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Tower of LONDON. The Constable. | 71 |
Tower of LONDON. The Constable.
The Constable had many great Privileges time out of mind, due to
him from the Ships of the Merchants of London, (as is mentioned
in an ancient Record) as of every Ship laden with Wines coming
into the Port of London, one Flagon of Wine before the Mast, and
another behind it: Of every Boat laden with Oisters, Muscles, or
Cockles, coming to the City, una Manda, i.e. One Maund [a certain
Measure] of every Boat laden Cirpis [scirpis, i.e. Bulrushes] unum
Bracticale [i.e. as much as a Man could take up in his Arms.] There
belong also to him every Ship, Barge, or Boat, or any other Vessel
whatsoever, that shall be upon the Bank of the Thames, straying
between Gravesend and London Bridge, if no Person be found in
the said Vessels. Every Swan or Cygnet which cometh or
returneth upon the said Banks in swimming, from the said Bridge
to Gravesend; every Beast that by Misfortune, falleth into the
Water of the Thames, swimming between the foresaid Bounds,
without the Protection of any. And the Stalboats, which are wont
to belong to the Constable; and as yet, do belong, of which the Men
of the City will not pay any thing, as they have accustomed to do.
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His Privileges.
Ex Rotul. Claus. Anno 9. Regn. Reg. Richard
II.
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But now by reason of certain Liberties and Franchises granted of
late by King Richard II. unto the Citizens, they refused to allow
these Duties unto the Constable. Whereupon the Constable, (whose
Name was Sir Thomas Murrieux) petitioned the said King. Who
thereupon issued out his Proclamation, that notwithstanding the
Privileges granted to his City, yet he required these before
mentioned Privileges of the Constable to stand, and be in force.
And this was ratified by Parliament, as appears by this
Instrument taken from the Original.
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K. Richard II. confirms his Privileges against
the City.
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"NOS de Avisamento & Assensu Prælatorum & aliorum
Magnatum in Parliamento nostro Supplicationi prædict.
Constabularij juxta Petitionem suam gratiosè annuimus in
hac parte. Et ideo vobis præcipimus, quod infra Civitatem
prædict. & Suburbia ejusdem in locis ubi melius expediens
fuerit, ex parte nostra publicari, proclamari & pronuntiari faciatis,
omnes & singulas Libertates & Franchesias ad Castrum nostrum
prædictum pertinentes; & quod volumos quod dict. Castrum
nostrum Libertatibus & Franchesijs prædictis gaudeat &
utatur in forma Prædict. Libertatibus & Franchesijs dictis
Civibus & Communitati per nos concessis non obstantibus. Ipsiusq;
Constabularij Jura & Proficua hujusmodi ad dict. Castrum
pertinentia, per se vel Ministros suos habere & percipere
permittatis. Teste meipso apud Westmoraster. Vicesimo secondo
die Novembr. Anno Regni nostri nono.
Per Petitionem concessam per ipsum
Regem in Parliamento. Et
erat Patens.
Convenit cum Recordo."
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This was a Second Instrument granted to Sir Thomas Murrieux,
ratificatory of his Privileges, as Constable of the Tower. Which
was the Effect of a Petition he made to the King and Parliament,
upon the impeaching thereof by the City. The former Grant of
King Richard II. to the said Constable, was in the Sixth of his Reign,
that is, three Years before: And being an antient and valuable
Piece of Antiquity, and expressive of the Privileges of old
belonging to the chief Officer of the Tower, and directed to the
Maior and Commons of the City, I shall here set it down at length,
taken from an authentick Copy.
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"RICHARDUS Dei Gratia Rex Angliæ & Franciæ, & Dom.
Hiberniæ Majori & Viceco-
mitibus London, Salutem. Quia, ut intelleximus, Constabularii
Turris nostræ London, a tempore quo non extat Memoria usq;
ad Tempus jam tarde elapsum; & in speciali, Johannes Darcy,
Johannes de Bello Campo, Robertus de Morlee, Ricardus La Vache,
& Alanus de Buxhil, quondam Constabularii Turris
prædictæ Custumas, Denaria & Proficua infrascripta de
jure ad Turrim prædictam pertinentia per se & Ministros
suos habuerunt, & pacifice perceperunt, Videlicet,
de quoilibet Battello Cirpis carcato ducto ad Civitatem
prædict. tantam quantitatem cirporum super Wharnam
dictæ Turris ponendam, quanta inter Brachia alicujus poterit
contineri; de quotibet Batello Ostreas, Musculas & Cocleas ad
Civitatem prædict. ducere consueto, unam Mandam inde
super dictam Wharnam ponendam: De qualibet Navi Vinis carcata
a Burdegal, seu alibi usq; Civitatem prædict. veniente, unam
Lagenam ante Malum & aliam retro Malum: Quamlibet Navem,
Bargeam sive Batellum, seu aliud Vas, quod per Tempestatem &
Ventum fuerit dissolutum, seu ruptis Cordis & Ligatorijs suis absq;
Gubernaculo humano nataverit a Ponte London usq; Gravesend,
seu abinde usq; dictum Pontem per Constabularium dictæ
Turris seu Ministros suos capiend. & ad opus dicti Constabularij
applicand. Quoscunq; Cygnos venientes subtus dictum Pontem
versus Mare, seu a Mari versus eundem Pontem, omnimodos,
Equos, Boves, Vaccas, Porcos & Oves, qui de Ponte prædicto in
Aquam Thamisiæ ceciderint; quos prædictus
Constabularius seu ejus Ministri percipere poterunt; Quodlibet
hujusmodi Animal natans per Medium dicti Pontis ad Turrim
prædictam, quod idem Constabularius, seu Ministri sui
prædicti ceperint; de quolibet pede hujusmodi Animalis infra
Fossata Turris prædictæ depascentis unum Denarium;
Quamlibet Carectam vacuam, seu carcatam quæ in Fossata
prædicta ceciderit, tanquam forisfacturam seu Feodum dicti
Constabularij. Quodq; prædicti Constabularij, tam superius
nominati quam alij, Consuetudinibus subscriptis a tempore
prædict. usi fuerint & gavisi, videlicet, Quod nulla Carecta
vacua seu carcata a fine Vici vocat. Petite Wales super Montem
dictæ Turris, nec prope Fossata prædicta ad altam
Stratam vocat. Towerstrete, venire debeat, nisi caperetur & infra
Turrim prædictam duceretur. Et quod nulla Carecta ultra
Pontem inter Fossata dicti Castri & Fossata Hospitalis Sanctæ
Katherinæ, absq; Licentia Constabulariij dictæ Turris
pertranseat; & si fecerit, & Barram fregerit, Carecta illa infra
Turrim prædictam duci, & pro transgressione ad voluntatem
Constabularij ejusdem satisfieri debeat."
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K. Richard's Letters to the Maior of London to
confirm the Constables Privileges.
Injunctions to to Constables of the
Tower.
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"
NOS omnia & singula jura & libertates Turris nostra
prædictæ ne depereant, seu illicitè subtrahantur,
manutenere volentes, vobis mandamus, quod dilectum & fidelem
nostrum Thomam Murrieux nunc Constabularium Turris
prædictæ Custumas & Denaria ac proficua prædicta
per se & ministros suos in forma prædicta percipere &
habere, ac Consuetudininibus prædictis uti & gaudere libere
& absq; impedimento aliquo permittatis, prout ipse Custumas,
Denaria & proficua hujusmodi pecipere & habere, &
Consuetudinibus prædictis uti & gaudere debet; ipseq; &
omnes alij Constabularij Turris predictæ Custumas, Denaria &
proficua ista peccipere & habere, ac Consuetudinibus
prædictis uti a gaudere a tempore prædicto
rationabiliter consueverunt. Et hoc nullatenus omittatis. Teste
meipso, apud Eltham XVI. die Novembris, Anno Regni nostri
Sexto."
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"
Per ipsum Regem.
Convenit cum Recordo."
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