MURAGE GRANTS. As the town of Lewes had received much injury from the contest which took place in its immediate vicinity, and within its walls, the Earl of Warren, on his regaining his forfeited estates, after the decisive battle of Eversham, solicited the king for a grant of certain tolls or taxes on articles disposed of within the town, towards the reparation of the walls, which had suffered much in the battle two years before. The earl was a favourite with the king: he had been with him in prosperity; and though he had sought his own safety by a flight too precipitous to preserve his honour in the battle of Lewes, yet he had regained the royal favor. His request was granted, and the following instrument authorised the constables of Lewes, to levy duties for the specified purpose. Of the Murage of "To the Bailiffs and good Men, &c., of Lewes, greeting : "Know that at the instance of our beloved and faithful John de Warren, Earl of Surrey, we have granted you in aid towards enclosing your said town, and the security and defence of the same and of the parts adjacent, a certain custom to be taken in the town aforesaid, towards the repair of its walls, to wit, from the feast of Pentecost in the fiftieth year of our reign, to the end of three years next ensuing, viz. "For every cart load of corn for sale, a half-penny-for every horse load of corn for sale, through the week, a farthing-for every horse and mare, ox or cow for sale, a half-pennyfor every hide of a horse and mare, ox or cow, fresh, salt, or tanned, for sale, a farthing-for every cart with sea fish for sale, four-pence-for every horse-load of fish, a penny-for every cart carrying salt meat for sale, two-pence-for ten sheep or hogs for sale, a penny-for ten fleeces for sale, a penny-for every hundred of lamb, deer, or goat skins for sale, a half-penny-for every cart or car load of brushwood for sale, a farthing-for every horse load of hay, through the week, a half-penny--for every cart laden with salt for sale, a penny-for every horse load of cloths for sale, a penny-for every cask (dolium) of wine and potash for sale, two-pence-for every cask of honey for sale, two-pence-for every horse load of honey, through the week, for sale, a half-pennyfor every sack of wool (364lbs.) for sale, four-pence-for half a sack of wool for sale two-pence--for every bundle of cloth for sale, brought by car or cart, two-pence-for every cart laden with iron for sale, a penny-for every horse load of iron for sale, through the week, a half-penny-for every cart load of lead for sale, a penny-for every car or cart laden with tin for sale, a penny-for every tumbrel of squirrels for sale, a half-penny-for weights assized, to wit, for every hundred a penny: De qualibet assiza waide unum den-for two thousand of onions (ceprarum), a farthingfor every thousand of herrings for sale, a half-penny-for every load of garlic for sale, a halfpenny-for every hundred of planks for sale, a half-penny-for every mill-stone for sale, a pennyfor every half-thousand of lathes (late) for sale, a half-penny-for every car or cart for sale, a half-penny-for every car or cart laden with gross timber, a half-penny-for every horse load of thread, a half-penny-for every dozen of cordovans for sale, a half-penny. "And therefore we command you, that you take the custom aforesaid, in the town aforesaid, to repair the walls of the said town, until the end of the term aforesaid, as is aforesaid. But that term being ended, the custom aforesaid shall wholly cease and be at an end. In witness, &c. Teste the King at Northampton, the third day of May'." We have no means of ascertaining the amount produced by the custom on these articles during the three years that it was in operation: nor do we know to what extent the reparation of the walls was carried. They could not, however, have been strongly built, or they would not within seventy years after this 'Translation from the Pat. Rolls. 8 Edward III. m. 35. reparation, have again called for the interference of the crown, and required a much larger sum to complete them. This however appears to have been the case. A grant was obtained from Edward III., in the eighth year of his reign, (1334,) to levy a tax or custom on a great variety of articles: which custom, was to continue in force five years. The following is a translation of the original, among the Patent Rolls 50 Henry III. m. 17. Of the Murage of "The King to the Bailiffs (Ballivis), and good men of the town of Lewes, greeting : "KNOW that in aid towards inclosing the said town, we have granted unto you, that from the day of the date of these presents unto the end of five years next ensuing, you take the underwritten customs for the articles brought for sale into the said town, by the hands of those in whom you confide, and for whom you will be answerable, viz. "For every horse load of corn for sale, a farthing-for every cart load of corn for sale, a half-penny-for every horse and mare, ox and cow for sale, a half-penny-for every hide of horse, mare, ox and cow, fresh, salt, or tanned, for sale, a farthing-for every cart laden with fresh or salt meat for sale, a half-penny-for five fat hogs for sale, a half-penny-for every fresh or salt salmon for sale, a farthing-for every lamprey for sale before Easter, a farthing-for ten sheep, goats, or hogs for sale, a penny-for ten fleeces of wool for sale, a half-penny-for every hundred of sheepskins with the wool on, of goat, stag, hind, deer, and doe skins for sale, a halfpenny-for every hundred of lamb, kid, hare, rabbit, fox, cat, and squirrel skins for sale, a halfpenny-for every horse load of cloths for sale, a half-penny-for every entire cloth for sale, a halfpenny-for every hundred of linen thread, canvas, Irish cloth, and worsted, for sale, a penny-for every cloth of silk and gold, satin, diaper, and embroidered silk, a half-penny-for every piece of silk without gold, and chief (some unknown portion) of Cyprus silk, ribbed, a farthing-for every barge coming to the said town laden with things for sale, three-pence-for every cask of wine and potash for sale, three half-pence-for every horse load of potash for sale, a half-pennyfor every cart load of honey for sale, a penny-for every sack (364lbs.) of wool for sale, twopence-for every bale of cloth for sale, brought in a cart, two-pence-for every horse load of cloth for sale, or of any other small articles brought to the said town for sale, a half-penny-for every cart load of iron for sale, a penny-for every horse load of iron for sale, a half-penny-for every cart load of lead for sale, a penny-for every cart load of tin or pewter for sale, through the week, a farthing-for goods sold by avoirdupois weight, to wit, for every hundred weight, a penny for a weigh (peisa) of tallow and lard for sale, a penny-for every "quarterio waide" for sale, two-pence-for every hundred of alum, coperas, argol, and verdigrise for sale, a farthing-for two thousand of onions for sale, a farthing-for eight sheaves of garlic for sale, a farthing-for every thousand of herrings for sale, a farthing-for every cart load of sea fish for sale, a penny-for every horse load of sea fish for sale, a half-penny-for every hundred of planks for sale, a half-penny-for every mill-stone for sale, a half-penny-for every thousand of faggots for sale, a penny-for ten thousand of turfs for sale, a half-penny-for every barge laden with turfs for sale, a penny-for every quarter of salt for sale, a farthing-for every weigh (256lbs.) of cheese and butter for sale, a half-penny-for every cart load of fire-wood and charcoal, through the week, for sale, a half-penny-for every thousand of nails for sale, a farthing-for every hundred of horse shoes and clouts for carts for sale, a half-penny-for every quarter of tin or pewter for sale, a farthing for every bale of goods brought to the said town for sale, and not exceeding the value of five shillings, a farthing-for every hundred of tin, brass, and copper for sale, two-pencefor every hundred of steel rods (gaddorum aceri) for sale, a half-penny-for every cart load "de Aberden." for sale, a penny-for every hundred of stock-fish for sale, a farthing-for ten stone of hemp for sale, a farthing-for ten gallons of oil for sale, a half-penny-for every other article of the value of two shillings, not here specified, which is brought for sale to the said town, a farthing. "And therefore we command you that you cause to be taken the customs (or duties) above written, as is aforesaid, until the end of the term aforesaid, by the hands of those whom you shall depute for that purpose; but the term of five years aforesaid being completed, the customs abovewritten shall wholly cease and be at an end. In witness, &c., let it continue for the aforesaid five years. Teste the King at York, the third day of March." BY THE KING HIMSELF. The first of these grants, as we have seen, bears the date of 1266; the latter was made in 1334, at a distance of sixty eight years. During the whole of this intervening period, Lewes was the seat of the feudal splendour of the Earls of Warren, and the monastery of St. Pancras was rapidly advancing to consequence and power. There can be no doubt, therefore, that during this time, the trade as well as the population of the town, was on the increase. The injury that it suffered during the civil contentions between the 3d Henry, and the proud and daring Earl of Leicester, was soon lost sight of, and its progress in prosperity was unchecked, so long as the barony continued undivided in the family of the Warrens. On failure, however, of the male heritable line of this noble house, the castle ceased, in a great measure, to be the residence of its owners. The vast sums which had been expended by the lords of the barony, amongst the tradesmen of Lewes, in support of their princely establishment, were now taken from the town; the trade decreased, and the prosperity of the borough gradually declined. The walls of the town, from this period, became neglected, and year after year have they been mouldering away, till at the present time few vestiges of them are remaining, to put us in mind of their former strength. The scite of the walls may still be traced with accuracy, in the far greater part of their course. From the north-east corner of St. John's church-yard, proceeding westward, they ran in the front of Abinger Place, past the Bray Mount, and skirting the castle banks, continued in the same direction, to the top of Westgate-lane, Cutler's-bars, or as it is now termed White Lion lane; then turning to the south, where the remains of the wall are still visible, they terminated at the Westgate; from thence they extended along the bank at the back of Keere-street, to the south-western point of the garden of W. Ridge, Esq.; from thence they proceeded in an eastern direction along the bank to All Saints' Church, and turning a little to the north-east, ran along the Frier's-walk to the East Gate of the town, which stood at the base of School-hill. From this gate they were continued to the Green-wall, at the northern extremity of which they ran in a north-western direction, enclosing the elevated ground upon which St. John's church is built, to the north-western angle of the church-yard. A great portion of the western wall is still to be seen at the back of Keere-hill, and White Lion lane, from which it is evident that it was built of chalk stone, and defended by a high mound, and a deep and wide fosse, in which the two streets just mentioned seem to have been built. Traces of the northern-wall are discernible, bounding the gardens to the north of the western keep of the castle. The south wall of Mr. Shelley's warehouse on the Castle bank is a portion of the old fortification that has been new faced. It seems probable that the whole |