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
It will be observed that this charter is not only a confirmation of
all the ancient Privileges and Liberties, but it creates new ones. (1)
The Mayor was appointed one of the Judges of Oyer and Terminer for the
trials of criminals in Newgate; (2) the citizens were to have the right
of Infang-thefe and Outfang-thefe, _i.e._ the right of trying every
thief or robber taken within the City, and the right of bringing back
to the City for trial every citizen apprehended elsewhere. (3) A right
to the goods and chattels of all felons condemned within the City. (4)
The remission of £100 a year on the rent of Middlesex. (5) The right
of devising real property. (6) The Sheriffs of London to be amerced
no otherwise than their brothers south of the Thames. (7) All Foreign
Merchants to sell their goods within forty days. (8) The citizens not
chargeable with the custody of those who take Sanctuary. (9) The King’s
Marshal, Steward, or Clerk of the Household to have no authority in the
City. (10) The Mayor to be the King’s escheator of felons’ goods. (11)
The citizens who resort to country fairs to carry with them a Court
of Pie Powder. (12) The citizens to be free from tallages, other than
those assessed upon other places. (13) The City liberties not to be
seized on account of the personal offences of any magistrate. (14) The
King’s Purveyor to have no right to fix the price of anything. (15) And
no market to be held within seven miles of the City.
The charter looked as if the citizens had been simply invited to take
what they pleased in the way of liberties.
By another charter Southwark, _i.e._ the King’s Manor, not the whole
of Southwark, was granted as a part of the City. By a third a general
pardon for all late offences was also granted.
Maitland speaks of a dangerous insurrection of certain trades and
of their parading the streets armed, killing many. The so-called
“insurrection” seems to have been nothing more than a continuation of
the late lawless brawls; the people had tasted the joy of fighting in
the streets and wanted to continue that amusement. The King addressed
a letter to the Mayor calling upon him to keep better order. A number
of arrests were made and a good many persons were executed; but the
riotous condition of the City continued. The chief cause of trouble was
the continual quarrelling between the trades. Thus at this very time,
viz. the first years of Edward III., the Mayor arranged a dispute,
which led to free fighting in the streets, between the Saddlers of the
one part and the Joiners, Painters, and Loriners of the other part.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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