barons of Faversham was granted an exemption from murage dated 4/6/1252.
Wording
Grant to the barons of Faveresham of quittance of toll and all custom
for all their sales and purchases (acato) throughout England and Normandy, into whosever land they come, with sock, sak, thol and them, infangenethef , werkfri, witefri, lestagefri, lotoffri, and quittance of shires and hundreds, with den and strand at Yarmouth, as they and their ancestors and their fellow barons of the Cinque Ports had the said privileges in the time of King Edward; nor shall they plead anywhere save at their accustomed place of Shipwey; and no one shall wrongfully disturb them or their merchandises upon pain of forfeiting10l.
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18r-18v. Declaring liberty under the seal of the Mayor for a Baron of the town and liberty.
To all Christians to whose notice this comes, the Mayor and Jurats of the town of Faversham, Barons of the Cinque Ports, send greeting. We ask your affection and discretion towards John de B., bearer hereof, a Baron of our town, whom we recommend as praiseworthy and faithful. When he comes to your parts, with goods and merchandise, to buy and sell, goes through you, stays or moors, you will admit him among you as our combaron, free of all customs, in no way troubling or allowing to be troubled or injured him or his goods or merchandise, contrary to the liberties and franchises granted to us and the said John by Edward I and his progenitors throughout the Kingdom, and confirmed by the present King Henry {IV}. But let him have among you as all our Barons of the Cinque Ports have and have had from time beyond memory all his liberties and franchises, with soc and sac, toll and theam, infangtheof and outfangtheof; let him be copefree, lovecopefree, theamfree, Wytefree, and lastagefree; let him have den and strand at Gernemeuth, and all his trove by sea and land; let him be quit of all toll and custom, that is of lastage, tallage, passage, keyage, pontage, murage, spissage, and all wreck and all his purchase, sale and repurchase; let none have a share in his purchase and repurchase without his consent; considering also that by charters of King Edward {the Confessor} William I and II and the other progenitors of the Kings of England upon the grant and confirmation of all the said liberties it was granted and forbidden that anyone should unjustly disturb us or him or the other combarons or his market in the said franchises and liberties, upon pain of forfeiture to the King of ten pounds. If you please the said John in these matters, you will cause us to feel more favour to you and yours, and you will find us the more favourable and ready helpers in a like or greater case. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to the said John to be made patent, sealed with the seal of the office of Mayoralty at Faversham, 6 April, 5 Henry IV {1404}.
18v-19r. Other letters on the same subject.
To all to whom this comes, the Mayor and Jurats etc. send greeting. We inform you that J. de B., bearer hereof, is one of our Barons, and should be quit of all toll and custom whatsoever within the realm of the King, both at home and overseas as appears more fully by charters granted heretofore to us and our successors by the progenitors of the present King Henry; which charters King Henry IV has accepted, approved, ratified and confirmed to us and our successors. In witness whereof etc. (as above).
Granted by Henry III. (Regnal year 36). Granted at Westminster.
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1903,
Calendar of Charter Rolls Henry III 1226-1257 Vol. 1 (HMSO) p. 392
onlineFaversham Borough Custumal Fa/LC c1400-1740 (held at Centre for Kentish Studies)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 02/03/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
