TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF WINCHESTER. THE CHARTER OF INCORPORATION. HENRY II. and King John conferred upon this city all the unprecedented privileges of a Corporation, by virtue of which it became, in a certain sense, "a little independent state in the heart of the kingdom;" the chief citizens electing their own magistrates, and framing laws for their own government. Thus the Guild of Winchester, it is believed, became the first corporation in the kingdom, with full power of conveying their wares and merchandise, toll free, throughout the kingdom; making their own commercial laws; and taxing all artificers and strangers within their jurisdiction; for, by the said charter, it is recited, "That all the "citizens of Winchester shall be free from all toll, passage, duty, and custom throughout the land, and that 66 none presume to distrust them in any of these things, "or to do them any injury or insult." And the following extract will exemplify how tenaciously these privileges were appreciated by our ancestors; for, in the tenth year of the reign of Henry IV., in consequence of a complaint having been made by the citizens of Winchester against the city of London for distraining freemen of the former place on selling their merchandise in London, for non-payment of toll, It is entred in the chamber of the Guilde of the cyte of London, in the tyme of Drewgh Barantyne, Mayor of the same citie, in the tenthe yere of the Raigne of King Harry the iiijth, after the conquest, in the booke H. :— That the 5th daye of November, in the 5th yere of the Raigne of Harry the iiijth, after the conquest, Ther came here before Drewghe Barantyne, Mayor, and th alderme of the citie of London, Mark le faire, maior, William Wodd, recorder, and Willia Archer, one of the bayliffs of the citie of Winchester, as well for them selfs as for the citie of the Guilde merchant of the same cytie of Winchester, grevouslye complayni"ge howe that thofficers of the Shereffe of the cytie of london aforesayd had distrayned the fre men of the Guilde aforesayd for there goods bought in the sayd cytie for the custome of two shillings of every carte to be payed, to there great hurt and damage, and contrary to the composition made betwene the Mayor, Aldermen, and Cominaltie of the citie of london aforesayd, and the Mayor and the Cominaltie of the citie of Winchester aforesayd, in the 4th yere of the Raigne of Kinge Edwarde the Sonne of Kinge Harrye, assemblinge then to gether John Bolonde, then maior of london, William De leyre, John De Wangrave, Thomas Romayne, Walt of Fynchingefelde, as in the booke wt the letter "C," in the LXXXj leaffe it is contayned, The tenor of whiche composition folowethe in theis words: "The Mondaye next before the feaste of th annunciation of o' ladye the virgin, in the XXXiind yere of the Raigne of Kinge Edwarde the sonne of Kinge Harrye, Assemblinge then together John Boland, then mayor of london, William De leyre, John De Wangrave, Thomas Romayne, Walt" of Finchingefelde, Richard of glocit, Nycholas of Farandon, John of Donstaple, Nicholas Picot, Thomas Selye, Hugh Pourte, Aldermen, and John of Burforthe, Shereffe, and other citizens, for them and for the cominaltie of the cytie of London; and Roger De Inkepen, then Mayor of the cytie of Winchester, and John De Kyrkebye, his concytizen, for them and the comynaltie of the cytie aforesayd, to treat upon certain contencions betwene them, moved for dyverse customes of the cytizens of Winchester by the bayliffs of London in London taken. There reasons on bothe parts beinge pposed, the contencion aforesayd ceassyd in man* and forme folowinge,-That is to saye, that all the cytizens of Winchester of there Guilde of Marchaunts be quiet in the citie of London of poundage, murage, and pannage, and other customes whatsoever they be, of their mauchandise to be takin, except tonnage of wolle of olde tyme payed: that is to saye, of the first Sacke six pence, and of evri other sacke folowinge 5a, And except the customes of lether and lames Skynnes, and |