Rye (La Rye) was given a grant of murage dated 3/3/1369.
This was in the form of:-
Surtax:- farthing in the pound until complete
Levy:- one and half penny on the pound rent
Enforcement power:- distrain non payers
Licence to crenellate
Wording
At the supplication of the mayor and commonalty of La Rye shewing that, whereas for lack of enclosure their town was lately burned in time of war by the king's enemies from foreign parts and they, in view of the perils which may ensue if the town remain unenclosed, have by common assent ordained among themselves that of every 20s. of rent in the town, 1 1/2d. and of every 20s. of goods and money, 1/4d. weekly, shall be levied and applied to the enclosure of the town until it is complete; the king has granted licence for them to crenellate their town, and empowers the mayor and bailiffs to distrain on any of the town who will not pay their portion of such assessment. By K.
Granted by Edward III. (Regnal year 43). Granted at Westminster. Granted by K..
Primary Sources
Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1913,
Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1367-70) Vol. 14 p. 224
online copy
Secondary Sources
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 161-2
Comments
The burning of the town was in 1339.
Not directly in Coulson's list and notes but referred to in notes for 1377 grant for Rye.
Collecting a farthing from every pounds worth of goods the burgesses sold at each weekly market must have been a relatively easy tax to assess when compared to murage at various rates of various items on charge on outside traders using the market. What is the reason for the long item lists? Was previous precedent too difficult to overcome?
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 24/01/2009. Last updated on 05/01/2013. First published online 5/01/2013.
