Page images
PDF
EPUB

whatsoever requisite, happening or appertaining to such a passage to pass over and transport, and to repass and re-export all men, horses, and other things transportable, over the said water, river, port, or arm of the sea of Knockfergus aforesaid, from the land of the upper Clandeboys, or from any other part of the same, to the aforesaid town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and from the said town of Knockfergus, and from any part of the same town, and from the county of the town aforesaid, to the aforesaid land of the upper Clandeboys, and that the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, and their successors and assigns, from time to time for ever, may take, receive, have, and enjoy so many the like such, and the same freights, rewards, sums of money, and all other profits, commodities, and emoJuments whatsoever, for the transporting all men, horses, and other things transportable over the aforesaid passage, (as many the like,) and that with any one having the like passage, doth take, receive, hath, or may hath, or any other having the like passage, receive, have, or enjoy, or what they or any of them, ought to take, receive, have, or enjoy, for transporting of men, horses, cattle, or any other things in the like case, in any other passage within the kingdom of Ireland.

To have, hold, and enjoy the aforesaid passage, freight, rewards, sums of money, and other the premises with their appurtenances, unto the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and to their successors and assigns, 40 the sale and proper use and behoof of them the mayor, sheriffs, and successors, as from our castle of Dublin, in free and common succoge, and not in capite, neither by

succoge in capite, nor by knight's service, and we further will, and firmly command to be enjoined, that no other person or persons may appoint, erect, or make, or shall cause to be appointed, erected, or made any other passage over the said water, or river, port, or arm of the sea of Knockfergus aforesaid, which shall be to the annoyance or hindiance to the aforesaid passage, above by these presents formerly granted.

And furthermore, of our more ample grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs, and successors, we give, grant, and confirm unto the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and to their successors for ever, the third part of all and singular our customs, as well great as small, to be divided into three parts, and all and several sums of money due and payable unto us, our heirs and successors, for such customs hereafter to be paid for and concerning any wares, merchandize whatsoever, from time to time, brought or carried, or to be brought or carried into our port of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, or into any other port, Eay, or creek,belonging or adjacent to the said town of Knockfergus, and being betwixt the sound of Fair Furlong, in the county of Antrim, and the Beerlooms in the county of Down, as also for and concerning all wares and merchandizes whatsoever, from time to time, shipped, loaded, or exported of, from, or out of the said port or haven of Knockfergus, or of, from, or out of any other haven, creek, or bay, or any other place within the sound of Fair Furlongs and Beerlooms aforesaid, or from any of them, always excepting out of this our grant and reserving unto us, our heirs and successors, the other two parts of the customs aforesaid,

and of the sums of money due and
payable, or from thence forth due,
to be unto us, our heirs and suc-
cessors, by reason of the said customs,
And we further will, and by these
presents for us, our heirs and suc-
cessors, do grant and confirm unto
the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses,
and commonalty of the town afore-
said, and to their successors, that
it may not be lawful for any person
or persons to enter or go aboard any
ship, barque, or boat, coming to
the town aforesaid, or the haven of
the same, to buy or forestall any
merchandize, without the special
licence of the mayor of the said
town for the time being, upon pain
of forfeiture of 10, lawful money
of England, to the mayor, sheriffs,
burgesses and commonalty of the
town aforesaid, and their succes-
sors for ever, as often as they shall
offend in manner aforesaid, and we
further will, that no man shall be
attached or arrested, or cause to at-
tach or arrest any man being in any
houses of the mayor, sherits, bur-
gesses, or of a freeman's of the same
town, unless it be for some treason
or felony, so long as he be or shall
remain in the sanie house, and that
no inhabitant of the aforesaid town,
nor any other person or persons,
shall salt, or cause to be salted, nei-
ther or any of them, hides or other
merchandize, within the town or
County of the town aforesaid, unless
be be free in the town aforesaid.

Neither yet shall any person or persons salt or compound any herrings, or any other kind of fish, to be sold to any other person or persons without the licence of the mayor of the town aforesaid for the time being, first obtained upon pain of forfeiture of the said hides, merchan dize, herrings, or other fish, to the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, and their successors, without ren

dering any account, or any thing else to us, our heirs and successors, for the same, and that none shall buy any thing privily in the said town, out of the market or marketplace, upon pain of forfeiture of the thing so bought, to the mayor, sherifls, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, in manner and form aforesaid.

Aud of our more plentiful, special grace, certain knowledge, and merc motion, we have given and granted, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, do give and grant to the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commoualty of the town aforesaid, and to their successors, that they and their successors for ever, may have, receive, and retain to their proper use and behoof, the customs of murage, cranage, quayage, anchorage, and lastage. of and for all ships and barges ging in or coming out of the said haven of Knockfergus aforesaid, and of and for all merchan dize brought in or carried out of the said port of Knockfergus aforesaid, and the bays and creeks of the same, in as ample mauner and form, as our city of Dublin, or any other city or town within our realm of Ireland, now hath heretofore hath had, or hath accustomed to have.

And furthermore, of our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we have granted and have given licence to the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonality of the town of Knockfergus afore said, and to their successors, that they and their successors, from time to time, may be able to purchase and receive, lands, tenements, rents, and all other hereditameuts, to the full value of forty pounds, current money of England, by the year, ultra reprizal, or under, but not above, so as the said lands, tenements, rents, and hereditaments, are not held

[ocr errors]

us, our heirs or successors, in capite, or by knight's service, to have and to hold to them their heirs and successors for ever.

And furthermore, for us, our heirs and successors, we give and grant licence to all and every person or persons whatsoever, that they, and every of them, may be able and of power to grant, bequeath, or assign or alien the mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, and their successors, any lands, tenements, rents, and here. ditaments, with the appurtenances and form aforesaid, to the yearly value aforesaid, or under, but not above, so that the same lands, tenements, rents, and hereditaments, be not held of us, our heirs or suc cessors, in capite, nor knight's service, to have and to hold to the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses and commonalty of the county of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and their successors for ever, the statute against land or tenements, put in mortmain, or any other act, statute, ordinance, or provision, to the contrary thereof, made any wise notwithstanding.

And that the mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and cominonalty of the town aforesaid, nor their successors, nor the aforesaid person or persons, nor the heirs of them, or any of them, be troubled or aggrieved by reason of the premiums, or any of them, by us, our justices, escheators, sheriffs, coroners, or other bailiffs or ministers of us, our heirs, and successors, and this without fee or fine, great or small, in the hanaper of the chancery, or elsewhere, to our use for the premises, or any of the premises, to be paid or done without any inquisition or inquisitions, from thence by precept, or virtue of any of our commissioners, or the commissioners of our heirs or successors, to be returned into our

chancery, or the chancery of our heirs or successors, or elsewhere, and without having, obtaining, or prosecuting any of our writs, or the writs of our heirs or successors, of ad quod damnum in that behalf, the statute of not putting lands and tenements into mortmain, or any other statute, act, ordinance, provision, restraints, or other mandates, from thence to the contrary, concerning the same, before these times made or established, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever, to the contrary notwithstanding.

And furthermore, of our ample special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs and successors, we give and grant licence unto the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and to their successors for ever, that it may, and shall be, lawful for the said mayor, sheriff's, burgesses, and commonalty of the aforesaid town, and their successors, and for every of them being merchants of the said town, and not otherwise, to ship, load, carry, and transport from the foresaid town, and from the port of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and from all other ports, creeks, bays, and places between the sound of the Beerloom's and Fair Furlongs, aforesaid, and from every of them, out of one realm and kingdom of Ireland, to all and every our kingdoms and dominions, and to all other regions and kingdoms whatsoever then shall be in our friendship, or the friendship of our heirs and successors for the time being, all manner of grain, so that the price of a Bristol-band barrel of wheat do not exceed the price of sixteen shillings current money of Ireland, and also all other merchandize or ware, commodities, and other things hereafter encreasing, happening,

renewing, or to be made within our kingdom of Ireland, or any part thereof, yielding and paying thereout to us, our heirs and successors, poundage and subsidy, and also the two parts to be divided, parts three of all and singular our customs due and payable to us, our heirs and successors, without any penalty, seizure or forfeiture thereout, to us, our heirs and successors, to be made, rendered, or incurred, saving notwithstanding to us, our heirs and successors, the parts of the customs aforesaid, to be divided into three parts as aforesaid; and also the poundage or payment of twelve pence out of the pound, and all other subsidies, (except the third part of the customs thereout payable,) for all such merchandize to be exported or transported out of the same town or county, and from any port or creek of the same, payable, and to be paid to us, our heirs and successors, unless we, our heirs, or our deputy-general of the said realm of Ireland for the time being, or our council, or the deputy-general, or council of our heirs and successors, there for some just special cause, shall prohibit, and think fit to prohibit such transportations of the grain aforesaid, forbidding that the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, for the time being, or their succesSovs, by reason of the premes., should after any manner be occasioned, troubled, forced, vexed, or after any sort grieved by us, our heirs or successors, or by our jus tices, escheators, sheriffs, bailifs, customs, or any other of our officers or ministers, or the officers and ministers of our heirs and successors, notwithstanding the statute made in the parliament held in the 66th year of the reign of our predecessor, Lord Edward the fourthi, late king of England; that is to say, That

no staple wares should be transported or carried into the realm of Scotland, or into any part thereof, without paying the customs, and that no kind of grain should be laden, shipped or transported out of the said kingdom of Ireland, unless the said grain were under a certain price as in the same act is specified, and notwithstanding the statute made in the 11th and 12th years of the neign of the Lady Elizabeth, late queen of England, by whatsoever merchandize are prohibited to be shipped, embarked, or transported out of this kingdom of Ireland, under sundry pains, as in the said statutes more fully is contained, or any other statute, act, ordinance, or provision whatsoever.

And furthermore, of our more special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs and successors, we give and grant to the foresaid mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Carrickfergus aforesaid, and their successors, for the better maintenance of the said town, and the inhabitants thereof, that it shall not be lawful for any persons to discharge, unload or unship, carry, export or convey, any grain, hides, tallow, wool, linen, yarn, cloth of all sorts, or any other commodities or merchandizes whatsoever, in, or to, out, or from, any port, bay, or creek, within the sound of Beerlooms, and Fair Furlongs aforesaid, (the bays or creeks of Belfast, Bangor, and Olderfleet, only excepted,) except in or at, or out or from the port or quay of the town of Knockfergus, under the pain of forfeiture of all and singular such commodities, things, and merchandizes, so discharged or unloaded, unshipped, carried out, or transported to the foresaid mayor, sheritts, burgesses, and commonalty of the town aforesaid, and to their successuss, for the

time being, and that no stranger discharge or unload within the said part of the said town of Knockfergus, in or within the limits, franchises, and liberties of the same town, nor shall convey, or carry away, from the said port, any goods, commodities, or merchandizes, to any other place or town, to be sold, or to be put to sale by retail, unless such person or persons so loading and discharging the foresaid commodities and merchandizes, within the said port of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and the franchises and liberties of the same, be free inhabitants and comorants in the said town of Knockfergus, or within the liberties or franchises of the same, or in some other incorporate town in our said realm of Ireland, in whatsoever case we will that every such person or persons immediately be fore the unloading and discharg ing of such commodities and merchandize, shall bind themselves to convey and carry away the same commodities and merchandizes, without delay to the said corporate town, there to be sold and put to sale, and in no place else whatsoever.

And furthermore, we have given, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do give unto the said mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the town of Knockfergus aforesaid, and to their successors, that aforesaid sheriffs of the said town of Knockfergus aforesaid, whatever for the time being shall be from time to time, shall be able and of power, to account, by an attorney or attornies, by them deputed by letters patent, under the common seal of the same town, before the treasurer and barons of the exchequer, of our heirs and successors in our realm of Ireland, of all manner of accounts and debts due, levyed, or payable by the foresaid sheriffs of the same town,

to us, our heirs and successors, or charged, or to be charged upon them, or any of them, against us, our heirs and successors, and to render account aforesaid, by the said attorneys from time to time before the treasurer and barons of the exchequer aforesaid, and that the said sheriff's upon every account to be made by their attorney aforesaid pay, or cause to be paid, to the officers of our exchequer aforesaid, the sum of six and twenty shillings, and eight pence, current money of Ireland, and no more, for all and every fees and vailes to the officers aforesaid, in that behalf to be given or paid, and that they perfect their accounts aforesaid, in manner aforesaid, by the treasurer and barons of our exchequer, or of our heirs and successors, be admitted and received from time to time, even as if the said sheriffs were present and sworn there in the said court of exchequer, to give a true account thereof, so that the payment of our debts, and the debts of our heirs and successors, on that behalf, be in no wise retarded, and that the sheriff's of the town of Knockfergus, for the time being, and every of them, for ever from time to time, shall take their corporal oaths, before the mayor of the said town of Knockfergus, for the time being, that every such account, so by them to be transmitted to the exchequer, and by their attorneys, from time to time, to le past as true, and that all and every the mayors of the said town of Knockfergus, for the time being, by these presents, and every of them, may have full power and au thority from time to time for ever, to administer all such oaths to the sheriffs aforesaid, without any other" commission or warrant of ours, our heirs or successors, to be in that behalf obtained, and that the said sheriff, nor their attornies, or any

« PreviousContinue »