Mediæval London, Volume 1: Historical & SocialBesant, Walter
History
Mediæval London, Volume 1: Historical & Social
Besant, Walter
London (England) -- History -- To 1500; London (England) -- Social life and customs -- To 1500
“Henry, by the Grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of
Ireland, to the Mayor and aldermen of the City of London, greeting.
Willing for certain Causes, to be certified upon the Tenors of divers
Liberties and Customs of the aforesaid City, and concerning the
Records and Memoranda of Servants and Natives coming to the aforesaid
City, and tarrying there for a Year and a Day, without complaint of
their Lords or Masters before you had, and inrolled in our Court
of our Chamber of Guildhall of the aforesaid City as is said: We
command you the Mayor, distinctly and openly to send the Tenor of
the Liberties, Customs, Records, and Memoranda beforesaid, to us in
our Chancery, under your Seal and this our Brief. Witness myself at
Westminster the twentieth of January, in the seventh year of our
Reign.”
To which the Mayor and Aldermen returned the following answer:—
“Be it remembered that in the Time of Holy King Edward, heretofore
King of England, and before from all time no Memory of Man, then was
extant such dignity, liberty, and Royal Custom, among others was had,
used, and approved in the City of London, which is, and from all
time hath been called The free Chamber of the King of England, as
from ancient Time it was used, and had in the great city of Troy: to
wit, That every Servant whosoever he were, that came to the City of
London, and tarried in it for a Year and a Day, without Reclamation
of his Lord there, afterwards he may, ought, and hath accustomed
through his whole Life so freely and securely to tarry there, as it
were in the House or Chamber of the King: And thence it is, that the
same holy King Edward, amongst other things, by his Laws remaining of
Record in the Treasury of Guyhald of the said City, and reciting the
City itself to be the head of his Kingdom, and that it was founded
like and after the manner of old Troy; and that it containeth in it
the Laws, Liberties, Dignities, and royal Customs of great Troy: He
appointed and ordained, that the said city of London may have and
keep everywhere, by one Inviolability always, all her old Usages
and Customs, wheresoever the King himself shall be, whether in an
Expedition or otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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