jan 1, 1207 - Charter

Description:

ANULPH, Earl of Chester grants a charter to ‘my free burgesses dwelling in my borough of Leek’. They are to be as free as ‘the freer burgesses’ of any other borough in Staffordshire.

Each is to have half an acre attached to his dwelling and one acre in the fields with a right to timber and firewood in Leek forest and common of pasture for all cattle in Leek manor. The burgesses are to pay no rent for first three years and thereafter 12 pence each year. They are also to be quit of all amercements (fees or charges) relating to Leek. They are free to give or sell their burgages to anyone other than religious subject to toll of four pence.

The ban on transfer to religious bodies was tenure of land included an obligation to serve the Lord asa soldier in time of war. A transfer of land to the Church meant that this right was lost the land went into a “Dead Hand” a “Mort Gauge”- the origin of our modern word “Mortgage.”

They are to be exempted from pannage dues (the right to pasture pigs in the forest) in the manor and they are granted privileged grinding at the Earl’s mills. The burgesses are exempted from tolls throughout Cheshire on all goods except salt at the wiches.

King John confirms to Earl

Ranulph the right to hold a weekly market and an annual seven-day fair. The annual fair is to take place beginning three days before the feast of St. Edward (June 20, the feast of Second Translation of Edward the Martyr, or October 13, the feast of Translation of Edward Confessor).

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