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Confirming the charters of Henry III and Edward I of 1252 and 1302 to the barons of Faversham, together with all the liberties and freedoms granted therein, even if they have not been exercised in the past.
EDWARD, by grace of God, king of England, Lord of Ireland and Aquitaine, to archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, dukes, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, provosts, ministers and to all bailiffs and his faithful subjects, greeting. We have inspected the charter of our great-grandfather, lord and sometime King of England, in these words:
“Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou, to archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, provosts, ministers, and to all bailiffs and his faithful subjects of all England and Normandy, greeting. Know ye that we have granted and by this our charter confirmed to our barons of Faversham immunity from toll and all custom on sale and purchase throughout all England and Normandy in whosoever land they shall come with soc and sac, toll and theam and infangthef, werefry and wytefry, lestagefri and locoffri, and immunity from shire and hundred, den and strand at Yarmouth, as they and their predecessors and their combarons of the Cinque Ports had best and most fully and most honourably enjoyed them in the time of King Edward and the other predecessors of the kings of England. They are to plead nowhere except where they have been accustomed to, that is at Shepway. And concerning this nobody shall unjustly disturb them or their merchandise upon pain of forfeiting ten pounds. These being witnesses: John Maunsell, provost of Beverley; Master William of Kilkenny, Archdeacon of Coventry; Ralph the son of Nicholas; Bertram of Crioill; John de Lessinton; Robert Walerand; Elya de Rabayn; Robert le Norreys; Nicholas de St. Maur; Anketin Malor; Roger de Lokinton, and others. Given by our hand at Westminster on the fourth day of June in the thirty-sixth year of our reign.”
We have also inspected the charter of our grandfather, lord Edward late King of England, in these words:
“ EDWARD, by grace of God, king of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine, to archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, provosts, and to all bailiffs and his faithful subjects, greeting. Know ye that for the good service which our barons of Faversham have hitherto rendered unto us and our predecessors the kings of England and shall render in the future, and in return for a fine of five hundred marks which the barons made with us before the Venerable Father W [alter Langton], Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, our treasurer, by this our charter we have confirmed for us and our heirs to our same barons all liberties and immunities subscribed as follows. That they and their heirs the barons of the same town shall be quit for ever of all toll, lastage, tallage, passage, quayage, rivage, sponsage and all wreck, and all sale, purchase and repurchase throughout the land, with soc and sac, toll and theam, infangthef and utfangthef in their lands within the said town of Faversham just as the barons of the Cinque Ports within their ports have by charter, with wrecfry and wytefry, lestagefry and lovecopfry. And they shall have den and strand at Yarmouth as is contained in our ordinances, and they shall have trove by sea and land and their honours in our court and their liberties throughout our land wherever they shall come. And they shall be immune from shire and hundred, and in respect of all lands which they and their predecessors and the same barons and their predecessors held in the forty-fourth year of the reign of our father King Henry [III, 1260] of England of blessed memory, and they shall be immune from all summons before any justices in eyre to any plea, wherever the land may be, unless anyone shall implead them, and they shall not plead elsewhere than where they were accustomed at Shipeway. And if anyone shall plead against them they shall not answer or plead otherwise than the barons of the said Cinque Ports where accustomed to plead in the time of King Henry [II] our great-grandfather. And they shall not be put in assizes, juries or recognitions by reason of their external possessions against their will, and they shall be immune from our prisage in respect of their own wines in which they are dealing, that is of one tun before the mast and one tun behind the mast. We have granted further to the same barons of the town of Faversham for us and our heirs that they and their heirs shall for ever have all freedoms and immunities aforesaid just as ever our barons of the Cinque Ports and their ancestors best, most fully and most honourably enjoyed the aforesaid freedoms and immunities in the times of Edward, William I, William II, Henry [II] our great-grandfather, Richard, John our grandfather and Henry [III] our father, kings of England, as the charters of those kings which the same barons have and which the king has formerly inspected, testify. And we forbid that anyone shall unjustly disturb them or their market under pain of forfeiture of ten pounds, provided that if they shall be wanting in the execution or acceptance of justice, the Warden of the Cinque Ports shall enter the said town of Faversham to carry out full justice there, and provided that they and their heirs shall provide full annual ship-service to us and our heirs the kings of England with the barons of the Cinque Ports at their own cost for fifteen days upon the summons of the king or his heirs, that is to say, as much as they ought to render and were accustomed to render to the king and his predecessors. We have also granted to them for us and our heirs that we and our heirs shall not have wardship or marriage of their heirs by reason of any of their lands held by them within the said liberties and ports for which they render the said service and for which the king or his ancestors have not had wardship or marriage in the past, saving the king’s dignity and the pleas of the crown of life and limb. Whereby we wish and firmly ordain for us and our heirs that the aforesaid barons of Faversham may have for ever all liberties and immunities aforesaid […], as is contained in our ordinances made by us, and to be perpetually observed. These being witnesses, the Venerable Father W[alter Langton], Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield; John de Warenna, Earl of Surrey; Roger le Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, Marshal of England; John de Brittannia; Hugh le Despenser, Roger de Mortuo Mari; William de Brewosa; Walter de Bello Campo [Beauchamp], steward of the king’s household; Roger le Brabazun; John Butteturte; Walter de Teye; John de Merk, and others. Given by our hand at Westminster the fourteenth day of November in the thirtieth year of our reign.”
We having authorised the above grants for us and our heirs, as it is in our power, to our aforesaid barons of Faversham their heirs and successors for the good and faithful service which they have rendered unto us and our ancestors and in future will render to us and our heirs, we do ratify and by the tenor of these presents confirm them as is testified by the aforesaid charter. And moreover, wishing the aforesaid our barons of Faversham to acknowledge a greater charitable gift we have granted for us and our heirs to the same barons of Faversham any and all freedoms and immunities, howsoever arising, as contained in the said charter, which were permitted to them and their ancestors but not hitherto fully exercised, the barons of the said town of Faversham their heirs and successors to fully enjoy and use for ever the aforesaid freedoms and immunities now and in the future without the interference or hindrance of us or our heirs or any minister whatsoever. These being witnesses, the Venerable Father S[imon Langham] Bishop of Ely, chancellor; J[ohn Barnet], Bishop of Bath and Wells, treasurer; Lionel Duke of Clarence; John Duke of Lancaster; and Edmund Earl of Cambridge, our most dear sons; Richard Earl of Arundel; Thomas de Veer, Earl of Oxford, our chamberlain; Edward le Despenser; Guy Bryan; John atte Lee, steward of our household, and others. Given by our hand at Westminster on the twelfth of July in the thirty-sixth year of our reign.
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