Piece
Transferred to SC 5/8/6 and subsequently to C 47/8/1
Catalogue reference: SC 5/8/7
Transferred to SC 5/8/6 and subsequently to C 47/8/1
Item
Citizens of Rochester. King. The people of Rochester make four requests:1) They request...
Catalogue reference: SC 8/219/10939
What’s it about?
This record is about the Citizens of Rochester. King. The people of Rochester make four requests:1) They request... dating from [? c. 1331] in the series Special Collections: Ancient Petitions. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
Is it available online?
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Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- SC 8/219/10939
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Date (When the record was created)
- [? c. 1331]
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Description (What the record is about)
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- Petitioners
- Citizens of Rochester.
- Addressees
- King.
- Nature of request
- The people of Rochester make four requests:1) They request the confirmation of their charters, and that they might be able to bequeath their tenements within the walls on their deathbeds, as the city is so badly ruined by the usages of gavelkind that the Keeper of the city is having to pay the farm out of his own purse.2) They complain that, since their town is a sea port, many merchants pass through with their goods to other places rather than remaining in Rochester, and ask that the merchants might be compelled to remain in Rochester for a certain time, and to sell their merchandise there if they can find a merchant to buy it.3) They request exemptions for certain sales in the city, as happens elsewhere in the realm.4) Since the town is poor and unable to aid the king, they ask that markets held within three or four leagues of the city be transferred into the city.
- Nature of endorsement
- [None]
- Places mentioned
- Rochester, [Kent]
- Newehuyde (New Hythe), [Kent]
- Maidstone, [Kent]
- Aylesford, [Kent].
- People mentioned
- Henry, King of England
- Henry de Coleham (Coldham).
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Note (Additional information about the record)
- An inquisition into the grievances of the people of Rochester was held in 1331 (CIM 1307-49, no.1256), and although there is no obvious direct connection between the two, both refer to Coldham as warden, suggesting that the petition probably dates to around the same time.
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Related material (A cross-reference to other related records)
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For another version of this petition see SC 8/137/6804
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
- French
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Closure status (Whether the record is ‘open’ (available to the public) or ‘closed’ (not available due to a legal exemption))
- Open Document, Open Description
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Publication note(s) (A note of publications related to the record)
- Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous, vol. II, Edw II - 22 Edw III, (Public Record Office, 1916), no.1256 (inquisition regarding the grievances of the people of Rochester)
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C9334498/
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Series information
SC 8
Special Collections: Ancient Petitions
See the series level description for more information about this record.
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Citizens of Rochester. King. The people of Rochester make four requests:1) They request...
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