Folios: 430-430v. Charters of privileges. Grant. First party: Edward III. Second...

Folios: 430-430v. Charters of privileges. Grant.

First party: Edward III.

Second Party: John, duke of Lancaster [John of Gaunt].

Place or Subject: In consideration of the probity and wisdom of his son John, king of Castile and Leon, duke of Lancaster, who has always shown his service to the king, exposing himself on several occasions intrepidly to the dangers of wars, and wishing to recompense him with some reward and honour, with the assent of the nobles in this present parliament, the king grants to his son that he may have for the whole of his life within the county of Lancaster his chancery and his writs under his seal appointed for the office of chancellor, his justices to hold both pleas of the crown and any other pleas concerning the common law, to make cognisances of the same and any executions by his writs and ministers there, and any other liberties and royal rights pertaining the county palatine, as entirely and freely as the earl of Chester has within the same county of Chester, always saving tithes, fifteenths and other taxes and subsidies granted to the king and his heirs by the commonalty of his realm and tithes and other taxes by the clergy of the realm granted to him or imposed on the same clergy by the apostolic see, and pardons of life and members in the case, when anyone of the same county or anyone else in that county ought to lose his life or member for any offence, and also superiority and power of correcting those things, which were done erroneously in the courts of the king's son, or if the king's son or his ministers make default in justice in the courts of his son. The king's son, at the king's command, is held to send to parliaments two knights for the commonalty of that county and two burgesses from each borough there to deal with others coming from the commonalty of the realm to those parliaments about the affairs of the realm therein. And that the king's son is to assign certain loyal and sufficient men to these tithes and fifteeenths, subsides and others taxes, whenever it happens that they are granted to the king or his heirs in parliament.

Dated at Westminster.

28 Feb 51 Edw III.

For original charter see: DL 10/350