Charter 11 Edward III, 1337, relating to the Duchy of Cornwall

(18th March 1337)

For Edward, Duke of Cornwall The King to Archbishops, &c, greeting. Know ye, that whereas we, lately willing to honor the person of our beloved and faithful Edward Earl of Chester, our first-begotten son, with the common assent and counsel of the prelates, earls, barons, and others of our Council, being in our present Parliament convoked, at Westminster, on Monday next after the feast of St. Matthias the Apostle last past, did give to our same son the name and honor of Duke of Cornwall, and prefer and gird him with the sword as Duke of Cornwall, as is fitting, and in order that he might keep up the estate and honor of Duke more becomingly according to the nobility of his rank, and more easily support the charges in that behalf incumbent, did give and grant by our charter, for us and our heirs, to our same son, under the name and honor of Duke of the said place, the shrievalty of Cornwall, with its appurtenances, and the castle, borough, manor, and honor of Launceston, with the park there and other their appurtenances in the counties of Cornwall and Devon ; the castle and manor of Tremeton, with the town of Saltash, and the park there, and other their appurtenances in the counties aforesaid ; the castle, borough, and manor of Tyntagel, with the appurtenances, in the said county of Cornwall ; the castle and manor of Rostormel, with the park there, and other their appurtenances, in the same county ; and the manors of Clymeslond, with the park of Keribullock, and other their appurtenances ; Tybeste, with the bailiwick of Poudershire, and other its appurtenances ; Tewynton, with the appurtenances ; Helleston, in Kerrier, with the appurtenances ; Moresk, with the appurtenances ; Tewarnayl, with the appurtenances ; Pengkneth, with the appurtenances ; Penlyn, with the park there and other its appurtenances ; Rellaton, with the bedelry of Estwyvelshire and other its appurtenances ; Helleston, in Trigshire, with the park of Hellesbury and other its appurtenances ; Lyskiret, with the park there and other its appurtenances ; Calistok, with the fishery there and other its appurtenances ; and Talskydy, with the appurtenances, in the same county of Cornwall ; and the town of Lostwithiel in the same county, in the same county of Cornwall ; and also all profits of our ports within the same county of Cornwall to us belonging, together with wreck of the sea, as well of whale and sturgeon and other fish, which belong to us by reason of our prerogative, as other things whatsoever to such wreck of the sea in anywise howsoever appertaining, in all the aforesaid county of Cornwall ; and the profits and emoluments of County Courts holden in the aforesaid county of Cornwall, and of the hundreds and the courts of the same in the same county to us belonging ; and also our stannary in the same county of Cornwall, together with the coinage of the same stannary, and with all the issues and profits thereof arising, and also the explees, profits, and perquisites of the courts of the stannary and mines in the same county, except only one thousand marks, which we have granted for us and our heirs to our beloved and faithful William de Montacute Earl of Salisbury, to be received by him and his heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, out of the issues and profits of the coinage aforesaid, under a certain form in our other charter to the same Duke thereof made more fully mentioned : To have and To hold to the same Duke and the first-begotten sons of him, and his heirs, Kings of England, and hereditarily to succeed as Dukes of the said place, in the kingdom of England, together with knights' fees, advowsons of churches, abbies, priories, hospitals, chapels, and with hundreds, fisheries, forests, chaces, parks, woods, warrens, fairs, markets, liberties, free customs, wards, reliefs, escheats, and services of tenants, as well free as bondmen, and all other things to the aforesaid castles, towns, manors, honor, stannaries, coinage, lands, and tenements in anywise howsoever and wheresoever belonging or appertaining, together with certain other manors, lands, and tenements in divers other counties of our kingdom, of us and our heirs for ever, as in our said other charter is more fully contained. We being willing to show more ample favor in this behalf to the aforesaid Duke for more fully supporting such honor, have granted for us and our heirs that the aforesaid Duke, and the first-begotten sons of him and his heirs, Kings of England, hereditarily to succeed as Dukes of the said place, in our kingdom of England, have for ever returns of all the writs of us and our heirs, and of the summonses of the Exchequer of us and our heirs, and attachments as well of pleas of the Crown as of others whatsoever in all their said lands and tenements and fees in the aforesaid county of Cornwall, so that no sheriff or other bailiff or minister of us or our heirs enter the same lands or tenements or fees to make executions of the same writs and summonses, or attachments of pleas of the Crown, or other things aforesaid, or to do any other office there, unless in default of the same Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid of the same place, and their bailiffs and ministers, in their lands, tenements, and fees aforesaid. And also that they have chattels of their men and tenants in all the county aforesaid being felons and fugitives, so that if any one of their same men or tenants for his crimes ought to lose life or limb, or shall flee and refuse to abide judgement, or shall commit any other crime whatsoever for which lie ought to lose his chattels, wheresoever justice ought to be done upon him, either in the courts of us, or our heirs, or in any other courts, the same chattels shall belong to the same Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid. And that it shall be lawful to them or their ministers, without the impediment of us and our heirs, our sheriffs and other our bailiffs or ministers whomsoever, to put themselves in seizin of the chattels aforesaid, and retain the same to the use of the same Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid ; and also that they may have for ever all fines for trespasses and other crimes whatsoever, and also fines for licence of concord and all amerciaments, ransoms, and issues forfeited, and forfeitures, year day and waste and strip, and all things which to us and our heirs might appertain concerning such year day and waste and murders of all the men and tenants of their lands, tenements, and fees aforesaid, in the said county of Cornwall, in whatsoever courts of us and our heirs the same men and tenants shall happen to make fines or be amerced, forfeit issues, year day, waste or be adjudged concerning forfeitures and murders, as well before us and our heirs, and in the Chancery of us and our heirs, and before the Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer of us and our heirs, and before the justices of the Bench of us and our heirs, and before the steward and marshal and clerk of the market of the household of us and our heirs for the time being, and other the courts of us and our heirs, as before the justices itinerant [assigned to hold] common pleas and pleas of the forest, and any other justices and ministers whomsoever of us and our heirs, as well in the presence of us and our heirs as in the absence of us and our heirs ; which fines, amerciaments, ransoms, issues, year day, waste, or strip, forfeitures, and murders, to us or our heirs would appertain if they had not been granted to the aforesaid Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid ; so that the same Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid, by themselves or by their bailiffs and ministers, may levy, receive, and have such fines, amerciaments, ransoms, issues, and forfeitures of their men and tenants aforesaid, and all things which to us and our heirs would appertain of year day and waste or strip and murders aforesaid, without the hindrance or impediment of us and our heirs, our Justices, escheators, sheriffs, coroners, and other our bailiffs or ministers whomsoever. Wherefore we will and firmly order, for us and our heirs, that the aforesaid Duke and other the Dukes aforesaid of the same place for the time being have for ever the liberties aforesaid as is aforesaid, and them and every of them henceforth fully enjoy and use. These being witnesses, the Venerable Fathers John Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, our Chancellor; Henry Bishop of Lincoln, our Treasurer ; Roger Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield ; Thomas Earl of Norfolk and Marshal of England ; our most dear uncle Richard Earl of Arundel, and Thomas Earl of Warwick ; Thomas Wake of Lydel, John de Mowbray, John Darcey, the nephew steward of our household ; and others. Given by our hand at Westminster, the Eighteenth Day of March.

By the King himself and the whole Council in full Parliament.