The Gatehouse website record of a grant of exemption for murage for

burgesses of Hedon was granted an exemption from murage dated 16/4/1348.

Wording

April 16. Whereas by charters of previous kings of England, which the king has confirmed, it was granted to the burgesses of the king's town 24 of Hedon in the liberty of Holdernesse, that they and their successors should have all the liberties, customs and quittances, which the citizens of York and Lincoln have, and whereas the said burgesses of Hedon have petitioned the king setting forth that they and their ancestors burgesses of that town have always used and enjoyed some liberties, customs and quittances fully expressed in the charters of former kings made in favour of the citizens of York and Lincoln, from the time of the grant of such charters to the burgesses of Hedon as aforesaid by virtue of the said general words, yet that they have been impeded in such use and enjoyment by the king's ministers and others, and fear that they may be still further impeded in the future under pretext of the generality of the said words, and praying the king to specify the said liberties as contained in the charters of the said citizens; now the king considering the aforesaid petition and that the burgesses of Hedon will in future pay a further sum beyond the farm for which they are to answer, and for the betterment of the town, which the king has reserved to his chamber, and being willing to declare more plainly the said liberties, customs and quittances, has hereby granted to the said burgesses that they and their heirs and successors shall hold the said town with liberties, rights, wastes, vacant places and all appurtenances at fee farm by rendering therefore yearly to the king at the manor of Brustwyk 24l. as formerly and also 6l. of increment yearly at Easter, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas in equal portions, saving the king the prison of all prisoners who may be indicted and taken in the liberty of Holdernesse without the said town and all other profits arising from the said prison and all new rents hitherto acquired by the king's bondmen in the said town and to be acquired in future;
and that the king's stewards and bailiffs of the manor of Brustwyk shall hold in the hall of pleas in the town of Hedon the wapentake of Holdernessee and other foreign pleas, of felonies, contracts and trespasses arising without the town in the liberty of Holdernesse;
and that the burgesses and their successors shall have the said hall and prison and keep them up at their own expense;
and that the said burgesses shall have a commonalty among themselves and may chose a mayor and bailiffs, a coroner and other fit ministers from among themselves yearly, who after taking the usual oaths shall do and keep all that pertain to their offices in the said town;
and that for the quiet of the men of that town and the merchants coming thereto a seal shall be kept in the said town to be ordained by the king in two pieces as is usual for taking recognizances of debts there according to the form of the statutes of merchants, and that the greater part of that seal shall remain in the custody of the mayor, and the lesser part in the custody of a clerk to be appointed by the king according to the statutes, and that the mayor and clerk shall take the recognizances of debts according to the statutes; and that the same shall duly be put in execution;
and that no burgess of the town shall plead or be impleaded without the town touching lands which they hold within the town nor of any trespass in the same save before the mayor and bailiffs of the said town;
and that the burgesses shall have in the liberty of the said town infangthef and outfangthef;
and that they by one or two persons bearing letters patent of the commonalty may be able to demand their court and liberties before the king or his justices of the Bench or any other justices, bailiffs or ministers of the king and his heirs, and have their court of all persons, matters and plaints, which pertain to them or their court;
and that they may freely bequeath (legare) all their lands, rents and tenements in the said town to whom they will as their chattels;
and that they shall be quit of toll, murage, pontage, pavage, stallage, wharfage, terrage, picage, carriage, seiage, lastage, quayage, passage, through all the king's realm of England and elsewhere in his power;
and that the burgesses on account of any lands or tenements in the said town or of any trespass there done shall not be put upon assizes, juries or inquisitions to be taken without the said town;
and that all dwelling in the said town and there doing merchandise and wishing to enjoy these liberties shall be in gild, lot and scot with the said burgesses in talliages, contributions and other common charges falling upon the commonalty of the town;
and that the burgesses shall not be convicted by any foreigners touching any appeals, indictments (rettis), injuries, trespasses, charges, claims and demands laid against them or committed in that town, but only by their fellow burgesses, unless the commonalty of the town be in fault or the matter touch the whole commonalty or the king;
and that they may take distress (namia) for their debts within the liberty of their town, and have their gild merchant and hanses in the said town;
and that the burgesses through all the king's realm and power shall have this liberty; that they and their goods wherever found in the king's realm and power shall not be arrested for any debt whereof they are not sureties or principal debtors;
and that in future they shall have, as well in the king's presence as out of it, assize of bread and ale, the keeping and essay of measures and weights and all else belonging to the office of the market, and they shall punish, correct and amend duly all trespassers against the said assize and all defects of measures and weights and other matters belonging to the said office of the market, so that neither the clerk of the market nor any other minister of the king shall enter the said town to do aught that belongs to the office of the said market;
and the mayor and bailiffs of the said town shall have return of all the king's writs and executions thereof and of summonses of the exchequer, and cognisance of all pleas of lands, rents, tenements, trespasses, agreements and contracts arising in the said town as well in the king's presence as in his absence without impediment from the king or his ministers, so that the king's stewards and marshalls shall in no wise intermeddle in the cognisance of such pleas of trespasses, agreements or contracts, unless such arise in the king's household between the members thereof;
and the burgesses shall be able to sue to claim and have the said liberties along the middle of the port there to the mid line (medium file) of the water of Humbre, provided that they do not meddle with the town of Paghelflete nor in any matter arising in that town or with the men thereof in the port of Paghelflete; and they shall have pillory, tumbrel and 'thewe' in the town of Hedon, and the first purchase of all merchandise coming within the water of the port of that town, excepting always the king's ministers;
provided always that the burgesses render to the king the said farm of 30l. at the said terms at the said manor; and that they maintain at their own cost the said hall of pleas and prison and all the bridges belonging to the said town of Hedon, which the king was wont to repair and amend, by the view of the steward of Holdernesse or his deputy.
By letter under the seal called ' le Griffoun.'

Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 22). Granted at Westminster. Grant by By letter under the seal called ' le Griffoun.' .

Primary Sources

Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1916, Calendar of Charter Rolls 15 Edward III - 5 Henry V 1341-1417 Vol. 5. (HMSO) p. 87-89 view online copy

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