Moreover we, willing to do greater grace to the same burgesses, have granted for us and our heirs, as much as in us doth lie, to the aforesaid burgesses, that although they or their ancestors or their predecessors burgesses of the borough aforesaid shall not, up to now, on any occasion arising, have fully used any one or any of the liberties and acquittances in the charters and letters aforesaid contained, nevertheless they and their heirs and successors burgesses of the borough aforesaid, may fully enjoy and use those liberties and acquittances, and each of them henceforth without let or hindrance of us or of our heirs, escheators, sheriffs or other bailiffs or ministers of us or our heirs whomsoever, the said clause in the charter of the aforesaid Richard the King, our progenitor contained, to wit "And if they will not pay the debts, and will not come to deraign at Colchester, our burgesses, to whom those debts are owing, may take naam of that county in which they who owe those debts dwell, until they pay them those debts, or that they deraign at Colchester that they do not owe them" wholly excepted.

These being witnesses, the venerable fathers Thomas of Canterbury, Primate of all England, R. of York Primate of England, Archbishops, R. of London, J. of Ely, E. of Exeter, Bishops, Thomas of Warwick, Henry of Northumberland, Ralphe of Westmoreland, Earls; John de Scarle, our Chancellor; John de Norbury, our Treasurer; William Roos of Hamelak, William de Wilughby, John de Cobham, Thomas de Erpyngham, our Chamberlain; Thomas de Remston, Steward of our household; master Richard de Clifford, keeper of our Privy Seal; and others.

Given by our hand at Westminster the fifteenth day of February, in the first year of our reign.

By the King himself and for £10 paid in the hanaper.

We therefore holding established and agreeable the grants and confirmations aforesaid and all other things in the Charters and Letters aforesaid contained do for us and our heirs, as much as in us doth lie, accept, approve, and to the now burgesses of the borough aforesaid and [† to their heirs and successors, burgesses] of that borough do grant and confirm them, as the Charters and Letters aforesaid do reasonably witness, and as they ought to use them, and they and their ancestors have reasonably been accustomed to use and enjoy the liberties and other things in the Charters and Letters aforesaid contained, from the time of the making of the same,

The Charter at this point is defective owing to a burn or damp, so that the words within brackets do not appear.

the said clause, to wit: "And if they will not pay the debts, and will not come to deraign at Colchester, our burgesses to whom those debts are owing, may take naam of that county in which they, who owe those debts, do dwell, until they pay them those debts, or they deraign, at Colchester, that they do not owe them," wholly excepted.

And further, at the supplication of the now bailiffs, burgesses and commonalty of the borough aforesaid, of our fuller grace, and for the greater security of the same bailiffs, burgesses and commonalty, their heirs and successors, and for all manner of ambiguity and controversy which, upon the liberties and franchises aforesaid on account of divers obscure words in the charters and letters aforesaid contained, also on account of sinister intention and voluntary interpretation of the same, might in future be generated we have granted, for us and our heirs, as much as in us doth lie, to the aforesaid bailiffs, burgesses and commonalty that the same bailiffs, burgesses and commonalty and their heirs and successors may have cognizance of all manner of pleas concerning all lands, tenements, rents and services within the borough aforesaid, and the suburb and liberty of the same proceeding or happening, as well of pleas of assizes of novel disseisin and mort d'ancestor, redisseisins, certificates, assizes and attaints as of all other pleas real. And also of pleas of debt, trespass, covenant, detinue, account, and other pleas personal whatsoever, within the borough aforesaid, suburb, or liberty of the same proceeding or happening, in the Motehalle of the same borough before the bailiffs of that borough for the time being to be held, as well in the presence of us and of our heirs as in the absence of us and our heirs, also executions of the pleas aforesaid. And that the same bailiffs and their successors may have cognizance of all the pleas aforesaid, and that those pleas before whomsoever justices in any way whatsoever begun, may in our court in the Motehalle of the borough aforesaid, be prosecuted, terminated and executed before the aforesaid bailiffs and their successors.

In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness myself at Westminster, the seventh day of July in the first year of our reign, by the King himself and for twenty four marks paid in the hanaper.

[NOTE.-The foregoing Charter was collated by MR. ISAAC H. JEAYES, of the British Museum,

with the original Charter.]

henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland, to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Barons, Justices, Sheriffs, Provosts, Ministers, and all his Bailiffs and faithful people, greeting.

Know ye that at the humble supplication of our beloved, the burgesses of our vill of Colchester, in the county of Essex, we have understood how, among other things granted to them, their heirs and successors by the charter of the Lord Richard formerly King of England, the first after the Conquest, our progenitor by us confirmed, it was granted to the same that they might appoint from amongst themselves whomsoever they would for bailiffs and justices to hold the pleas of the crown of our said progenitor, and to plead the same pleas within their borough. And that no other should be justice thereof, except him whom they should choose. And that they should not plead nor be impleaded concerning any plea without the walls of the same borough.

And how also, among other things granted to the burgesses of the borough aforesaid, by the charter of the Lord Edward, late King of England, our progenitor by us confirmed, it was granted to the same that whensoever any assizes, juries or inquisitions concerning tenures within themselves, or concerning trespasses, contracts or felonies done within the said borough, should arise to be done, those assizes, juries, and inquisitions should in no wise be done by foreigners, but by the burgesses of the same borough, unless that matter or that deed should touch the same our progenitor, or his heirs or ministers, or the commonalty of the same borough, as in the said charters and confirmation is more fully contained.

And also how, among other things granted to the bailiffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the said borough by the letters patent of our dearest lord and father deceased, it was granted to the same that they and their heirs and successors should have cognizance of all manner of pleas concerning all lands and tenements, rents and services within the borough aforesaid, and the suburbs and liberty of the same

issuing or happening, as well of assizes of novel disseisin and mort d'ancestor, of redisseisins, certificates, assizes and attaints, as of all other pleas real; and also of pleas of debt, trespass, covenant, detinue, account, and of other personal pleas whatsoever within the borough aforesaid, the suburbs or liberty of the same issuing or happening, in the Mothalle of the same borough before the bailiffs of that borough for the time being to be held, as well in the presence of our said father and of his heirs, as in the absence of him and of his heirs, also executions of the pleas aforesaid, as in the same letters patent and confirmation is more fully contained.

Which grants indeed, on account of the obscurity and difficulty of the words in the same contained, and for want of a full declaration of the intentions of our said father and progenitors to the aforesaid burgesses, according to their conceptions, in such form as the intentions of the same our father and progenitors did exist, do not at present stand validly.

We therefore, in consideration of the premises of our especial grace, have granted to the aforesaid burgesses, their heirs and successors, that the liberty, suburbs, and precinct of the aforesaid vill of Colchester, which indeed liberty, suburbs and precinct in the said charters or letters are not expressed, shall extend themselves within the same vill of Colchester, and through all the hamlets of Lexden, Milend, Grinsted, and Donylond to the same vill of Colchester adjacent, and from Northbrigge up to Westnesse, which hamlets, indeed, the aforesaid burgesses and their predecessors, burgesses of the said vill of Colchester as parcel of the liberty, suburbs, and precinct of the same vill of Colchester from time whereof the memory of man exists not, peaceably and without interruption have used and enjoyed.

We have granted also to the aforesaid burgesses that the bailiffs of the said vill of Colchester for the time being and their successors can and may hold before them in the Motehall of the same vill, all manner of pleas, and all manner of actions, real, personal and mixed, suits, plaints, and demands moved or to be moved within the said vill, or within the liberty, suburbs, or precincts of the same, as well of whatsoever lands, tenements, rents, services, and other possessions whatsoever within the same vill, or within the liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same being, as of debt, detinue, account, covenants, and of all manner of contracts reaching the sum of forty shillings or under, or exceeding the same sum, and of all manner of trespasses by force and arms or otherwise perpetrated, also of all manner of offences and misdeeds touching no felony within the said vill or liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same vill happening or in any wise arising unless they touch us our heirs, or the bailiffs of the said vill or the commonalty of the same; and that the same bailiffs and burgesses may have levy and receive by their own hands to their own use all manner of issues, forfeitures, and things to be forfeited, fines and amercements adjudged and

to be adjudged before them in all such pleas, actions, suits, plaints and demands within the said vill of Colchester or within the liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same, happening or arising; and that the burgesses of the same vill may plead and be impleaded in the vill aforesaid, and not elsewhere, before the bailiffs aforesaid concerning all the pleas aforesaid.

We have granted also to the aforesaid burgesses, their heirs and successors, that they may yearly, at the time of election of the bailiffs of the aforesaid vill of Colchester of old accustomed elect four of the more honest men of the same vill to be, together with the bailiffs of that vill for the time being for one whole year from the time of such election, justices of our peace within the same vill and within the same liberty, suburbs, and precinct of the same vill; and that the said four men and bailiffs, five, four, three, and two of them be justices of the peace in the same vill, and in the liberty, suburbs, and precinct of the same vill, and that the same justices for the time being, five, four, three and two of them may have full correction, punishment, power, and authority of ascertaining, inquiring, hearing and determining all things and matters as well concerning whatsoever felonies, trespasses, misprisions and extortions, as concerning all other causes, plaints, and misdeeds whatsoever within the same vill and liberty, suburbs and precinct of the same vill henceforth in any way whatsoever arising or happening, as fully and entirely as the Justices of the peace, and the justices assigned and to be assigned to hear and determine felonies, trespasses and other misdeeds, also justices of weights, measures, huntsmen, servants, labourers and artificers in any county or place of our kingdom of England have.

And that no justice to keep our peace in our county of Essex or in any other county or place of our said kingdom except only the said four men and bailiffs, five, four, three, or two of them may have power to correct, enquire, hear and determine anything within the said vill of Colchester, or within the said liberty, suburbs, and precinct of the same vill done; and that the bailiffs and burgesses of the same vill and their successors, may for ever have all manner of fines, issues, forfeitures and amercements before the aforesaid justices of the peace within the said vill and within the aforesaid liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same, and all manner such chattels of all manner of felons, fugitives, outlaws, condemned and men howsoever convicted, as within the same vill or within the aforesaid liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same shall happen to be found, or all manner such chattels of felons-of-themselves within the same vill, or within the aforesaid liberty, suburbs, or precinct of the same, found.

And if any person shall commit any trespass for which he ought to lose life or limb, or shall fly, and refuse to stand to judgment, or shall commit any other trespass for which he ought to lose his chattels, wheresoever justice ought to be done