LXV.
19 February 1440.
Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom these present letters shall come — Greeting.
Know ye that, whereas our beloved the Mayor and Commonalty of the town of Dover have lately made known to us that as the persons inhabiting the said town are bound and similarly engaged to repair and maintain the walls of the same against the rage and cruelty of the sea there, and other burdens insupportable by the aforesaid inhabitants, laid upon them for the defence of the said town, although they are not able or sufficient in any way to do so, because the walls aforesaid, in defect of their repair and construction, are battered and prostrate, so that the sea there is like to inundate and destroy our said town in process of time unless by us it be speedily relieved and succoured : and whereas, from the time when the town of Calais was conquered and acquired by our noble progenitor Edward, they of the said town have until recently, by great expenses and losses and ventures, which they from time to time have supported for the pre servation and custody of the aforesaid Passage there, used and enjoyed liberties and franchises subsequently had and held to them, to wit, that they of Dover, with its Passage, should cross to, or land at, the said town of Calais, and not to any other place ; nor they of Calais, with its Passage, to any place except Dover, unless they be impeded by a great or sudden tempest, or the King's precept, or by a freight or cargo which does not pertain to the Passage ; and that they of Dover might have the whole freight or cargo and the profit of our Passage and ships crossing to, and landing at, the said town of Calais, and in like manner they of Calais from those crossing to Dover, so that neither they of Calais should take in any way whatsoever any freight or passage of the Dover ships, nor they of Dover the freight or passage of the Calais ships unless impeded by any new arrangement about to be made between them ; and that no merchant pilgrim or horse should leave any port in the County of Kent tor Calais except Dover ; and if the owner of any ship allowed for the Passage of Dover should sell or alienate that ship, or any share of it, to anyone else dwellirig in any place other than one belonging to, or coruiected with, the said Passage, that that ship be exjielled from that Passage for ever : which liberties and franchises, indeed, at the present time by vari ous means are broken and disregarded to the multiform deterioration and diminution of our said town of Dover and the inhabitants of the same, and especially of the Wardens of the Passage there ; so that the said town, as well for the causes aforesaid as because the inhabitants of the same for the greater part have almost entirely left it, and half of the town is empty and desolate, and its houses have in many cases fallen into ruins, will very likely finally be destroyed, and its inhabitants necessarily compelled to leave it, as is said, unless some fitting remedyonthisbehalf be provided quickly : where fore, the abovesaid Mayor and Commonalty have besought us that w. be willing to consider the said poverty and want of the said town of Dover and its inhabitants, and most graciously to provide for their relief and salvation, and for the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty that they and their suc cessors may use and enjoy the liberties and franchises afore said without contradiction, interruption, or impediment whatsoever, and that they be able to make among them selves and for themselves such penal ordinances as shall appear necessary and fitting to them for the due preserva tion and ward of their liberties and franchises, and for the building and construction of ships, which for the Passage aforesaid are and shall be so made, that those ships may be made and built true, strong, and safe, and of good material, as well in wood and good and faithful work as in iron work, and all other things necessary for the safety and strengthening of those ships. We, having regard to the premises, and wishing, as we are bound, to provide for the preservation and safety of our said town, Grant of our special grace to the aforesaid Mayor and Commonalty of our said town of Dover and their successors, that they may have all the aforesaid franchises, and use and enjoy them, according to the power, tenour, and effect of them, for ever, without contradiction, impediment, or obstacle whatsoever ; and that they mav make among themselves, and for them selves, such jxnal ordinances as shall appear necessary and fitting to them for the due preservation and ward of the franchises aforesaid, and for the making of the ships, which for the Passage aforesaid are and shall be so made, that the said ships be of sure, strong, and good and true material, as well in wood and true work as in all sort of iron work, and all other things necessary for the strengthening and safety of the ships aforesaid.
In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be patent.
Witness myself at Reading on the nineteenth day of P'ebruary in the eighteenth year of our reign.
[By a writ of Privy Seal — Louthe.]
A portion of the seal remains.