Letters Patent (dated 20 July 1562) being a charter of incorporation granted to the burgesses of the ancient bor. of ...,

Letters Patent (dated 20 July 1562) being a charter of incorporation granted to the burgesses of the ancient bor. of New Radnor, whose charters granted by several Earls of March formerly lords of the said bor. had been destroyed in the rebellion of Owen Glendour, and to the inhabitants of the manor of Radnor Foren, parcel of the lordship of Radnor and Radnorslande, being adjacent to the said bor., by the name of The Bailiff, Aldermen and Burgesses of the bor. of New Radnor, to be one body corporate and polite with a common seal. Thomas Powell ap Stephen is nominated to be the first bailiff, and Phillip Lunteley and Rees Lewes to be the first two aldermen of the newly constituted bor.. To the bailiff, aldermen and burgesses are granted the bor. and manor aforesaid, with their appurtenances, with the annual rent of assize of the said bor. due every Michaelmas amounting to the valueof £13.3.71/2; all that annual rent of 9d. of increased rent of one tmt formerly of Alice Hercer in Newstreate; all that annual rent of 6d. of increased rent of Thomas Andrewe for a parcel of waste land there between the tmt of John Brays in Yarestreate and extending from the burgage of the said Thomas to that of Matilda Brown over and above 6d. of ancient annual rent; all that annual rent of 1d. of the increased rent of Thomas Shepperde for a parcel of waste land lying between his tmt and that of James Hunt; all that annual rent of 7s.21/2 within the said bor., belonging to the lordship of Pembridge; all that annual rent of 6d. of New rent of one acre of land there in the lord's hands by the forfeiture of John Gilbert; all that annual rent of 2d. of the increased rent of a certain lane there extending from the high street called Bothald lying between the tmt of John Shepperde and the land of Thomas ap Hoell; all that rent of 6d. for an acre of land there in the lord's hands by the forfeiture of John Cooke, dec.; all that annual rent of 2d. of new rent of Thomas Baker for a parcel of land there lying in Bredestreate at the end of the said Thomas's bakehouse as demised to him and his heirs by court roll - amounting in all to the annual value of £3.13.6 - all the issues and profits of the tolls and markets within the town of New Radnor and the liberties thereof to the annual value of 27s.10; all that mill called Heynesmyll with the watercourse and all its appurtenances in the said bor., now or late in the tenure of Anne Griffith, widow, and Griffith Jones, her son; all that rent of assize within the said manor of Radnor Foren, viz., all that rent of 6s. of the rent of twelve castleguards to be paid at Christmas by whosoever be the keeper of the Castle there; all that rent of the Patria there to be paid annually at the term of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, amounting to 53s. a year; all that annual rent of 4d. for the rent of one pound of Cinnamon there; all that annual rent of 2s. of new rent of Richard Hoby for a certain pasture there in Vndelpill near Donyngton which he recovered against John Payne, to hold to him and his assignes at will, to be paid yearly at Michaelmas; all that rent of 10d. for the rent of William Tomkyns for one parcell of waste land there called Grenesacre and two Stockins called Atwoode lande over and above the old rent; all that annual rent of 4s.4 of rent called Rollyngesland which John Hawkyns took of the lord to hold to him and his assigns for the term of 100 years which are expired; all that rent of 4d. of the rent of one Stockynge there called Heryngeslande which Richard Howell took of the lord to hold to him and his assigns for the term of 100 years which are expired beyond the ancient annual rent; all that rent of assize there due annually at Michaelmas to the value of £7.17.13/4; all that annual rent of 16s. for the rent of Benwall there payable at the term aforesaid; all that annual rent of 4d. of the increased rent of one acre there called Grenesacre over and above 10d. of ancient rent which Richard Howell took of the lord for a term of 100 years; all that annual rent of 20d. for increase of rent of one tmt there called Nottland in the town and fields of Walton late in the hands of John Payne for the term of his life by court roll; all that annual rent of 2d. of increased rent of one acre of land with a parcel of the More lying under Radnorslande over and above 4d. of rent of Griffith ap Meredith; all that annual rent of 4d. for the rent of one acre of land there near the Knolle; all that annual rent of 4d. of the advowry rent of Richard Delavere there by court roll; all that annual rent of 8d. of the rent of Richard Harris tenant by advowry there; all that annual rent of 4d. of Lewes Carpenter there by court roll; all that annual rent of 4d. of the advowry rent of Godogan lloia by court roll; all that annual rent of 12d. of the advowry rent of 4d. for the rent of Henry Noke, William Noke, Codogan lloya, John Loue and Rees Soynter; and all that rent of Howell ap David Vaughan by court roll; and all that annual rent of 6s.8 of increased rent of a certain parcel of land called Helfylde demised to Ieuan ap Ll'n ap Meredd. over and above the ancient rent; which several annual rents of assize amount to £12.12.53/4; all the moiety of one mill of Cascoppe there with its appurtenances to the annual value of 2s. so demised to the wife of Ieuan Gwillm.; all that parcel of land in haymeade there of the annual value of 18d.; all that havotry of Llan Ieuan at the Chapel of St John there with 13s.4 of the increase of the farm of the said havotry of the yearly value of 36s.8 so demised among other things to William Phelippes for the term of 21 years; all those demesne lands in the field under the park of annual value of 20s. so demised to Thomas Dennyns; all that meadow called Brodwalmes of the annual rent of 6d.; all that curtilage there at Brodwarme of the annual value of 6d.; all that moor called Gorthe, formerly of Eign' Ware, of the annual value of 6d.; all that selion of escheat land there near Walton of the annual value of 2d.; all that acre of land under Smachore of the yearly value of 2d., amounting in all to £3.2.0 a year; all that custom there called hernyeld of the annual value of 30s., all those escheat lands in and tmts there called Warrallislande of the annual value of 10s. over and above 2s.6 of ancient rent; all those new rents with increase of rent there viz., that annual rent of 2s. of new rent of David Meiricke for the watercourse from Hyndwall to his mill; all that rent of 2s.8 of the increased rent of a parcel lying in Hynde near Churchewaye on the east so demised to Jenkyn Howell for a term of years, beyond the ancient annual rent of 6s., all that rent of 2s.4 of the increased rent of the land there called Warralles and the site of the mill called Crouchmyll so demised to David ap Rise ap Meiricke, beyond the ancient annual rent amounting to 7s.; together with all the m's burgages lands, services, customs, courts, baron courts leet and view of frankpledge and the perquisites thereof within the said bor. and manor, (except the Castle of Radnor, the advowson of churches known to belong to the donation of the crown, the woods there called Atwoode, Cumbergerwyn, and Northwoodde of the annual value of 37s.6 the park there called Radnor Parke with the demesne lands of the castle of the annual value of 110s.8, the lordship and manor of Newcastell with a mill there called Halbatche myll of the annual value of £3.14.8 and the Forest of Radnor of the annual value of £16) to be held in fee farm at an annual rent of £37.8.13/4. The charter further provides for a Common council to consist of 25 of the best and most honest burgesses, to be called Capital Burgesses and Councillors (the following being nominated as first capital burgesses in addition to the above named baliff and alderman who are to be included - Thomas Lewes, Griffith Jones, John Madocke, esq's, John Lewis, Walter Vaughan of Harpton, Stephen Powell, Morgan Price, John Price of Kynarton, Clement Donne, John Havarde, John Watlyn of Llynwennye, Edward Howell, John ap Rice, William Gryme, Roger Powell, John ap Price ap John, Hugh Davyes, John Powell, David Donne, Rise Harries, Phillip Powell and Stephen Madocke); with the use of a certain hall in New Radnor called the Buthall of the said bor., as a Council house - and having power to make laws for the regulation of the bor.. The Capital Burgesses are to elect in Sept. of every year, one of themselves to be bailiff for the ensuing year, and two to be aldermen for the same term, the bailiff to take a corporal oath before his predecessor, and the aldermen before the bailiff and the preceding Aldermen, in the presence of six capital burgesses. Provision is made for the election of a Recorder, and a Common Clerk and the election of a Recorder, and a Common Clerk and Prothonotary to hold office during pleasure, [There is a lacuna in the text here, one membrane being lost.
The particulars from here to the close of the brackets are taken from the Charter of George II - two chamberlains for each year, an auditor, a receiver and such constables and inferior officers as may appear necessary to the Common Council, two Serjeants at Mace, a coroner, a burgess for each Parliament, capital burgesses to keep the total number at 25 in the event of a death or removal of appointed burgesses. The charter further provides for a Court of Record to be held on Monday in every week.] the amercements and fines of which are granted to the use of the Common Council; a prison, of which the bailiff for the time being or his sufficent deputy is to be the keeper; view of frankpledge; the arrest of felons within the bor.; the return of writs, so that no sheriff of the crown may enter the bor. except in default of the Bailiff Alderman and burgesses; the assize of bread, wine, beer and other victuals, the bailiff for the time being to be the clerk of the market; a market on Tuesday in every week, and three fairs each year, the first to start on Tuesday after the Feast of Holy Trinity, the second on the third day of August, and the third on the Feast of St Luke, and in each case to last for two days next following the said dates, a Court of Pye Powder and all customs thereto pertaining, together with a gild merchant; the bailiff, recorder and aldermen for the time being, to act as justices of the peace within the bor. and to have such powers as are given to justices of the peace in any county; the common clerk to be clerk of the peace for the bor.; power to assess and levy tolls and taxes; freedom from duties for the merchandise of burgesses; the power to levy reasonable tolls on merchandise within the bor.; burgesses not to be compelled to appear before any justice of the peace or coroner in Radnorshire except before the Chief Justice of the county for the time being, provided a jury of not more than ten men from the manor of Radnor Foren be supplied for each General Sessions of the Peace for Radnorshire upon precept directed to the bailiff of the bor.; no freeman of the bor. to be impleaded by another freeman out of his liberty for any personal action; the right to make free burgesses out of the inhabitants of the bor. and manor; the power to buy manors, lands, rectories, tithes etc., not held in chief of the crown or by knight's service, and not exceeding the value of £100 a year; pardon for all arrears of rent due to the Queen and her predecessors and from all writs of quo warranto issued before the date hereof; no fee to be payable for these letters patent. Latin. 4 membranes with illuminated margins. Seal and one membrane missing.

Preferred citation: 1.

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