Trim is said to have been given a grant of murage dated 1423 but this report is rejected.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
28 Jul. 1423 Trim
To the sheriff of Dubln.
Oconghir and Oraly, having gathered to themselves a multitude of Irish enemies and English rebels, daily commit plunderings, burnings and killings of lieges. PRECEPT and ORDER that, laying aside all delay and having gathered to himself the posse of his county, he is to be at Trim on Sunday next, together with all the posse of defensible men of the said county, in aid of the said lieges and the strengthening of the Jcr of Ire., and in resistance of the malice of the said enemies; and this under pain of forfeiture of all .1
Authorized:
By the Jcr.
Similar ORDER addressd to the following:
the mayor, bailiffs and citizens of Dublin;
the mayor and sheriff of Drogheda;
the provosts and communities of the town of Ratoath, Grenok, Dunshaghelyn, Skreen, Slane, Dunboyne and Navan.
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Rex vic' Dub', (recit quiliter Oconghir et Oraly, aggregata sibi multitudine Hibernicor' inim' et Anglicor' rebel', deperdaciones, incendia et occisiones ligeor' indies faciunt, et majora facere proponunt,) precipit et mandat quod, omni dilacione omissa, accepto sibi posse co' sui, ipse, una cum toto posse hominem defensabilium dicti co', sit apud Trym die Dominica prox', in auxilium dictor' ligeor', ac fortificacionem just' Hib' ac resistenciam malicie dictor' inimic'; et hoc sub pena forisfacture omnium etc. Trym, 28 Jul.- per ipsem just'.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 1). Granted at Trim. Granted by per ipsem just'.
Primary Sources
A Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters, c. 1244-1509, CR 1 Hen. VI
View CIRCLE recordTresham, Edward (ed), 1828,
Rotulorum patentium et clausorum cancellariae Hiberniae calendarium (Dublin; His Majesty's printers) p. 225 No. 29
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 196-99
1835, Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 27 p. 7
Comments
the next known murage charter was much later-1393 for 20 years with a stone wall specified (CPI 89). This required that the tolls should also be collected in Athboy, Scryne and Navan because 'all the fideles of Meath congregate in the town of Trim' (MCI 265). The list was altered in 1423 to include four other minor towns but to exclude but to exclude Athboy and Navan (MCI 7). (Thomas)
MCI p. 7 is a list of first instruments of mention of Irish Municipal Corporations, often, but not exclusively, murage grants. The source is Claus 1 Hen VI. a. 29 and the wording given in MCI is "The Provost and Commonalty of the town of (Dumboyne; Dunshaghelyn; Grenok; Scryne; Slane). They are ordered to be at Trim, with all their power, for its defence." I don't follow Thomas's interpretation of this, which, to me, seems to be a mobilisation order and nothing to do with funding town defences. (?A misinterpretation of fortificacionem )
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 07/04/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
