norwich Records I, 18-20} (Kleineke)

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