XXIII.
24 March 1343.
Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine, to all to whom these present letters may come — Greeting. We have inspected a certain indented deed signed with the Seal of the Commonalty of our Port of Dover, and with the seals of our faithful and beloved Edmund, Earl of Kent, our dearest brother, lately Constable of our Castle of Dover and Warden of the Cinque Ports, and of certain Burgesses and Combarons of our Port afore said, in these words —
Know all men that since contentions and controversies have been moved between JVilliatn Virgile, Richard Arc hyer, JVilliam Hurtyn and others of the Society called ferschip, possessing ships called *' PASSAGERs" in the town of Dover on the one part, and John atte Sea, Thomas Reade, William Russel, and other Combarons following for the Commonalty of the town afore said on the other part, over taking the profit of the Passage between Dover and Wytsand ; at last, friends intervening, they settled the matter in this manner — viz.. That the aforesaid PVilliam, Richard, William, for themselves and their Society, and all having, or in future likely to have, passenger boats, agree of their own free will to give and subscribe in aid of the Community aforesaid two shillings for every freight of every ship freighted with horses from Dover to Wytsand, and twelve pence for every Passager freighted with foot passengers, to be collected by two or three men, elected for this purpose, from the ships and boats aforesaid before they leave the shore, and placed in a certain Common Chest by the Mayor and Jurats of the said town for the time being. And for that concession the aforesaid John, Thomas, and William promise for all, and altogether with the whole Community, that the aforesaid William, Richard, and William, and the members of the Society aforesaid possessing passenger ships, and likely in the future to possess ships fit for passengers, may use and for ever enjoy for them and theirs the Passage aforesaid, with all profits arising therefrom freely as is aforesaid, without any hindrance of the Community aforesaid. In witness whereof the Common Seal together with the seals of the aforesaid William, Richard, William, John, Thomas, and William Russel, is alternately affixed to these indentures. And that in future all the premisses may be more firmly confirmed, the most excellent Earl Lord Edmund, son of the illustrious King of Eng land and Warden of the Cinque Ports, confirmed the aforesaid writings with the impression of his seal.
Given at Dover the * twenty-third day of October in the seventeenth year of the reign of King Edward, son of King Edward.
We, considering that various dissensions and discords have hitherto arisen between the men possessing passenger ships in the said port, and the other men of the Community aforesaid, over the profits of the Passage aforesaid, by reason of which very many losses have occurred in the said port, and being willing to obviate in future evils of this kind, and to provide for the tranquillity and quiet of all and singular of the port aforesaid, holding ratified and gratified all and singular of the premisses contained in the writing aforesaid ; We, for us and our heirs, as far as we are able, do grant and confirm them with the addition written below — viz., That all and singular of the port aforesaid, who shall be able and shall wish to possess Passagers, may possess them and make the aforesaid contributions ; and that the money arising from those contributions shall be deposited in a certain Common Chest in the Church of Saint Martin of Dover, under the custody of two or three honest and legal men of the port aforesaid, owners of passenger ships and boats of this kind, to be elected by owners of ships and boats of this kind, and under the seals of other two or three honest and legal men from the rest of the Community aforesaid, elected for them in a similar manner for this purpose : to be reserved in aid of the performing the service due to us and our heirs by the port aforesaid, and for the better supporting other necessities of the same port when they shall arise.
In witness whereof we have caused to be made these our letters patent.
Witness myself, at Westminster, the twenty-fourth day of March in the seventeenth year of our reign.
*1323.