Charters & Magna Carta Exhibition

Charters & Magna Carta

Faversham has a magnificent series of royal charters granted to the town by successive English monarchs.

The earliest surviving Faversham charter dates from the reign of Henry III in 1252, followed by eighteen more granted by 1685. Most of these were carefully kept.
For a town of its size, the charter collection of Faversham is one of the finest anywhere in England.

In the exhibition room you will see a selection of them, including an example of Magna Carta, one of the most celebrated documents in English history. Also on display are other documents, maps and artefacts that have been preserved here in the town for many centuries.

What's on display

 

• Magna Carta, 1300
• The Custumal Book
• Henry IV’s illuminated charter, 1408
• The Common Horn
• Faversham’s earliest common seal, 1295
• Henry VIII’s charter, 1546
• The Oyster Fishery Maps

Funding & Support

Faversham Town Council is grateful to the following for funding this exhibition:

The Edward Vinson Trust, The Faversham Heritage Fund and Henry Hatch Charity of Faversham Municipal Charities, Bensted’s Charity, Queenborough Fishery Trust, Swale Borough Council – Heritage Grant, Cllr Ben J Martin – Swale Member’s Grant, Cllr Hannah Perkin – Swale Member’s Grant, Cllr Eddie Thomas – Swale Member’s Grant.

It could not have been achieved without the help of:

Justin Croft, Sheila Sweetinburgh, Diane Heath, Sarah Stanley, Paul Upton, The Faversham Society, Tassells Solicitors.

Design and construction by Darius Wilson Associates.