The Magna Carta Project

Notification of the King’s grant of the sheriffdom of Middlesex and London to the men of London, confirming the £300 farm of the city

Identity

Title

Notification of the King’s grant of the sheriffdom of Middlesex and London to the men of London, confirming the £300 farm of the city

Beneficiary

Men of London (People)

Date of issue

5 July 1199

Place of issue

Bonneville-sur-Touques (Places)

Archive

A1 = London Metropolitan Archives COL/CH/01/008/A; A2 = Ibid. 008/B. Reproduced by kind permission of London Metropolitan Archives, City of London

Copies

B = BL ms. Additional 38131 (London laws etc) fos.87v-88r, s.xiv ex.

Seal

A1 sealed sur double queue, pink, green and white cords through 3 holes, seal impression in dark green wax, with many small bubbles in the wax, most of the bottom right hand side of seal impression missing, cords hanging down at least 370mm. below the fold; A2 sealed sur double queue, green, white and pink cords through 3 holes, fine seal impression in green wax varnished brown.

Enrolled

Printed

(calendar from A1A2) The Historical Charters and Constitutional Documents of the City of London, ed. Walter de Gray Birch, revised ed. (London 1887), 15-17 no.9 (citing sources p.309: Cotton Vespasian D xvi fo.59; Sloane 754 f.4; Harley 1125 f.3; Harley 2058 fo.5, Pd Riley ii 251; J.E. p.11; Maitl. 74; Noort 777; Luffin 25).

Scribes

Comment

A1 Endorsed: karta domini reg(is) Ioh(annis) de vicecomitatu Lond' et Midd' (s.xiii in) et aliis libertatibus (s.xiii med); + (?s.xiv); carta reg(is) Ioh(ann)is ............ r(egis) E(dwardi) tercii........ (s.xiv); various post medieval endorsements. Approx. 336 X 261 + 39mm. Infilled with pen strokes, with a further line of pen squiggles under the fold, presumably made before the folding, in case the fold was too narrow. Capitalized IoHANNES of King's name. A2 Endorsed: karta domini reg(is) Ioh(annis) de vicecomitatu Lond' et Middelsex' (s.xiii in); carta reg(is) Ioh(ann)is de vicecomitatu (s.xiii med) ....... c. (s.xiii); duplicatur (s.xiv). Approx. 320 X 269 + 45mm. Carefully infilled at the end. Cords hanging down at least 310mm. below the fold.

Photos
Photo of charterPhoto of charter
Transcription

Iohannes Dei gratia rex Angl(ie) dominus aHyberniea dux Norm(annie) Aquit(anie) et com(es) bAndeg(auie)b archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, com(itibus), baron(ibus), iustic(iis), vic(ecomitibus), prepositis et omnibus bailliuis et fidelibus suis salutem. Sciatis nos concessisse et presenti carta nostra confirmasse ciuibus London' cvicecomitat(um)c dLondon'd et de Middelsex' cum omnibus rebus et consuetudinibus que pertinent ad predictum evicecomitat(um)e infra ciuitatem et extra per terras et per aquas habendum et tenendum eis et heredibus suis finabiliter de nobis et heredibus nostris reddendo inde annuatim nobis et heredibus nostris trescentas libras sterlingorum blancorum duobus terminis anni, scilicet ad scacc(ariu)m Pasch(e) cent(um) et quinquaginta libr(as) et ad scacc(ariu)m sancti fMicha(e)ll(is)f cent(um) et quinquagint(a) libr(as) saluibus ciuibus gLondon'g omnibus libertatibus et liberis consuetudinibus suis, et preterea concessimus ciuibus hLondon'h quod ipsi de seipsis faciant vicecomites quoscumque voluerint et amoueant quando voluerint et eos quos fecerint vicecomites presentent iustic(iis) nostris qui respondeant nobis vel iustic(iis) nostris ad scac(cariu)m nostrum de hiis que ad predictum vicecomitat(um)c pertinent ex quibus nob(is) respondere debent, et nisi sufficienter responderint et satisfecerint, ciues iLondon'i respondeant et satisfaciant de misericordia et firma, saluis eisdem ciuibus libertatibus suis sicut pred(i)c(tu)m est, et saluis vicecomit(ibus) eisdem libertatibus quas alii ciues jLondon'j habent, ita scilicet quod si illi qui pro tempore fuerint vicecomites constituti aliq(uo)d delictum fecerint un(de) misericordiam pecunie debeant incurrere, non iudicentur ad plus nisi ad misericordiam viginti librar(um) et hoc sine dampno aliorum ciuium si vicecomites non sufficiant ad misericordiar(um) suarum solucionem. Si vero aliq(uo)d delictum fecerint per quod periculum vite vel membrorum incurrere deb(e)ant, iudicentur sic(ut) iudicari deb(e)nt per leg(em) ciuit(atis). De hiis aut(em) que ad pred(ictu)m vicecomit(atum) pertinent respond(e)ant vicecom(ites) ad scacc(ariu)m nostrum coram iustic(iis) nostris, saluis eisdem vicecomitibus libertatibus quas alii ciues Lond' habent. Hanc vero concessionem et confirmacionem fecimus ciuibus Lond' propter emendacionem eiusdem ciuit(atis) et quia antiquitus consueuit esse ad firmam pro trecentis libr(arum). Quare volumus et firmiter precipimus quod ciues London'd et heredes sui predictum vicecomitat(um) kLondon'k et de Middelsex' cum omnibus ad pred(ictu)m vicecomit(atum) pertinentibus habeant et teneant de nobis et ldel heredibus nostris finabiliter et hereditarie, libere et quiete, honorifice et integre per predictam firmam trescentarum libr(arum), et prohibemus ne aliquis ciuibus London' aliq(uo)d grauamen vel impediment(um) vel diminucionem de hiis que ad pred(ictu)m vicecomit(atum) pertinent vel pertinere solebant facere presumat. Volumus etiam et precipimus quod si nos vel heredes nostri vel aliquis iustic(ium) nostrorum aliquid dederimus vel concesserimus alicui de hiis que ad firmam predicti vicecomitatus pertinent, illud ciuibus London'd in maquietacionem firme sue ad scacc(ariu)m nostrum annuatim computetur. Test(ibus) E(ustachio) Elyens', S(auarico) Bathon' episcopis, Will(elm)o nMarescall(o)n com(ite) Pembr', Rand(ulfo) com(ite) Cestr', Will(elm)o com(ite) oArundl'o, Roberto fil(io) Walt(eri), Will(elmo) de Alben'. Dat' per man(um) H(uberti) Cant' arch(iepisopi) cancellar(ii) nostri apud Bonam Villam super Tokam, v. die Iul(ii) regni nostri anno primo.

aHibern(ie) A2 bAnd(egauie) A2 cvicecom(itatum) A2 dLond' A2 evicecom(itatum) A2 fMich(aelis) A2 gLond' A2 hLond' A2 iLond' A2 jLond' A2 kLond' A2 lde not in A2 macquietac(i)o(ne) A2 nMariscallo A2 oArundell' A2

Calendar

Notification that the king has granted and in this his present charter confirmed to the citizens of London the sheriffdom of London and Middlesex with all that pertains to the sheriffdom, for they and their heirs to have and to hold from the king and his heirs, paying annually to the king and his heirs £300 at two terms, namely at Easter £150 and at Michaelmas £150.

Original Charters of King John