provost and scholars of the royal college of St Nicholas of Cambridge (preposito et scolaribus collegii nostri regalis Beate Marie et Sancti Nicholai de Cantebrigg',) was granted an exemption from murage dated 16/3/1446.
Wording
\Pro preposito et scolaribus collegii regalis Beate Nicholai de Cantebrigg'./
22. Item, quedam alia peticio exhibita fuit eidem domino regi, in presenti parliamento, per prefatos communes, pro preposito et scolaribus collegii nostri regalis Beate Marie et Sancti Nicholai de Cantebrigg', in hec verba:
To the right wyse and discrete commenes of this present parlement; please hit unto youre right discrete wisdoms to considre, howe the kyng oure soverayn lord, unto the honour of God, the most blessed virgine oure lady Saint Mary moder of Crist, and of the glorious confessour Saint Nicholas, to thexaltacion of oure moder holy chirch, stabilysshement of oure feith, encrees of clergye, and destruccion of heresye, hath of his especial grace, mere mocion, and singuler devocion which he bereth unto oure said most blessed lady, and to the said glorious confessour, founded in her names, a college, called the College Roial of Oure Lady and Saint Nicholas, of Cambrigge; and therupon, at the reverence of God, of oure said blessed lady Saint Mary, and alle the holy companye of heven, of youre right blessed disposicion, and of youre most benygne favour, for the perpetuel stabilisschment of the same college, to pray oure said soverain lord, that hit like unto his highnesse, bi thadvis and assent of the lordes espirituelx and temporelx assembled in this his present parlement, and bi thauctorite of the same parlement, for to establissh, approve and enact for ever, all tharticles and maters, and everich of hem, contened in a cedulle herto annexed: and to graunt unto the provost and scolers of the seid college, his gracieus letters patentz to be made under his grete seel in due fourme, after the contenue of the same cedulle, for the love of God, and bi wey of charyte. Tenor vero cedule predicte sequitur in hec verba:
…
Et ulterius concessimus, auctoritate predicta, prefatis preposito et scolaribus, quod ipsi et successores sui, ac tam omnes homines quam omnes tenentes sui, necnon quicumque residentes, tam de terris et tenementis, quam de feodis suis predictis, quieti sint imperpetuum de theoloneo, pavagio, pontagio, kaiagio, muragio, passagio, poiagio, lestagio, stallagio, tallagio, cariagio, pesagio, picagio, terragio, ac scotto et geldo, hidagio, scutagio, ac de operacionibus castrorum, parcorum et poncium, clausurarum et domorum regalium edificacione, necnon de sectis comitatuum, hundredorum et wapentachiorum, et de omnimodis auxiliis regum, ac vicecomitum et ballivorum suorum, de vigiliis, finibus certis, et presentacionibus, arrentatis, visu franciplegii, et de denariis ad visum franciplegii pertinentibus; necnon de quibuscumque denariorum summis, redditibus sive prestacionibus pro aliquo premissorum, nobis, heredibus vel successoribus nostris solvendis,
…
Que quidem omnia et singula premissa, per nos, de avisamento et assensu dominorum spiritualium et temporalium, ac communitatis regni nostri Anglie in dicto presenti parliamento nostro apud Westm', vicesimo quinto die Februarii, anno regni nostri vicesimo tercio, incepto, et usque presentem sextumdecimum diem Marcii, anno regni nostri vicesimo quarto, durante existencium, ac auctoritate ejusdem parliamenti nostri, eodem sextodecimo die Marcii confirmata, approbata, ratificata, data et concessa existunt. Hiis testibus etc.
Quibus quidem peticione et cedula, in parliamento predicto lectis, auditis et plenius intellectis, de avisamento et assensu predictis, responsum fuit eisdem in forma subsequenti:
Le roy, del advys et assent de lez seignurs espirituelx et temporelx, et les communes, esteantz en cest present parlement, ad graunte tout le contenue en icels peticion et cedule; et q'il soit fait en toutz pointz sicome il est desire.
On behalf of the provost and scholars of the royal college of St Nicholas of Cambridge.
22. Item, another petition was presented to the same lord king in the present parliament by the aforesaid commons on behalf of the provost and scholars of our royal college of St Mary and St Nicholas of Cambridge, in these words:
To the most wise and discreet commons of this present parliament, may it please your most discreet wisdom to consider how the king, our sovereign lord, to the honour of God, the most Blessed Virgin Our Lady St Mary, the mother of Christ, and the glorious confessor St Nicholas, to the exaltation of our holy mother church, the establishment of our faith, the increase of clergy and the destruction of heresy, of his special grace, pure motive and the singular devotion which he bears for our said most Blessed Lady and the said glorious confessor, has founded in their names a college called the College Royal of Our Lady and St Nicholas of Cambridge; and thereupon, for the reverence of God, our said Blessed Lady St Mary and all the holy company of heaven, of your right blessed disposition and most benign favour, for the perpetual establishment of the same college, may it please you to pray our said sovereign lord that it may please his highness, with the advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal assembled in this his present parliament, and by the authority of the same parliament, to establish, approve and forever enact each and all of the articles and substance contained in a schedule annexed to this; and to grant his gracious letters patent to be made under his great seal to the provost and scholars of the said college in due form according to the contents of the same schedule, for the love of God and in way of charity. The tenor of the aforesaid schedule follows in these words:
…
And further, we have granted, by the aforesaid authority, to the aforesaid provost and scholars that they and their successors, and all their men and tenants, and also any residents, concerning both their lands and tenements and their aforesaid fees and possessions, shall be forever quit from tolls, pavage, pontage, kevage, murage, passage, traveller's toll, lastage, stallage, tallage, carriage, pesage, pickage, land-tax, scot and geld, hidage, scutage and from the construction of castles, parks and bridges, building of enclosures and royal houses, and also from the suits of court of counties, hundreds and wapentakes, and from all manner of aid to kings and their sheriffs and bailiffs concerning watches, certain fines and presentations, rents, views of frankpledge, and from money pertaining to the view of frankpledge, and also from any sums of money whatsoever, rents or loans for any of the aforesaid to be rendered to us, our heirs or successors,
…
And indeed each and every of the aforesaid, with the advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and the commons of our realm of England being in our said present parliament begun at Westminster on 25 February in the twenty-third year of our reign {1445} enduring until the present 16 March in the twenty-fourth year of our reign {1446}, were confirmed, approved, ratified, given and granted by us, by the authority of our same parliament, on the same 16 March. With these witnesses etc.
Which petition and schedule, have been read, heard and fully understood in the aforesaid parliament, with the aforesaid advice and assent, this answer was given in the following form:
The king, with the advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal and the commons being in this present parliament, has granted all that is contained in the same petition and schedule; and that it shall be in all points as it was desired.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 24). Granted at Westminster.
Primary Sources
Curry, A. (ed), 2005, 'Henry VI, 1445 February, Text/Translation', in
The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 22. Internet version, at
online accessed on 24/04/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)
Comments
Very long endowment consisting of six membranes of the 27 for this parliament (which lasted over a year and sat for 26 weeks in that time).
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 24/04/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
