| A
Royal Charter
Because of their legal and royal significance, royal charters have a
very distinctive format which has remained largely unchanged over the
years. Below is the basic structure that most charters will contain.
Opposite is a basic charter form Swansea’s past that illustrates how
the structure fits together.
1. The Initial Protocol
Superscription e.g. 'Henry by the Grace of God king of England
Lord of Ireland and Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine'
Address e.g.. 'To the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earls
Barons Justices Sheriffs and all his bailiffs and faithful'
Salutation 'Greeting'
2. Text
Notification 'Know That'
Exposition e.g.. 'For the good and loyal service that our dear and
faithful [Your name here] has done for us' or 'We have inspected the
charter of ... in these words'
Disposition 'we have given and by this our charter confirmed
...'
Final Clauses 'Therefore we wish and firmly enjoin', provisos
etc.
3. The Final Protocol
Testimonium 'These being witnesses...'
Date 'Given by our hand at ... the twelfth day of May in the
twelfth year or our reign...'
|
Charter of King John to the Burgesses of Swansea, 5
May 1215 (P.RO., Chancery, Charter Rolls. C.53/12. m.2.).
Translation from Latin.
John, by the grace of God, King of England etc.
Know that we have granted, and by this our charter have confirmed to our
burgesses of Sweyneshe that they may go and come through all our land,
with all their merchandise buying and selling and trading, well and in
peace freely and quietly and honourably and that they may be quit of
toll passage pontage stallage and lastage and all other customs saving
in all things the liberties of our city of London Wherefore we will and
firmly command that our aforesaid burgesses of Sweyneshe and their heirs
be quit forever from us and our heirs throughout all our land of the
aforesaid customs and that they go through all our land buying and
selling and trading as is aforesaid
Witnesses: the Lord Peter,
Bishop of Winchester, William Mareschal, Earl of Pembroke, William, Earl
of Warrenne, William, Earl of Salisbury, William Brewer, Peter fitz
Herbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, and Philip de Albini. Given by the
hand of Master Richard de Marsh, our Chancellor, at Reading, the fifth
day of May in the sixteenth year of our reign.
This charter is an abridged version of the actual document. The
burgesses of Swansea wanted to improve their trading position by asking
for exemption from payment of various tolls. King John agreed to their
request- with the exception of the City of London. Such charters were
often granted by the king in exchange for financial benefit. Note the
large number of witnesses, often considered necessary if there was doubt
over the honesty or validity of the charter. Sometimes these lists were
very long indeed.
|