III. FROM THE FIRST MAYOR.
1257 TO 1353.
The title of Prepositus appears to have been given to the Chief Magistrate of Dover in the Norman time, because he was not so supreme in the Town and Port as the Saxon Reeves had been. Probably, at the time of the Conquest the Civic Chiefs had been, for the safety of the realm, made subject to the Constable of the Castle. It has been mentioned that during the time of Henry Turgis, Prepositus, there were some fundamental changes. Previously, the King (no doubt, by the aid of the Constable) had called out the Cinque Ports Forces when required, but, owing to irregularities in the reign of Henry HI., that King had in 1226 appointed the Constable and Henry Turgis, the Pre positus of Dover, to temporarily act as joint wardens of the Cinque Ports; and, immediately after that time, the Constable of the Castle was appointed Warden, the two offices being held by the same person ever after. That change, in addition to permanently altering the status of the Constable, also affected the Cintjue Ports' organisation. From that time the Mayor of Dover seems to have had more absolute authority in his own Borough; and about twenty-five years after that change the Municipal Chief of Dover was called the " Mayor." 'I'hat title, which was of Norman French origin, had been used in the Corporation of London since the reign of Heniy II., and it was, doubtless, because the Chief Magistrate of Dover had been raised to a more independent status that the title Mayor was introduced in Dover in the forty-second year of the reign of Henry III. It was at that time that the Bailiff, an officer of Magisterial character, was appointed for Dover by the King's writ, and that officer, being subordinate to the Mayor, seems to have added new dignity to the Mayoralty. The twelve Mayors whose names are next recorded were in office from the first adoption of the title of Mayor down to the year 1353, after which date the Roll of Mayors is continuous. The period over which these twelve Mayors extend is eighty-seven years. It is not known when the Mayor's term of office was fixed as one year. In the City of London the Mayors were first elected for life; then for irregular periods; and, later, annually. According to the " Customal of Dover," which was compiled about the year 1355, the Mayoral elections were said to have been annual " time out of mind."
1257 James Lucas (8)
1274 William atte Hall (9)
(8) James Lucas, the Chief Magistrate who in the year 1257 first received the title of Mayor, is mentioned as Mayor in two Dover Charters, on© relating to a gift to the Maison Dieu and on© relating to the enlargement of Charlton Church Yard.
(9) William atte Hall was Mayor im the year 1274. This surname " atte Halle " is supposed to refer to the place of residence of hie ancestors which was near St. Nicholas's Church.
1294 Thomas Poynte (10)
1295 Thomas Godspenny (11)
(10) Thomas Poynte held the oflfice of Mayor in the year 1294 when there was « sort of unofficial war between the French Mariners and those of the Cinque Ports. The French landed at Dover and are eaid to have burnt all the town with the exception of the Churchoa and the religious houses. They pillaged the Priory, but, as thoy could not find the money chest, they slew one of the Monks, Thomas de la Hale, because he would not tell them where the money waa. Hale was Canonized.
(11) Thomas Godspenny was Mayor in 1295 and owing to the loss the town sustained by the French raid the burgesses began to build walls round the town, the old Saxon ?wall along the shore having decayed.
1299 John atte-Sea (12)
1323 John atte-Hall (13)
(12) John atte-Sea, alias John de Mari, was Mayor in 1299, as appears from two of his signatures in Dover Charters.
(13) John Atte-Halle, Mayor in the year 1323, was the son of William Atte-Halle, and Annabella his wife. John had a sister named Annabella, who married Henry de Haute, a man of wealth, who left her a rich widow and she had considerable influence in Dover. John atte-Halle acted with the Lord Warden, Edmund Earl of Kent, in the settlement of an agreement between the Corporation and the Fellowship of the Passage, whereby a portion of the profits of the Passage were regularly paid to the Corporation.
1326 William Virgile (14)
1329 William Hurtyn (15)
(14) William Virgile, who was Mayor in 1326, was the Head of the Passage Fellowship in 1323.
(15) William Hurtyn, who was Mayor in 1329, was of a family who were Jurats and Mayors for a good many years. He was one of the Fellowship of the Passage. The Hurtyns (whose name was also spelled Hortim) held land which had been reclaimed from the estuary of the Dour, at present forming part of the sit© of Castle Street and ihe Tan Yard.
1340 John Monin (16)
1342 Nicholas Valentine (17)
(16) John Monin was the first, on the existing records, of a family which came from Normandy at the Conquest. John Monin is mentioned as holding an appointment under Edward III. in 1328. He was Mayor in the years 1340, 1372, and 1375, but there is some doubt whether the John Monin, Mayor of the two last mentioned years, was the same individual who was Mayor thirty years earlier.
(17) Nicholas Valentine, Mayor in 1342, was one of the owner* of Passage ships.
1344 Alexander Hurtyn (18)
1353 Nicholas atte-Hall (iq)
(18) Alexander Hurtyn was Mayor in 1344 and 1363. He had been Bailiff in 1342.
(19) Nicholas atte-Hall was Mayor six times, commencing in 1353. He was accused at the Court of Shepway, in 1358, with having given a false judgement against John Archer, one of the Company of the Passage Fellowship, but he was acquitted.