The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 01Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 01
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
The booke of Domesday before remembred, chargeth Douer with twentie vessels
at the sea, whereof eche to be furnished with one and twentie men for
fifteene dayes together: and saith further, that Rumney and Sandwich
answered the like seruice. But now whether this (like) ought to be
vnderstoode of the like altogether, both in respect of the number and
seruice, or of the (like) in respect of seruice according to the proportion
of their abilite onely, I may not hereby take vpon me to determine. For on
the one side, if Rumney, Sandwich, and the residue should likewise finde
twentie vessels a piece, then (as you shall anone see) the fiue Ports were
subiect to a greater charge at that time then King Edward the first layd
vpon them: And on the other side if they were onely chargeable after their
proportion, then know I not how farre to burthen them, seeing the Record of
Domesday it selfe bideth them to no certeintie. And therefore leauing this
as I find it I must elsewhere make inquisition for more lightsome proofe.
And first I will haue recourse to king Edward the first his Chartre, in
which I read, that At ech time that the King passeth ouer the sea, the
Ports ought to rigge vp fiftie and seuen ships, (whereof euery one to haue
twentie armed souldiers) and to mainteine them at their owne costes, by the
space of fifteene dayes together.
And thus it stoode with the Ports for their generall charge, in the sixt
yeere of his reigne, for then was this Chartre sealed. But as touching the
particular burthen of ech one, I haue seene two diuers testimonies, of
which the first is a note in French (bearing the countenance of a Record)
and is intituled, to haue bene renued in the two and twentie yeere of the
Reigne of the same king, by Stephan Penchester, then Constable of Douer
Castle, in which the particular charge is set downe in this maner.
The Port of Hastings ought to finde three ships.
The lowie of Peuensey one.
Buluerhithe and Petit Iahn, one.
Bekesborne in Kent, seuen.
Grenche at Gillingham in Kent, two men and armour, with the ships of
Hastings.
The towne of Rie, fiue.
To it was Tenterdene annexed, in the time of King Henrie the sixt.
The towne of Winchelsey, tenne.
The Port of Rumney, foure.
Lydde, seuen.
The Port of Hythe, fiue.
The Port of Douer, nineteene.
The towne of Folkestone, seuen.
The towne of Feuersham, seuen.
The Port of Sandwich, with Stonor, Fordwich, Dale, &c. fiue.
These ships they ought to finde vpon fortie dayes summons, armed and
arrayed at their owne charge, and in ech of them twentie men, besides the
Master of the Mariners: all which they shall likewise mainteine fiue dayes
together at their owne costs, giuing to the Maister sixe pence by the day,
to the Constable sixe pence, and to ech other Mariner three pence. And
after those fiue dayes ended, the King shall defray the charges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account