Carrick-on-Suir (Carrykmagriffyn') was given a grant of murage dated 1450.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
37. It'm al supplicacion' dez prouost et co'es del vile de Carrykmagriffyn' en le Counte de Typarie Que come la dit vile est de iour enaultre destrue one engleis Rebelx et en cests xiiij ans la dit vile fuit ij foitz tout brule forpriz tan't solment lesglise et le Chastell' et touz' lour biens prisez et pr le pluis gaund partie tout le people priz prisoners et enapers lor prey en come fait iiij foits et tout ceo fuit fait per engleis rebelx et la dit vile est vn vile marche et la moite de ceo est bien mure et le people du dit vile son't sy empouerez qils ne purr' faire lez murez le laultre partie du dit vile et il serra gaund refreshment et relevement a tout le liege people du Roy del Counte de Kilkeny le Counte de Typarie et le Counte de Waterford q' la dit vile serr' bien mure pr touz honmez q' allon't de Waterford a Clomell' Chasshell' ou ffithard' ils ne sachon't aure null' recept ne herb'gage en xx mill' voiez mes tan't soulment al dit vill' de Carryk ...
XXXVII. Also, at the prayer of the provost and commons of the town of Carrickmagriffin in the county of Tipperary, That whereas the said town is from day to day destroyed by English rebels, and in these fourteen years the said town was twice entirely burned, excepting only the church and the castle, and all the goods taken, and for the greatest part all the people taken prisoners, and afterwards a general pillage of them made four times, and all this was done by English rebels; and the said town is a market town and one-half thereof is well walled, and the people of the said town are so impoverished that they cannot build the walls of the other part of the said town, and it will be great refreshment and relief to all the liege people of the King of the county of Kilkenny, the county of Tipperary, and the county of Waterford, that the said town shall be well walled for all men that go from Waterford to Clonmel, Cashel, or Fethard, who can have no resting place or lodging in twenty miles of road except only at the said town of Carrick; and it is situated very nearly half way between all the said roads, as being ten miles or more from each town, and yet with small support the said town may be relieved. Whereupon the premises considered, It is ordained by authority of the said parliament that the said provost and commons may have power to hold a fair twice every year in the said town, that is to say, at every feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, and at every feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, the fairs to commence the vigil of each of the said feasts, and so to continue each fair three days and three nights following. And that all the men that come to the said fairs pay no custom at the said fairs, save only to pray for the King, and for the estate of the Duke of York, and for the souls of their noble progenitors. And that all men, save only those whom the King has heretofore made free, or who hereafter shall be made free, who carry any merchandise any other time of the year save in time of the said fairs into the said town, or pass with any merchandise within the franchise of the town by water and by land, shall pay to the said provost and commons custom for all manner of things that they bring, drive or carry within the said franchise, if it be to sell, as it has been from ancient time accustomed. And that the said town from henceforward be free for ever from all manner of bonaght, kernes and other charges which are used or ought to be used in the said county, save only the subsidies which shall be granted by the parliaments or great councils of the lord the King.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 28).
Primary Sources
Berry, H.F. and Morrissey, J.F. (eds), 1910, Statute Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland Vol. 2 (Dublin) p. 243-5
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 43-46
Comments
the earliest reference is to the restoration of a murage grant in 1344, which had been suspended, in which mention was made of a wall of stone (CPI 157). In 1450 Parliament allowed a murage grant following an application from the Provost etc., in which it was stated that the town had been 'twice entirely burnt in the last 14 years' (except the church and castle), only half of the town was 'well walled', but they were too much impoverished to improve the other half; and the usefulness of Carrick as a resting place en route from Waterford to towns in S Tipperary was emphasised (SR II 243-5). (Thomas)
Fine example of the problems of murage putting off trade. Here a toll free fair is needed to establish the market so that their is sufficient trade at other times to make a toll provide the needed money. A toll on through traffic is usually not permitted.
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 30/03/2009. Last updated on 30/04/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
