countable to the justices of his Exchequer; and in case the said sheriffs themselves should prove insolvent, and not be able to satisfy the amerciaments and farm, then the citizens to be accountable, saving to the said citizens their liberties aforesaid. The said sheriffs likewise enjoy the liberty of other citizens, and not to be amerced above twenty pounds, and that not to endamage any of the other citizens, though the sheriffs are not sufficient.

"And that if the sheriffs commit any offence by which they incur the loss of their lives or members, they shall be adjudged according to the laws of the city; that is, be tried by citizens before the justices of the Exchequer. He likewise confirms to them the sheriffwick of London and Middlesex, at three hundred pounds per annum, and forbids all persons to do any damage to the citizens of London, in those things that belong to the sheriffwick; and withal he grants, that if any thing should be given away by him or his heirs, which of right belongs to the sheriffs of London, the same to be allowed on account of the Exchequer.

"In the third, ann. 1. he again commands all wears in the Thames and Medway, to be removed, and that no wears for the future be put up any where in the Thames and Medway, upon the forfeiture of ten pounds sterling. He likewise clearly remits all that the keepers of the Tower of London were wont to exact yearly upon the account of the said wears, and forbids the said keepers to exact any money, or give any person any trouble by reason of the same.

"In the fourth, ann. 16. he likewise commands the removal of all wears, &c. and grants to the barons of the city of London yearly, to choose a mayor; the said mayor to be presented to him, or in his absence to his justices; at the end of the year, to proceed to choose another, or to retain the same, presenting him again to him, or in his absence to his justices. He likewise confirms to them all their former Immunities, saving only the Chamberlainship to himself.

"In the fifth charter, said to be ann. 3. he grants that the guild of the weavers, shall not be in the city; and that

whereas

whereas the said guild were wont to pay him eighteen marks yearly, he agrees with the citizens to pay him twenty marks into the Exchequer for a gift, &c.

"Henry III. ann. 11. grants the city of London a new charter, confirming the sheriffwick of London and Middlesex, at the yearly rent of three hundred pounds per annum, as aforesaid; as also, liberty to choose and remove their sheriffs; orders the said sheriffs to be presented at the Exchequer; and the citizens (if the sheriffs do not answer the amerciaments, and the farm,) to do it themselves, saving their liberties as aforesaid, and the said sheriff their other liberties.

"He orders the amerciaments of the sheriffs not to exceed twenty pounds, and that if they do any offence whereby they ought to incur the loss of their lives or members, that, according to the law of the city, they be judged before the justices of the Exchequer. He repeats again their former grant of holding the sheriffwick of London and Middlesex, quietly, honourably, and wholly by the farm of three hundred per annum; and provides, that if himself or any of his justices, shall grant to any person any thing belonging to the sheriffwick of London, &c. that it shall be accounted for to the citizens of London, in the acquittal of the said farm in the Exchequer.

"In the second charter, ann. 11. he grants to the barons of London, the liberty to choose a mayor; orders that he be presented, after his election, to him, or in his absence to the justices. That at the end of the year, they proceed to a new choice that the said barons enjoy all their liberties, saving only the chamberlainship to himself.

"In his third charter, ann. 11. he commands the removal of all the wears in the river of Thames and Medway. He forbids the keepers of the Tower of London to demand any thing as they were wont formerly, upon account of their wears, and declares the said wears to be injurious, not only to the city of London, but to the whole realm*.

* It is said by Calthorp, in his tract of the city's liberties, p. 15. that the king's hand, as well as seal, was set to this charter; the like whereof (says he) I never did hear or read of before.

"In his fourth charter, ann. 11. he grants that no citizen plead without the walls of the city, excepting his moneyers and ministers, and in foreign tenures. He likewise grants to them an acquittal of all murther within the walls of the city. That no citizen be obliged to wage battle, and that they have liberty to discharge themselves of the pleas of the crown according to the custom of the city. That none be lodged upon them by force. That they be free from all toll, lestage, &c. throughout England. That they be amerced according to the law of the city. That there be no miskenning in any pleading in the city. That the hustings sit once a week. That they enjoy their debts, &c. according to the custom of the city. That pleas for debts lent in London, be holden in the city. That they enjoy the former liberty of hunting. That they be quit of all bridtoll, childwite, jeresgive, and of all scotale, as aforesaid; and that they and their heirs hold their liberties of him and his heirs hereditarily.

"In his fifth charter, he grants the warren of Stanes, &c. to the inhabitants of the county of Middlesex, and gives leave that the same should be diswarrened and disforested, &c.

"In this sixth charter, ann. 11. the covenant between the king's brother Richard earl of Cornwal, and the mayor and commonalty of London, concerning Queen-hith, is repeated, and Queen-hith granted to the city at the yearly rent of fifty pounds, to be paid at two equal proportions every year in Clerkenwell: which grant not long after was solemnly confirmed by the king for him and his heirs, &c.

"In the seventh charter, ann. 37. he grants to the citizens of London, &c. all their liberties and free customs, which they had in the reign of Henry his grandfather. He appoints that the mayor be yearly presented to him, or in his absence, to the barons of the Exchequer at Westminster; and allows to the sheriffs of London yearly, seven pounds, upon account for the liberty of St. Paul's, and that the citizens, throughout all his dominions, both here and beyond sea, be quit of all tolls and custom, &c.

"In his eighth chapter, ann. 50. he grants to the citizens of London to traffic with their merchandizes where they pleased, as well by sea as land, and grants them a general immunity from all toll, &c.

"In his ninth charter, ann. 52. (the citizens having forfeited their former charters) he is reconciled to them, and grants as follows; that none of them be compelled to plead without the walls of the city, except foreign tenures, and his moneyers and officers, and such other matters which are contrary to the peace of the realm, &c. he grants them likewise acquittal of murder, in the city and portsoken, and that none of them may wage battle, and that they may discharge themselves of the pleas of the crown according to their antient custom; except only that they shall not swear upon the graves of the dead, but that others be chosen to do that which the deceased should have done in his life: and he also grants that none shall lodge within the walls of the city, and in portsoken, by force, or by delivery of the marshal.

"He further grants them liberty to dwell with their merchandises, and to trade free in any part of his dominions, and as well on this, as beyond the seas, to be free in all his seaports from all toll, lestage, &c. excepting only his custom and prizes of wine, which was, for one tun before, and another behind the mast, twenty shillings; and withal grants, that if any person take any toll of them contrary to his grant, that the sheriff of London shall take their goods by withernam* at London.

"Also thatthe hustings be holden once a week, and that the citizens have right done them within the city for their lands and tenures, according to the antient custom of the city; that they have liberty to appoint their attorney, as well in pleading as defending there, as elsewhere in our court. That there be no miskenning in their pleas, i. e. where they have

* Withernam, by some is defined to be vetitum namium, that is, an illegal taking of goods, &c. But others more rightly deriving it from the Saxon piðen, wither, contra, and Namia, from Namium recipere, have shewn that it signifies a recaption, or taking again, that is, a taking of something in lieu of another thing unjustly taken or detained.

not

not declared altogether well. And that of all debts, promises, &c. made in London, pleas be there holden according to their antient custom, and that all be quit of childwite and jeresgive, and from scotale. That the citizen have and hold Jands, debts, and tenures as formerly. That there be no forestalling, &c. upon the forfeiture of the goods bought after that manner, and imprisonment.

"Also that no goods be put to sale before the custom be levied, without great punishment, and the forfeiture of the said goods. That no stranger buy any goods before they be weighed at the king's beam, upon forfeiture of the said goods. Further he grants, that the citizens, for the better security of their debts, might have liberty to enrol them in the Exchequer; but no debt to be enrolled unless testified by six or four witnesses, and that they pay for every pound so enrolled, one penny for his use; and likewise grants that they enjoy all their former customs, provided they are not contrary to right, law and justice, making a reserve to himself touching Jews and merchant-strangers.

"Edward I. by his charter, ann. 26. appoints that the mayor and sheriffs of London, be presented in his absence to the barons of the Exchequer at Westminster, till his next coming to Westminster or London, and then to be presented to himself, &c. or in case that neither he, nor the said barons shall be at London or Westminster, then they shall be presented to the constable of the Tower. He also grants to the citizens aforesaid, that they be for ever free from * Pannage, † pontage, and murage. That the sheriffs of London be amerced as the sheriffs of other counties; and that the citizens enjoy all their former liberties, freedoms, quittals, and free cus

toms.

Pannage from Pannaguim, described by Spelman to be a benefit which was received by the keepers of forests, for allowing hogs and cattle to feed; or according to Domesday Book, "wood for hogs."

+ Pontage, a duty paid for passing over bridges with horses, carts, carriages, &c. or under them with boats, ships, &c. toward repairing such bridges.

Murage, a contribution toward repairing the walls and edifices of a

“Edward