THE SEARCH FOR OSWESTRY TOWN WALL

by DERRICK PRATT


APPENDIX 'A'

The form of a Murage Grant

Quoted in Oswald's Well Magazine (September, 1848), I, pp. 178-9; I. Watkin, Oswestry &c ., pp. 109-110; W. Cathrall, History of Oswestry &c ., pp. 28-30.

Of the murage of Oswaldestre.

The king to the bailiffs and burgesses and other good men of Oswaldestre, greetings. Know that we have granted to aid in the enclosing of our town of Oswaldestre, that from the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle in the twelfth year of our reign (21 December 1283) to the end of twenty years thence ensuing, you may take in the same town, for the repair of the walls of the said town

From every horseload of saleable corn, ½d.
From every horse, mare, ox and cow sold, ¼d.
From every fresh, salted or tanned hide of horse, mare, ox or cow, ¼d.
From every cart bringing salted flesh to sell, 2d.
From five porkers sold, ¼d.
From a fresh salmon sold, ¼d.
From ten sheep, goats or pigs sold, 1d.
From ten woollen fleeces, 1d.
From a hundred sheep, goat, stag, hind and doe skins, 1d.
From a hundred lamb, kid, hare, rabbit, fox, cat and squirrel skins, ¼d.
From every cart of saleable salt, 1d.
From every horse-load of salt sold weekly, ¼d.
From every horse-load of cloth for sale, 1d.
From every entire cloth for sale in the town of Gloucester, 1d,
From every silk cloth brocaded and diapered with gold, 1d.
From every silk cloth without gold or chef de cendal, ¼d.
From every cask of wine for sale, 2d.
From every horse-load of honey for sale, 1d.
From every cask of honey for sale, 4d.
From every sack of wool for sale, 4d.
From every bale of cloth for sale brought in by cart, 4d.
From every horse-load of cloth and sundry other small things coming to the same town to be sold, ¼d.
From every cart-load of iron for sale, 1d.
From every horse-load of iron for sale, ¼d.
From every wagon-load of lead for sale, 2d.
From tallow and lard for sale, ¼d.
From every hundred of alum and copperas for sale, ¼d.
From 2,000 onions, ¼d.
From every thousand of herring for sale, ¼d.
From every hundred of boards for sale, ¼d.
From every mill sold, 1d.
From every thousand of laths sold, 1d.
From every new cart sold, ¼d.
From every hundred of faggots
From every quarter of salt, ¼d.
From every dozen horse-loads of coal sold, ¼d.
From every thousand of miscellaneous nails for sale, except cart nails, ¼d.
From a thousand of cart nails for sale, ¼d.
From every hundred horse-shoes and cart-clouts for sale, ¼d.
From every pack of sundry merchandise of the value of two shillings coming into the aforesaid town for sale, ¼d.
From every brewing cauldron sold, 1d.
From every quarter of oatmeal for sale, ¼d.

And we therefore command that you take the said custom to the end of the term aforesaid, but once the said term of twenty years is complete the said custom shall cease and shall be completely abolished. In witness &c, at Shrewsbury ... ... (17 December 1283).