The Gatehouse website record of a grant of exemption for murage for cives Wynton' et London'

citizens of Winchester and London (cives Wynton' et London') was granted an exemption from murage dated 25/3/1304.

Wording

Composicio inter cives Wynton' et London'.
Monday before the Feast of Annunciation B. M. {25 March}, 32 Edward I. {A.D. 1303-4}, John le Blound, Mayor of London, William de Leyre, John de Wangrave, Thomas Romeyn, Walter de Finchingfeld, Richard de Gloucestre, Nicholas de Farndone, John de Dunstaple, Nicholas Pycot, Thomas Sely, {and} Hugh Pourte, Aldermen, John de Burreforth, Sheriff, and other citizens, on behalf of themselves and the Commonalty of the City of London, and Roger de Enkepenne, Mayor of the City of Winchester, and John de Kirkeby his fellow-citizen, on behalf of themselves and the Commonalty of the said City, having met together to treat of certain disputes that had arisen between them on account of divers customs taken from citizens of Winchester in London by bailiffs of London, and having put forward reasons on either side, the aforesaid dispute was arranged in the following manner, viz., that all citizens of Winchester of their guild merchant should be quit in the said City of London of pontage, murage, and pannage, and of other customs whatsoever to be taken of their merchandise, except tronage of wool of old given, viz., 6d. on the first sack and 5d. on every subsequent sack, and except the custom on skins and woolfels, and likewise customs taken at the Queenhithe, of which they cannot be quit although they make their challenge, &c. And that all citizens of London should be quit of all customs in the City of Winchester, as of pontage, pannage, murage, and other customs and tolls whatsoever. And for the perpetual memorial of this fact this agreement has been enrolled on the paper at the Guildhall of London in the presence of the Mayors, Aldermen, and citizens aforesaid.
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17 Nov. 1405
Writ to the mayor and sheriffs, that among other liberties and quittances granted to the citizens of Winchester by the king's predecessors and confirmed by himself, it was granted that they should have all the liberties and customs which they had in the time of King Henry I (fn. "No charter of Henry I to Winchester is extant. The writ quotes part of what is known as the "second charter" of Henry II, which may be dated either 1155 or 1158. See J. S. Furley, Winchester Records, pp. 28-9; Stubbs' Charters, pp. 165-6.") , their purchases (acata) and pledges (vadia), and that they should be quit of toll, lastage, stallage, pontage, passage, chiminage, murage, pavage, cayage and picage and all other customs, wherefore the mayor and sheriffs are commanded not to hinder or oppress the said citizens against the tenor of the said charters. Dated at Westminster 17 Nov. 1405.
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Composicio int' Maiorem Aldr'os et co'itatem civitat' London' et cives civitat' Wyntonien'.
5 Nov., 10 Henry IV. {A.D. 1408}, came Mark Leffeyre, the Mayor, William Wode, the Recorder, and William Archier, one of the Bailiffs of the City of Winchester, on behalf of themselves and the Commonalty of the Guild Merchant of the said City, before Drew Barantyn, the Mayor, and the Aldermen of the City of London, and complained that Sheriffs' officers had distrained the goods of freemen of the said Guild for a custom of 2s. on every cartload of goods purchased in the said City, and for scavage (scavinga), contrary to the composition made between the Cities of London and Winchester anno 32 Edward I. as recorded in Letter-Book C, fo. lxxxi {b}, and they prayed that citizens of Winchester might in future be exempt from such payment in accordance with the composition aforesaid.
Thereupon the said Mayor and Aldermen, after examining the composition, decreed that restitution should be made of what had been taken in contravention of the same, and that no distress should in future be made unless evidence were forthcoming that such custom should be paid.

Granted by {agreement between parties}.

Primary Sources

Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1901, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London C: 1291-1309 Folio lxxxi b. online
Thomas, A.H. (ed), 1932, 'Roll A 39: 1403-07', Calendar of the plea and memoranda rolls of the city of London volume 3: 1381-1412 p. 267-288 online
Sharpe, R.R. (ed), 1909, Calendar of letter-books of the city of London I: 1400-1422 Folio lxxx online

Secondary Sources

Hannes Kleineke, 2006, 'Market Privileges 1401-1410', Borough Market Privileges: The hinterland of medieval London, c.1400 online

Comments

Yet another example of the need for repeated legal action and royal intervention to assert rights to exemption. It must have been easier for most merchants to just pay the murage and pass the cost on to customers.

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