I (p. [44]) PATENT OF KING JOHN ENTRUSTING A FRENCHMAN WITH THE COMPLETION OF LONDON BRIDGE (1201)
“Literæ patentes, etc. de edificatione et sustentatione pontis Londinensis. Patent Roll 3º Iohannis, m. 2, no. 9.
“Iohannes Dei gratia rex, etc. dilectis et fidelibus suis majori et civibus Londinensibus salutem. Attendentes qualiter circa pontem Xanctonensem et pontem de Rupella Deus a modico tempore sit operatus per sollicitudinem fidelis clerici nostri Isenberti, magistri scolarum Xanctonensium, viri utique literati et honesti, ipsum de consilio venerabilis patris in Christo H. Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi[596] et aliorum, rogavimus et monuimus et etiam coegimus ut pro vestra et multorum utilitate, de ponte vestro faciendo curam habeat diligentem. Confidimus enim in Domino, quod idem pons tam necessarius vobis et omnibus transeuntibus, ut scitis, per ejus industriam, faciente Domino, poterit in proximo consumari. Et ideo volumus et concedimus quod salvo jure nostro et conservata indempnitate civitatis Londinensis, census edificiorum quæ super pontem prædictum idem magister scolarum faciet fieri sint imperpetuum ad eundem pontem reficiendum et operiendum et sustentandum. Quia igitur idem pons tam necessarius sine vestro et aliorum auxilio perfici non poterit, mandamus vobis, exhortantes quatinus memoratum Isenbertum et suos pro vestra utilitate pariter et honore sicut {426} decuerit benigne recipiatis et honoretis in hiis quæ dicta sunt, consilium et auxilium vestrum eidem unanimiter impendentes. Quicquid enim boni et honoris eidem Isenberto feceritis, nobis factum reputare debetis. Si quis vero eidem Isenberto vel suis in aliquo foris fecerit, quod non credimus, vos illud eisdem faciatis, quam citius ad vos pertinet emendari. Teste meipso, apud Molinellum, xviii. die Aprilis.
“Sub eadem forma scribitur omnibus fidelibus per regnum Angliæ constitutis.”
Hearne, at the end of “Liber niger Scaccarii,” London, 1771, vol. i. p. 470*; Thomas Duffus Hardy, “Rotuli Literarum Patentium in Turri Londinensi asservati,” London, 1835, fol. p. 9.
II (p. [53]) PETITION CONCERNING AN OLD BRIDGE, WHOSE ARCHES WERE TOO LOW AND TOO NARROW TO PERMIT BOATS TO PASS
“Unto the ryght wise and discrete comons of this present Parlement; besecheth mekely the comons off the countees of York, Lincoln, Notyngham, and Derby; That whereas ther is, and of longe tyme hath been, an usuall and a commune passage fro dyvers and many parties of the seid countees unto the citees of York, Hull, Hedon, Holdernes, Beverley, Barton, and Grymesby, and so forth, by the hie see, by the costes, unto London and elles where, with all maner of shippes charged with wolle, leed, stone, tymbre, vitaille, fewaille, and many other marchandises, by a streme called the Dike, in the counte of York, that daiely ebbith and floweth: over whiche streem ys made a brigge of tymbre called Turnbrigg, in the parisshe of Snayth in the same counte, so lowe, so ner the streem, so narrowe and so strayte in the archees, that ther is, and of long tyme hath been a right perilous passage, and ofte tymes perishinge of dyvers shippes; and atte every tyme of creteyne[597] and abundaunce of water, ther may no shippes passe under the seid brigge, by the space of half a yere or more, and also a grete partie of the countees to the seid ryver ajonyng, is yerely by the space of xxti myles and more surrownded, by cause of the lowenes and straitenes of the said brigge, to the grete hurt and damage as well to the kyng in his customes {427} and subsidys, that shuld growe to him of the seid marchaundises, chargeable with suche diverse, as to the seid shires, countres, cites and burghes, and the inhabitants of theim. . . .
“Please hit unto your right wise discretions, consideryng the premisses, to pray and beseche the kyng our soverayn lord to graunte . . . that hit shall be lefulle to what sum ever person or persons of the seid shires, that will atte theire owne costages take away the seid brigge, and ther with and profites therof, and in othir wise, newe edifie and bilde anothir brigge there, lengere in lengthe by the quantite of v. yerdes called the kynges standard, and in hieght a yerd and a half by the same yerd heigher then the seid brigge that stondes ther nowe, aswell for passage of all maner shippes comyng therto, and voidaunce of water under the seid brigg as for passage of man, best and carriage over the seid newe brigge so to be made, with a draght lef[598] contenyng the space of iiij fete called Paules fete in brede, for the voidying thorugh of the mastes of the shippes passinge under the seid new brigg; and that every shipmen that wol passe under the seid brigge with their shippes, may laufully lifte up and close the seid lef att their pleser; and that the mayster of every shippe paie for every liftyng of the seid lef 1d. to the lord of the soille for the tyme beyng . . . for the lofe of Godd and in waye of charite. . . .
“Responsio. Le roy de l’advys et assent de lez seignurs espirituelx et temporalx et lez communes esteantz en cest present parlement, ad graunté tout le contenue en icell petition en toutz pointz.”
“Rolls of Parliament,” vol. v. p. 43; 20 Henry VI, A.D. 1442.