Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

the slightest ground to assume a select corporation? The bailiffs, the executive officers, act in all cases; sometimes the coroners act with them, and the whole commonalty are ge nerally inserted; but there is not a word about the interference of any persons forming a select body there,-nothing to lead to the presumption of any aristocracy in the place, unless it be under the most inapplicable of all names, that of commonalty.

From the Institution Book of Henry Burgherst,
Bishop of Lincoln, 1320, to wit.

Huntingdon, HENRY, the son of Thomas de Luton, Hospital of St. John. Priest, presented by Michael de Colne, and Laurence de Leicester, Coroners of Huntingdon, John Richardyon, Thomas de Luton, Nicholas Baude, and Roger, the son of Margaret, Bailiffs, and the whole Commonalty of the same Town of Huntingdom, to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist of Huntingdon, in the Diocese of Lincoln, &c., is admitted the 16th of the Kalends of May, in the year of the Lord, 1335, and is canonically instituted Master in the same, &c.

From the Institution Book of John Gynwell, Bishop of Lincoln, 1347.

}

The Hospital of St. John, HENRY DE JAKESLE, Priest, at Huntingdon. S presented by John de Herford, Coroner of the Town of Huntingdon, William Scot, Robert Haysand, Nicholas Hayrom, Thomas Bishop, Bailiffs, of the same Town, to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist, at Huntingdon, &c. ; to the said Hospital is admitted the 5th of the Kalends of April, in the year of the Lord, 1356, at Ledyngton, and Master by reason and on account of such exchange, is canonically instituted in the same, &c.

From the Institution Book of John Gynwell, Bishop of Lincoln, 1347.

St. John, PETER HICCHEN, Priest, is presented by the Huntingdon. Coroners, and Bailiffs, and Commonalty of Huntingdon, to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist at Huntingdon, &c.; to the said Hospital is admitted at London

the 10th of the Kalends of October, in the year of the Lord, 1347, and is canonically instituted Warden in the same,

&c.

From the Institution Book of John Gynwell, Bishop of Lincoln, 1347.

The Hospital of ROBERT GAMENMAN, of Eton, St. John, at Huntingdon. (Priest, presented by Reginald the Parson, Thomas Bisshop, William de Hemyngford, and Janes Chapman, Bailiffs of Huntingdon, to the Hospital of St. John, at Huntingdon, &c.; to the said Hospital is admitted the 10th of the Kalends of January, in the 61st year, at Lidyngton, and canonically instituted Master in the same.

From the Institution Book of John Gynwell, Bishop of Lincoln, 1347:

The Hospital of St. John, GEOFFRY DE DEPYNG, Priest, at Huntingdon. presented by John de Herford, Coroner of Huntingdon, Osbert de Hynton, William de Wentlond, John de Wyneston, and Nicholas Hayram, Bailiffs of the same Town, to the Hospital of St. John, at Huntingdon, &c.; to the custody and rule of the said Hospital is admitted the 5th of the Kalends of January, in the year of the Lord, 1354, at Buckeden, and canonically instituted Master in the same.

From the Institution Book of John Buckingham,
Bishop of Lincoln, 1363.

The Hospital of St. John the RICHARD CABONN of Great Baptist, at Huntingdon. Gyddyng, Priest, presented, by the Bailiffs and Commonalty of the Town of Huntingdon, to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist at Huntingdon, &c., is admitted the 10th day of the month of August, in the 64th year, &c., at Buckeden, and Master or Warden, with the charge of priestly ministration, as in the form instituted canonically in the same, &c.

Edward III., under the then distressed state of the Town of Huntingdon, made three grants to it in one year; the first, which next follows here, is dated the 15th of October, in the 37th of this King's reign: the other two, dated, re

spectively, the 10th of November, and the 29th of the same month, will be found afterwards.

The first of these Charters states the previous grant of liberties to the Burgesses, then that a fourth part of the Borough is not inhabited, and that the few remaining who dwell there cannot pay the farm. The persons liable to the rent therefore were residents; it then grants to the Burgesses, their heirs and successors (which, we have before observed, is incompatible with a Charter of Incorporation), the fines as well of residents as of others. This distinction between residents and others, i. e., strangers, inmates, foreign merchants, coming to the place for the purposes of trade or otherwise, goes strongly to show, who were the real Burgesses, namely, the resident inhabitants. Then after reciting the advantage taken by Foreigners, of the distressed state of the Town, by refusing to pay the Gernerage, it grants the same to the aforesaid Burgesses in the same town dwelling; a non-resident honorary Burgess seems not to have been dreamt of in those days, but, on the contrary, it seems from their Charter, as the fact was in this and other places, that a Burgess going away from the place ceased to enjov the privileges of it.

From the Charter Rolls of the 37th year of King

Edward III.

EDWARD, by the Grace of God, &c. Know ye that whereas amongst other liberties and immunities, to our beloved the Burgesses of our Town of Huntingdon, by the Charters of our progenitors, formerly Kings of England, and of ourself granted, it hath been granted to them, that they the Burgesses and their Successors and Heirs, Burgesses of the Town aforesaid, for ever may have Cognizances of all Pleas by their Bailiffs, or their Deputies, &c., as in the Charters aforesaid is more fully contained, We considering that the said Town of Huntingdon, as well by mortal pestilence, as by various other sudden adversities, is so weakened and destroyed, that a fourth part of the same Town is not inhabited, and the few remaining who now dwell in the same, scarcely have wherewith_they may live, nor do Lands, or Rents pertain to the same Town

whereof any profit in aid of the payment of their farm which to us yearly for the same Town they are bound to render can be levied, and so from the habtation of men, it will be altogether left desolate and destroyed, unless quickly there be succour shewn to the same, and willing to provide for the relief of the same as much as in us lies, have granted for us and our heirs, and by this our Charter confirmed, that the aforesaid Burgesses of our said Town of Huntingdon and their Heirs and Successors, Burgesses of the same Town, may have for ever the cognizance of all Pleas, &c. And that they may have all Fines, Redemptions, and Amerciaments, and Issues forfeited of all Men, as well residents within the same Town and Liberty as of others whomsoever, who in the same Town by occasion of any Debt or Trespass Contract or Plaint or other thing, within the same Town and Liberty arising, &c.; and that they may have all manner of Chattels of Felons and Fugitives and Outlaws, of all things which shall happen to be found as well of Tenants and Residents within the Town and Liberty aforesaid, so that it may be lawful to the same Burgesses, such Fines, Redemptions, Amerciaments, and Issues immediately, that they shall be adjudged forfeited by the Bailiffs or their Deputies to collect and levy, and of such Chattels of Felons and Fugitives to put themselves in seisin, and the same to the use of the same Burgesses in aid of their Farms aforesaid, may retain, &c. And moreover, whereas Foreign Men with Corn, Malt, Grain, and other Merchandises coming to the said Town to trade of the same, and to make their advantage thereof, have hired houses in the same Town to house their Corn and other Merchandise, and have paid a certain custom called Gernerage, that they might be able to make their profit, in the sale and purchase of Corn and other their Merchandise, as the Burgesses in the Town aforesaid might do in aid of the Farm aforesaid; now the same Foreigners who hire such Houses for their Corn and other Merchandises in the Town aforesaid, seeing the same Town so wasted, and as if destitute of Men, refuse to pay the same customs as on behalf of the same Burgesses, we are given to understand. We, willing to promote the tranquillity and quiet of the same Burgesses in this behalf, have granted, and by this our Charter confirmed for us and our heirs, that the aforesaid Burgesses in the same Town dwelling, and their Heirs and Successors, Burgesses of the same Town, may take and receive the said Custom called Gernerage of all Foreigners who for the cause aforesaid, shall hire and hold such Houses

in the said Town for housing their Corn and other Merchandises there, and them may compel to the payment of the same Custom as often as it may be, for ever, as heretofore they were accustomed to do, &c. Given by our hand at Westminster, the 15th day of October, in the 37th year of our Reign.

The next grant, said in the margin to be for the men of the Town of Huntingdon, recites, that the honest men of the same Town are charged with twenty pounds rent, which it will be perceived is the rent reserved by the grant of the 5th of March, Henry III., made to the Burgesses,—the Burgesses therefore in that grant, and the men in this, are the same persons; now though Burgesses in the former case might mean select corporators (if any then existed), it is impossible to suppose that the word men can be so exclusively applied. Nothing, therefore, can more strongly negative the existence of a partial corporation in the place than this grant, when compared with the former.

From the Patent Rolls of the 37th year of the reign of King Edward III., it is thus contained:

For the Men of the Town of? THE King to all to whom, &c. Huntingdon. Greeting. The honest men of the Town of Huntingdon have besought us, that, Whereas they are charged to us for Twenty Pounds of increase, beyond the sum which they render to us yearly, for the Farm of the Town aforesaid, by reason of the Fair of the town of St. Ives, which the same men hold of us at Fee Farm, and they have not received any advantage from the Fair aforesaid, for a long time, because such Fair hath not been there holden, nor as yet is, nor have they levied, nor can they levy anything therefrom; and the same Men by many grievances and misfortunes which have at different times happened to them, are so much impoverished, that they are unabled in anywise to pay the said Twenty Pounds, we would vouchsafe to order them to be exonerated of the same sum: we pitying the state of the same Men in this behalf, and willing to act graciously with the aforesaid Men, in consideration of the pre

« PoprzedniaDalej »