community of the town of Stamford was granted an exemption from murage dated reign of Edward I or Edward II.
Wording
13.Commonalty of Staunford
The text of the following entry has been corrected from the text of the surviving original petition: SC 8/9, no. 415.
{petition of the town community of Stamford, requesting the restoration of their franchises in return for a payment.}
Membrane 415
A nostre seigneur le roi e son conseil mustre la communaute de la ville de Staunford' qe, par la ou Williame Humet avoit meisme la ville du doun Williame le Conquerour ove retorn de bref, infangenethef, outfangenethef e quite de tonnue, passage, murage, pontage, pavage e qe la ville respondreit par .xij. santz ajoyndre nul du pays a eux en enquestes e en assises, et avient en temps le roi Johan qe les Normantz deveroyent elire le quiel il vodreyent meutz tenir a lores terres en Engleterre e illoqes demorer, ou aler e demorer en lore terre demeisne, e le dit Williame Humet, pur ceo qil feust Normant, esleust ses terres en Normandie e illoqes demora e enporta la chartre du doun des dites franchises ove ly, les queles franchises fuerent usees e meyntenues par la commune de la ville du temps dount memore ne curt jesqes al eyre des justices derein a Nicole e illoqes feurent meismes les franchises prises en la mein le roi pur ceo qil navoit mie la veille chartre qe le dit Williame Humet enporta ove ly en Normandie. Par qei la diste communaute prie grace a nostre seigneur le roi qe eux puissent avoir arere lores franchises pur le lour donaunt.
Membrane 415 dorse
{Responsio.}
Staumford. Coram toto consilio.
Examinentur puncta libertatum quas petunt per dominum R. le Brab' et alios ad hoc assignatos et ostendatur thesaurario et baronibus de scaccario et habebunt inde consilium.
Membrane 415
The community of the town of Stamford shows our lord the king and his council that, whereas William Humet had the same town of the gift of William the Conqueror with return of writs, infangenethief, outfangenethief and quittance of toll, passage, murage, pontage, pavage and that the town should answer by twelve without adding any from the country to them for inquisitions and assizes, and it happened in the time of king John that the Normans had to choose whether they preferred to hold their lands in England and live there or to go and live in their own land, and the said William Humet, because he was a Norman, chose his lands in Normandy and lived there and took with him the charter of grant of the said franchises, which franchises had been used and maintained by the community of the town from time out of mind until the last eyre of the justices at Lincoln and there the said franchises were taken into the king's hands, because it did not have the old charter which the said William Humet took off with him to Normandy. So the said community prays grace of our lord the king that they may have back their franchises in return for payment by them.
Membrane 415 dorse
{Response.}
Stamford. Before the whole council.
The specifics of the liberties which they seek are to be examined by lord Roger Brabazon and the others assigned to do this and it is to be shown to the treasurer and barons of the exchequer and they are to consider this.
Primary Sources
Brand, P. (ed), 2005, 'Edward I: Petition 3, Text/Translation and appendix', in
The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 13. Internet version, at
online accessed on 23/04/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)
Comments
These Petitions were not discovered till after the foregoing sheets were printed. The cover of them was endorsed, 1 Edw. III but upon examination they appeared to belong to the times of Kings Edward I & II. The particular Years cannot be ascertained. (Brand)
It is not clear if this petition resulted in a specific grant of exemption from murage although this was given in a borough charter of 1462 (q.v.)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 23/04/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
