Prior and convent of Plympton (priorem et conventum de Plympton) was granted an exemption from murage dated 12/11/1439.
Wording
32. Item, another petition was presented to the same lord king in the aforesaid parliament by the aforesaid commons on behalf of the people of the town of Plymouth and other persons specified in the same petition, in these words:
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Also provided and ordained that the said prior and convent and their successors, officials, servants, officers and the household of the same prior and convent, and or the same prior and his successors, shall be able to come freely to the said borough of Plymouth, and to each place within the bounds, liberty and jurisdiction of the same, with any of their wagons, carts, horse-loads and carriages whatsoever, and with all the goods, chattels, victuals and merchandise of the aforesaid prior and his successors, and of their servants, officers, officials and household at the time, and their successors, and to sell any of their goods and chattels whatsoever there, and to buy other goods, chattels and merchandise there, without paying any tolls, customs, pickage, pavage, porterage, murage, stallage and any other charges, exactions, impositions and demands whatsoever to the same mayor and commons or to their successors, except any whatsoever now imposed or to be imposed hereafter in the future, or granted by you or hereafter to be granted by you or your heirs.
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Which petition having been read, heard and fully understood in the aforesaid parliament, with the aforesaid advice and assent, was answered thus:
The king wills that it be as it is desired by this petition, provided always that this present act and ordinance does not extend to the manor of Trematon, the borough of Saltash, to the water of the Tamar or to any other possessions, franchises, liberties, waters, fishings, rents, services, courts, jurisdictions, offices, inheritances, forfeits, escheats or any other issues, profits or commodities which Sir John Cornwall, Lord Fanhope, holds for the term of his life, the reversion of which belongs to the king.
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Parliament April 1463. {probably not read until Jan. 1465}
48. Item, another petition was presented to the aforementioned lord king in the present parliament, by the prior and convent of the priory of Plympton, and the mayor and commonalty of the borough of Plymouth in the county of Devon, in these words:
Your poor subjects and true liegemen, the prior and convent of the priory of Plympton, and the mayor and commonalty of your borough of Plymouth in the county of Devon, most humbly pray that where in a parliament held at Westminster, on the morrow of the feast of Martinmas, in the eighteenth year of the reign of Henry VI, late in deed and not by right king of England {12 November 1439}, one petition among others was presented to the said Henry, late king, by the commons of this realm assembled in the same parliament; which petition and the matter contained in it were enacted and authorised by authority of the same parliament, the tenor of which follows:
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Provided also and ordained that the aforesaid prior and convent, and their successors, and the agents, ministers, servants, officers and household men of the same prior and convent, and of the same prior and his successors, may freely come to the said borough of Plymouth, and to all the places within the boundaries, liberty and jurisdiction of the same, with their wagons, carts, packhorses and carriages; and with all the goods, chattels, victuals and merchandise whatsoever of the aforesaid prior, and their successors, and of their same servants, officers, agents and household men, and their successors at the time, and sell their goods and chattels and buy other goods, chattels and merchandise there, without paying any toll, custom, picage, pavage, portage, murage, stallage, and any other charges, exactions, impositions and demands due to the same mayor and commonalty, or their successors, by reason of any impositions now or in the future granted by you, or to be granted by you or your heirs in future.
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Provided always that all the men and tenants of the said prior and convent, and of their successors at the time, shall be free to buy and sell within the said borough of Plymouth and its precinct all goods, chattels, wares and merchandise of any kind for their own use and purpose, without toll, custom, picage, pavage, stallage and murage, and be forever quit and discharged from every exaction, imposition and disturbance in the aforesaid form.
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When this petition had been read, heard and fully understood in the aforesaid parliament, by the advice and assent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons of the kingdom of England being in the same parliament it was answered in the following form:
Let it be done as it is desired.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 18). Granted at {Reading}.
Primary Sources
Curry, A. (ed), 2005, 'Henry VI, 1439 November, Text/Translation', in
The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 32. Internet version, at
online accessed on 24/04/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)
Horrox, R. (ed), 2005, 'Edward IV, 1463 April, Text/Translation', in
The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England ed. C. Given-Wilson et al., item 48. Internet version, at
online accessed on 24/04/2009. (Scholarly Digital Editions, Leicester)
Comments
The Charter was read at the parliament of November 1439 (although the reading did not happen until Jan-Feb 1440 when the parliament had moved from Westminster to Reading)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 24/04/2009. Last updated on 19/01/2013. First published online 6/01/2013.
