Lincoln and Nottingham (Civitas Lincoln'; villa Notinghamiae) was granted an exemption from murage dated 20/4/1485.
Wording
To all and singular of Christ's faithful who shall see or hear this present writing, the Mayors and Communities of the City of Lincoln and the town of Nottingham greeting in the Lord. Whereas various disputes and disagreements have lately arisen between us of and divers tolls and other royal customs mutually claimed and paid, at length we the aforesaid Mayors and Communities desired to abate the said disagreements and to root neighbourly affection and to administer speedy justice between us, we have transmitted to each other by our letters patent missives containing peace, charity and justice, and we have met, at days and place appointed and prefixed by our faithful and loving (?) neighbours, at the City of Lincoln and the towns of Nottingham and Newark, and we have there treated and communicated with mature deliberation of the matter aforesaid, and, the evidence of both parties having been examined, seen and understood, we have found by divers certificates certified into the Chancery of the Kings of England from the book of Domesday and sealed under the great seal of the Kings aforesaid, that both the aforesaid City of Lincoln and the aforesaid town of Nottingham are of the ancient demesne of the Crown of England and ought to be quit of the payment of toll, lastage, murage, terrage, pickage, pontage, pavage, stallage, chiminage and passage throughout the whole realm of England abovesaid, according to the law and custom thereof, as fully appears in the certificates aforesaid and in the records enrolled of the aforesaid City and town:…
And furthermore, that the Mayors, Aldermen, Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs, Citizens, enfrancised men and Burgesses inhabiting the City and town aforesaid, and each of them, be and shall be exonerated and quit towards each other of all tolls and charges abovesaid owed or claimed between them from the beginning of the world until the day of the making of these present.
In witness whereof to endure for ever the Mayors and Communities of the City and town aforesaid have alternately caused their common seals to be put to these indented writings. Given on the twentieth day of April, in the second year of the reign of King Richard the Third after the Conquest of England.
Granted by {agreement between parties}.
Primary Sources
Stevenson, W.H., 1882,
Records of the Borough of Nottingham Vol. 2 p. 348-353 No. CXLVI
online copy
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 38
Comments
reciprocal arrangements which some towns negotiated. (Turner)
Less than a year before Nottingham had a royal grant of exemption from murage and other such taxes. Presumably this grant was part of the 'various disputes and disagreements'.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 02/02/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
