Murage Tax for Repairs to the Town Wall at Stamford

Chris Hunt 2023

(from transcription by Justin Simpson F.S.A.)

A murage tax was granted by Edward 1st to the town bailiffs to raise moneys by the taxing of goods brought into the town to repair its walls [P.R. 28 Edward 1, m16].

The King by writ made at Rockingham Castle on the 25th April in his 28th year (1300), by the announcement of William de Langton, Lord Treasurer, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1296-1322), authorised the Bailiffs and honest men of Stamford for and towards its enclosure or walling for better security to levy (murage) toll on all goods brought therein for sale for a period of seven years next ensuing from the date hereof, viz.,

For every load of corn of all kinds for brewing, 1/4d.

Of every horse, mare, ox or cow, 1/2d.

Of every hide of a horse, mare, ox or cow, fresh, salt or tanned, 1/4d.

Of every five bacon (pigs), 1/2d.

Of every ten small (pigs), 1/2d.

Of every ten sheep, goats, and pigs, 1d.

Of every ten fleeces (of wool), 1/2d.

For every one hundred skins of (bleeting) sheep, lambs, and goats, 1d.

For every hundredweight of skins of lambs, kids, hares, rabbits, foxes, cats, and squirrels, 1/2d.

For every hundredweight of grey (cloth) work, 6d.

Every quarter of salt, 1/4d.

Every load of cloth, 1/2d.

Every entire (piece of) cloth of the value of 40 shillings, 1/2d.

Every trussell (or roll) of cloth brought by a cart, 3d.

Every hundredweight of worsted cloth, 2d.

Every cloth of worsted called coverlet and worth 40 shillings, 1d.

Every hundredweight of linen woll, 1/2d.

Every hundredweight of linen woll of Aylesham, 1d.

Every piece of fine Cendallo (silken cloth), 1d, and of other (kind of) silk, 1/4d.

Every hundredweight of salt stock fish, or hard fish, 2d.

Every cart load of sea fish, 1/4d; and every load of the same, 1/2d.

Every salmon, 1/4d.

Every dozen of lamphreys, 1d.

Every thousand of herrings, 1/4d.

Every load of cinders or ashes, 1/2d.

Every load of honey, 1d.

Every sack of woll, 2d.

Every load of tan, to be sold by the week, 1d.

Merchandize weighing a hundredweight, 1d.

Of every weigh (168 lbs.) of tallow and ointment, 1d.

Of every quarter wayde (?), 2d.

Of every two thousand of garlic or onions, 1/2d.

Every bale Cordwain (Cordovan leather), 3d.

Every hundredweight of boards, 1/2d.

Every mola (? millstone – see below), 1/2d.

Every hundredweight of faggots, 1/4d.

Every thousands of turfs, 1/4d.

Cart load of wood or timber by the week, 1/2d.

Hundredweight of tin, brass, or copper, 2d.

Every trussell of whatever merchandize to be sold exceeding the value ten shillings, 1/2d.

And for every trussell merchandize not (herein) named exceeding five shillings or more, 1/4d.

Transcribed by Justin Simpson F.S.A.

Notes

Justin Simpson 1833-1896, was very much an antiquarian of his time, he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and was a prolific writer of articles which appeared in local and regional papers, and in learned journals, many of these articles related to Stamford.

Glossary

cordwain – leather for shoes etc.,

lamphreys – a fish of the genus Petromyzon,

mola – salt-cake or millstone (salt was needed to tan leather),

murage – a toll or tax levied for the building or repairing a town wall(s), tan – oak bark,

trussell – a bundle, turf - peat

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