"Riding the Franchises."
Extract from Harris's "History of the City of Dublin," (now become a very scarce work,) chap. vi. p. 114:—
"We shall have little here to do but barely to transcribe the several forms used by the citizens in riding their franchises at different periods, as the same has been transmitted to posterity either by authentic records or ancient manuscripts, whose evidence is not to be controverted at this day; more especially as the reader will readily perceive, by comparing each form, how little variance there has been therein from the beginning to the present times, except in the names of places, which yet are but few. It would indeed be a difficult task for the citizens to have at any time stretched their rights beyond the just limits within the city or suburbs, as they were surrounded on most parts by vigilant neighbours, namely, the ecclesiastics of St. Mary's Abbey, Kilmainham, Thomas-court, and St. Sepulchre's, or the liberties of the Archbishop of Dublin, who were upon all occasions ready to procure papal anathemas and censures against those who offended them in less momentous matters than the loss of their lands. Several of the instruments we shall have occasion to cite are written in Latin; but to show our fidelity, we shall transcribe them verbatim, and for the sake of the English reader, translate them literally into our own language.
"The earliest instrument that occurs is one of John Earl of Morton, and Lord of Ireland, dated at London, the 14th day of May, in the third year of the reign of his brother, King Richard I. (A. D. 1192,) which refers to a former charter of local franchises, granted by King Henry II., now lost. The charter of King John is to be seen in the black book of the Archbishops of Dublin, called "Alan's Register," being collected by Archbishop Alan, in the reign of Henry VIII., and as it containeth other liberties besides their metes and bounds, we shall here give only so much thereof as is pertinent to the subject before the reader:—
"'CHARTA JOHANNIS,
"'Domini Hiberniæ, de metis et franchesiis civitatis Dublin, et de libertatibus concessis.
"'Johannes dominus Hiberniæ, Comes Morton, omnibus hominibus et amicis suis, Francis et Anglis, Hiberniensibus et Wallensibis, præsentibus et futuris salutem.
"'Sciatis nos dedisse et concessisse, et hâc mêa chartâ confirmasse civibus meis de Dublin, tam extra muros, quam infra muros manentibus, usque admetas villæ quod habeant metas suas sicut probatæ fuerant per sacramentum bonorum virorum de civitate istâ per præceptum regis Henrici, patris mei; scilicet, ex parte orientale de Dublin, et australi parte, pasturam quæ ducit usque ad portam ecclesiæ sancti Keivini, et sic per viam usque ad Kylmerckargan, et sic per divisam terræ de Donenobroogi usque ad Doder, et de Doder usque ad mare scilicet at Clarade juxta mare, et de Clarade usque ad Ramynelan. Et in occidentale parte de Dublin ab ecclesia S. Patricii per Wallam usque ad Farnan-Clenegimethe et deinde usque ad divisam terræ de Kylmainam et ultra aquam de Kylmainam juxta Aven-Liffey usque ad vada de Kilmastan et ultra aquam de Aven-Liffey versus boream per Cnocknogannoc et deinde usque ad horrea S. Trinitatis, et de horreis illis usque ad furcas, et sic per divisam inter Clonlic et Crynan usque ad Tolecan et deinde usque ad ecclesiam sanctæ Mariæ de Ostmanby. Hæc etiam eis concessi, salvis tenuris et terrâ omni eorum, qui terras et tenures habent, et chartam meam inde extra muros usque ad prædictas metas; et quod non possit civitas de terris illis, sicut de aliis disponere, sed faciant communes consuetudines civitatis, sicut alii cives. De illis autem dico hoc, qui chartam meam habuerunt de aliquibus terris infra easdem metas extra muros antequam civitati prædictas libertates, et hanc chartam concesserim.'
TRANSLATION.
"The Charter of John, Lord of Ireland, concerning the bounds and franchises of the City of Dublin, and of the liberties granted thereto.