April 9, 2011

Crowle Market Charters.

By Angus Townley

Crowle has two charters granted to hold markets and fairs.

The first was granted in 1305 by Edward 1st. This Charter permitted the Abbot and Conventof Selby, then the Lords of the Manor of Crowle, to hold a weekly market on Wednesdayand an annual fair on the vigil, feast and the morrow of St Oswald (5 th August). This was toreplace a fair and market that had been granted to be held at Garthorpe.

The second charter was granted in 1441 by Henry VI and allowed the market to be held onMonday instead of Wednesday and for an additional fair to be held on the vigil, day andmorrow of St Martin (11th November).

A record of both charters is held in The National Archives at Kew. The Charter Rolls arethe official record of charters issued by the chancery. They are not recorded in a book butwere recorded on sheets of parchment which were stitched together to form long rolls.Typically there was one roll for each year of a Monarch’s reign.

The first charter is in roll 33 Edw 1 – that is the 33 rd year of the reign of Edward 1st, and the second charter is in roll 5-20 Hen VI – that is the roll that covers years 5 to 20 of HenryVI’s reign.

Both charters are written in Latin which was the official language for documents in England between 1086 and 1733. The script is typical of chancery documents and to our untutoredeye is difficult to interpret. Additionally the person writing the document will have usedabbreviations to save paper.

Below are copies of the original documents from The National Archives along with a Latin transcript and an English translation.

 

Charter granted 1305

Crowle Market Charter

The National Archives (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO) C 53/91 : Charter Rolls 33 Edw 1

Pro Abbate de Seleby

Rex Archiepiscopis etcetera salutSciatis quod cum dudum per cartamnostram concessissemus dilectis nobis in Christo Abbati et Conventui de Selebyquod ipsi et successors sui imperpetuum haberent [l.2] unum mercatumsingulis septimanis per diem mercurii apud manerium suum de Gerlethorp inComitatu Lincolniense et unam feriam ibidem singulis annis per tres diesduraturam videlicet [l.3] in vigilia et in die et in Crastino sancti Oswaldi Regis etiidem Abbas et Conventus nobis iam supplicaverunt quod ipsis concederevelimus ut predicta mercatum et feriam habere [l4] possint apud maneriumsuum de Crull in Comitatu predicto per dies supradictos Nos supplicationiipsorum in hac parte favorabiliter annuentes concessimus et hac cartaconfirmavimus eisdem [l.5] Abbati et Conventui quod ipsi et successors suiimperpetuum habeant predictum mercatum singulis septimanis per diemmercurie apud manerium suum de Crull predictum et predictam feriam ibidem[l.6] apud manerium suum de Crull predictum cum omnibus etcetera Nisietcetera Hiis testibus Humfrido de Bohun Comite Hereford et Essex Adomarode Valencia Johanne de Britann’ [l.7] juniore Roberto de la Warde senescallohospicii nostri Edmundo de Malo Lacu Robert de Bures Philippo de Verney etaliis. Data per manum nostram apud sanctum Albanum primo [l.7] die maii.Dupp.

For the Abbot of Selby

The King to the Archbishops etcetera sends greeting. Know that whereas by ourcharter we had granted unto our beloved in Christ the Abbot and Convent ofSelby that they and their successors for ever might hold one market everyweek on Wednesdays at their manor of Gerlethorp [Garthorpe] in the county ofLincoln and one fair there every year lasting for three days that is to say on theEve on the day and on the Morrow of Saint Oswald the King and the sameAbbot and Convent have now asked us that we would grant unto them thatthey might hold the aforesaid market and fair at their manor of Crowle in theaforesaid county for the abovesaid days, we responding favourably to theirrequest in this matter have granted and by this charter we have confirmedunto the same Abbot and Convent that they and their successors for evermight hold the aforesaid market every week on a Wednesday at their manor ofCrowle aforesaid and the aforesaid fair there at their manor of Crowle aforesaidwith all etcetera, Unless etcetera. These being witnesses, Humfrey de BohunEarl of Hereford and Essex, Adomar of Valencia, John of Brittany the younger,Robert de la Warde, Steward of our Household, Edmund of Mauley, Robert ofBures, Philip of Verney and others. Given by our hand at Saint Albans on thefirst day of May. Copied.

Transcription & translation by Peter Foden www.peterfoden.com

Charter granted 1441

Crowle Market Charter

The National Archives (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO) C 53/187 : Charter Rolls 5-20 5-20 Hen VI

Pro Abbate et conventu de Selby

Rex eisdem salutem. Sciatis quod cum dominus E quondam Rex Anglieprogenitor noster dudum per cartam suam concesserit dilectis sibi in christotunc Abbati et Conventui de Selby quod ipsi et successores sui imperpetuumhaberent unum mercatum singulis septimanis per diem mercurii apudmanerium suum de Gerlthorp in Comitatu Lincolniense et unam feriam ibidemsingulis annis per tres dies duraturam videlicet in vigilia in die et in CrastinoSancti Oswaldi Regis iidem quia abbas et conventus postmodum perpeticionem suam prefato progenitori nostro supplicaverunt quod ipsisconcedere vellet ut predicta mercatum et feriam habere possent apudmanerium suum de Crull in Comitatu predicto per dies supradictos et idemprogenitor noster supplicacionem eorum in hac partefavorabiliter annuens1 concesset et carta sua confirmaverit eisdem Abbati etConventui quod ipsi et successores sui imperpetuum haberent predictummercatum singulis septimanis per diem mercurii apud manerium suum de Crullpredictum et predictam feriam ibidem singulis annis per tres dies duraturamvidelicet in vigilia in die et it Crastino Sancti Oswaldi Regis sicut predictum estnisi mercatum illud et feria illa essent ad nocumentum vicinorum mercatorumet vicinarum feriarum voluerit eciam idem progenitor noster et firmiterpreceperit pro se et heredibus suis quod predicti Abbas et Conventus et eorumsuccessores imperpetuum haberent predicta mercatum et feriam apudmanerium suum de Crull predictum cum omnibus libertatibus et liberisconsuetudinibus ad huiusmodi mercatum et feriam spectantibus nisi mercatumillud et feria illa essent ad nocumentum vicinorum mercatorum et vicinarumferiarum sicut predictum est prout in carta predicta plenius continetur. Ac nuncAbbas et Conventus Abbatis predicti certis et notabilibus de causis bonumpublicum patrie [?] dicto manerio de Crull adiacenti concernentibus nobishumiliter supplicaverunt ut eis concedere velimus quod ipsi et successores suihuiusmodi mercatum quod sic per diem mercurii singulis septimanis apuddictum manerium de Crull teneri consuevitur decetero per diem lune qualibethuiusmodi apud dictum manerium de Crull tenendum habere ac aliam feriamibidem singulis annis per tres dies duraturos videlicet in vigilia in die et inCrastino Sancti Martini in yeme similiter tenendam habere valeant licite etimpune. Nos supplicacioni eorundem nunc Abbatis et conventus in hac partefavorabiliter melmati? de gratia nostra speciali presertim cum Abbatia illa defundacione domini Willelmi Conquestoris quondam Regis Anglie progenitorisnostri et nostro patronatu existat concessimus et hac carta nostraconfirmavimus eisdem nunc Abbati et Conventui quod ipsi et successores suiimperpetuum habeant unum mercatum singulis septimanis tenendum per diemlune apud dictum manerium suum de Crull ac quandam aliam feriam ibidemsingulis annis per tres dies duraturos similiter tenendam videlicet in vigilia indie et in Crastino Sancti Martini in yeme nisi mercatum illud et feria illa sint adnocumentum vicinorum mercatorum et vicinarum feriarum. Quare volumus etfirmiter precimus pro nobis et dictis heredibus nostris quod predicti nunc Abbaset Conventus et eorum successores imperpetuum habeant predictummercatum apud dictum manerium suum de Crull singulis septimanis per diemlune ac quandam aliam feriam ibidem singulis annis per tres dies duraturosvidelicet in vigilia in die et in Crastino Sancti Martini in yeme cum omnibuslibertatibus et liberis consuetudinibus ad huiusmodi mercatum et feriamspectantibus. Nisi mercatum illud et feria illa sint ad nocumentum vicinorummercatorum et vicinarum feriarum sicut predictum est In cuius etc Teste Regeapud Westmonasterium x die Februarii per breve de privato sigillo

For the Abbot and Convent of Selby

The King to the same, greeting. Know that whereas the Lord Edward once King of England our Father while by his charter he had granted unto his welbelovedin Christ the then Abbot and Convent of Selby that they and their successorsfor ever might have one market every week on a Wednesday at their manor ofGerlthorp in the county of Lincoln and one fair there every year lasting for threedays that is to say on the eve on the day and on the morrow of Saint Oswaldthe King1 because the same Abbot and Convent soon afterwards by theirpetition to our aforementioned father requested that he would grant to themthat they might hold the aforesaid market and fair at their manor of Crowle inthe aforesaid county for the aforesaid days and our same father assenting totheir supplication favourably in this respect did grant and by his charter didconfirm unto the same Abbot and Convent that they and their successors forever should hold the aforesaid market every week on a Wednesday at theirmanor of Crowle aforesaid and the aforesaid fair there every year lasting forthree days that is to say on the Eve the day and the morrow of Saint Oswald the King just as aforesaid unless that market and that fair should be a nuisance to neighbouring markets and neighbouring fairs. Our same father did will and firmly order for him and his heirs that the aforesaid Abbot and Convent and their successors for ever should hold the aforesaid market and fair at their manor of Crowle aforesaid with all liberties and free customs belonging to such a market and fair unless that market and that fair should be a nuisance to neighbouring markets and neighbouring fairs just as is aforesaid just as in the aforesaid charter more fully is contained. And now the Abbot and Convent ofthe aforesaid Abbey for certain notable reasons concerning the public good ofthe country adjoining the said manor of Crowle have humbly begged us that weshould wish to grant unto them that they and their successors mighthenceforth hold every Monday at their manor of Crowle such a market thathitherto on Wednesday every week was accustomed to be held and alsolikewise to hold another2fair there every year lasting three days that is to sayon the Eve on the day and on the Morrow of Saint Martin in Winter3, that theymay remain lawful and unchallenged. Now we favourably approving thesupplication of the same Abbot and Convent upon this question by our special grace particularly because this Abbey, a foundation of the Lord William the Conqueror sometime King of England our ancestor, is in our patronage, wehave granted and by this our charter have confirmed unto the same now Abbotand Convent that they and their successors for ever may hold one marketevery week to be held on a Monday at the said manor of Crowle and a certainother fair there every year lasting for three days likewise to be held that is tosay on the Eve on the day and on the Morrow of Saint Martin in Winter unlessthat market and that fair be a nuisance to neighbouring markets andneighbouring fairs. Wherefore we will and firmly command for us and for oursaid heirs that the aforesaid now Abbot and Convent and their successors forever may hold the aforesaid market at their said manor of Crowle every week on a Monday and a certain other fair there every year lasting for three days that is to say on the Eve on the day and on the Morrow of Saint Martin in Winter with all liberties and free customs belonging to such a market and fair, unlessthat market and that fair be a nuisance to neighbouring markets andneighbouring fairs just as is aforesaid. In witness of which etcetera. Witness theKing at Westminster on the tenth day of February. By writ of Privy Seal.

Transcription & translation by Peter Foden www.peterfoden.com