Harwich was given a grant of murage dated 2/6/1338.
This was in the form of:-
Wording
Grant to the bailiffs and good men of Harwich, who intend to enclose the town with a wall of stone and to crenellate the wall, of murage for five years on things for sale coming by land or water to their town, or to the port of Erewell pertaining to the town. By K. & C.
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July 11. 1338. Walton
Notification that the king has revoked his late grant to the bailiffs and men of Herewicz of a murage for four years at the said town and the port of Orewell as pertaining to the town, at the prosecution of the burgesses of Ipswich setting forth that the whole port of Orewell ought to belong, and has belonged in the past, to their town, and that none but their bailiffs and ministers ought to make distraints or attachments, or levy toll or other custom there. By K.
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 12). Granted at Bury St. Edmunds. Granted by K. & C..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1898,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1338-40) Vol. 4 p. 88
online copyMaxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1898,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1338-40) Vol. 4 p. 109
online copy
Secondary Sources
Coulson, Charles, 2009, Murage Grants (Handwritten list and notes)
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 33n24
Comments
Indexed in CPR as a licence to crenellate.
HARWICH 6256 2316. Borough 1274 (BF, p. 109). Borough charter granted 1318 (CPR, 1317-21, p. 380). 1334 Subsidy £72.50. Market town c.1600 (Everitt, p. 175). (Letters, S., 2003,
Gazetter of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 (Centre for Metropolitan History)
online copy)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 16/01/2009. Last updated on 04/06/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
