LXI. 12 October 1424

Henrv, by the grace of God, King of England, France, and Lord of Ireland ; to all and singular his Admirals, and their Lieutenants, Justiciars, Customers, Wardens of the Sea Ports and other maritime places, as well as Sheriffs, Mayors, Escheators, Constables, Bailifi^s, Ministers, and other lieges and subjects, constituted within Liberties and without, as well by land as by sea — Greeting. 

Whereas it has been granted, amongst other liberties and acquittances granted to the Barons of our Cinque Ports, by the charters of our ancestors the former Kings of Eng land, that they be quit of all toll and custom, that is to say, from all lastage, tallage, passage, kayage, rivage, from pont age, from all wreck, and of every sale in its sale and re-sale throughout our whole land and dominion, with sac and soc, and thol and them, and that they be wreck-free, and Wit free, and Lestage-free and Lovecop-free, and that also they be quit of shires and hundreds, so that if anyone wish to im plead them they need not answer or plead otherwise than they were wont to plead in the time of the Lord King Henry, the great grandfather of the Lord Edward, formerly King of England, our progenitor, and that they may have their trea sure trove by sea and by land, and that they be quit for all their possessions and all their market as our free men, and that they need not plead anywhere except where they ought and are accustomed, that is to say, at Shepway, and that none unjustly molest them or their market under pain of forfeit to us of ten pounds, and that they be not placed in any Assizes, Juries or recognizances for a tenure outside- their-Liberties against their will, and that all they of the Cinque Ports, and all others avowing themselves to be of their Liberty and on that account willing to enjoy them, should subscribe to maintaining the fleet and doing our ser vices from all their goods and chattels existing as well without as within the Liberty of the said Ports, and may be duly compelled thereto by the Mayors and Jurats of the Ports aforesaid, and also by the Constable of our Castle of Dover if necessity arise, and that all the chattels of the Barons and of the others, whether they be within or without the Liberty, which shall be assessed for taxation, or any other burdens whatsoever, for maintaining the fleet and per forming the service aforesaid, shall in no wise be taxed with the goods and chattels of foreign men : and We have confirmed those charters by our charter : and, furthermore, We have granted for us and our heirs to the said Barons of the Ports aforesaid that, according as they or their ancestors shall have freely used any or all of the liberties and acquittances con tained in the said charters in any emergent case, so they, the said Barons, their heirs and successors, may in every way enjoy and use the liberties and acquittances aforesaid, or any one of them, without action or impediment of us or our heirs. Justiciars, Escheators, Sheriffs, or other our Bailiffs, or Ministers, or any of our heirs whatsoever, as in the Charters and Con firmation aforesaid is fully contained. We command you that you allow the men of the Towns of Margate and Gorisende, and the men of the Parishes of SS. John, Peter, Nicholas, and All Saints, of Birchington, Wode in the Isle of Thanet, and the men of Kingsdown, and of the Parish of Ringwold near Dover, which are Limbs and Advocants of the Port of Dover, and the said men avowing themselves to be of the said Liberty, or any one of them, to be quit of this kind of toll, custom, lastage, tallage, passage, kayage, rivage, from pontage, and all wreck, and of every their sale in its sale and re-sale throughout all our land and dominion, with sac and soc, and thol and them, wreck-free, and wit free, and lestage-free, and lovecop-free, and of shires and hundreds, according to the tenour of the Charters and of the Confirmation aforesaid ; and that you do not place, or cause to be placed, them, or any one of them, in any Assizes, Juries, or recognizances held before you for any tenure outside-the- Liberty, contrary to the tenour of the Charter and the Con firmation aforesaid, nor shall you in any way molest or burden them, or any one of them, contrary to the tenour of the said Charters. 

Witness : John, Duke of Bedford, Warden of England, at Westminster, the twelfth day of October in the third year of our reign.