Burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed. King. The burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed make three...

Petitioners

Burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Addressees

King.

Nature of request

The burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed make three petitions:1) They request repayment of the remainder of a sum of 1000 marks, apparently promised to help them rebuild their town after it was burnt down, and of which they have received only £33.2) They request that the three different customs paid on wools, hides and woolfells shipped from Berwick might be amalgamated into one payment of 13s. 4d. a sack, as they will otherwise be forced to leave the town for poverty.3) They request swift repair of the walls of the town, which are ruined in several places.

Nature of endorsement

Special petitions.Concerning the second article of this petition, the King, wishing to bring comfort to the burgesses, merchants and inhabitants of the town of Berwick, and to others who will wish to live there, wishes them to have the effect of this article, of his special grace, to last for the next three years. Provided always that they do not ship wool originating on this side of the River Coquet, on pain of forfeiture of these wools, during the aforesaid term.

Places mentioned

Berwick-upon-Tweed, [Northumberland]

River Coquet

River Tweed

Northumberland

Teviotdale, [Roxburghshire, Scotland]

Scotland.

People mentioned

Richard [II], King of England.

For another petition from the same petitioners, see SC 8/196/9793

For the petition which brought about the grant of reduced customs by Richard II mentioned here, see SC 8/95/4749

• Calendar of Patent Rolls, Hen IV, vol. IV, 1408-1413, (Public Record Office, 1909), p.194 (grant for three years, removing ambiguities in customs at Berwick upon Tweed)
• Northern Petitions Illustrative of Life in Berwick, Cumbria and Durham in the Fourteenth Century, Ed. C.M. Fraser, (Surtees Society, vol. CXCIV, 1981), pp.55-7 (no.28) (edition of petition)