XVII. 14 September 1312

Be it known to all men who shall see or hear these present letters ; that whereas debates, contests and riots have often been stirred up in the town of Dover to the great peril and loss of the whole Commonalty of the same town, by reason of which many of the said town have been impoverished and like to be ruined, because they could not pass with their ships, nor gain as the powerful and the rich did : It is agreed and assented to by all the Companions of the Company called " iferschip," to wit, Nicholas Archer, William Archer, William Virgil, John Sander, Simon Giles, Nicholas Valen tine, Virgil Godespeny, William Bagot, John de Sandwich, William Godin, Thomas le Ku, William Joseph, Robert Joseph, John Golofre, Thomas Lovekin, William Sander cock, Nicholas Sandercock, Thomas Salkin, Henry Lovekin, William Giles, William Hurtin, in the presence of the Mayor and of the whole Commonalty, and with their common assent, for the benefit of peace and for the encouragement of good feeling between them, and for the benefit of the whole Commonalty and the benefit of all going, coming and passing, that from the day of the making of this document henceforward no passenger ship shall cross except by turn, that is to say, each ship three fares as soon as it can well be done, and after the three fares finished and completed, that ship shall not cross with passengers until all the passenger ships that belong to the Company of " ffer schip " shall have made their three fares in like manner, provided that the said ships be certified fit and sufficient by the Wardens, who shall be elected and assigned for that purpose : and if any of the said Company causes his ship to cross against the form of this ordinance, be it by force or by prerogative or by any other means, and can be convicted thereof, let him be amerced in 100 shillings sterling, to be paid to the use of our Lord the Kincr, the which 100 shillings the Bailiff of the said town for the time being shall levy on all the ships which he may possess in the Passage, and on the lands, tenements and chattels that he may possess in the said town, and shall deliver the said 100 shillings to the Warden of the Cinque Ports at once, without delay, within fifteen days after that offence committed. And if the said Bailiff" make default or be found negligent in enforcing the levy of the 100 shillings as aforesaid, then it shall be lawful for the Warden of the Cinque Ports or his Lieutenant to enter the said town and to levy the aforesaid 100 shillings to the use of our Lord the King as is above said. It is also ordained and assented to by all the Companions of the " fferschip " that four good and loyal members of the said Company be elected Wardens to protect the said ordinance well and loyally, and that they be sworn before the said Company, and who shall loyally collect and preserve to the common benefit of the whole Company all the services and doles, small and great, as they arise, and that no money shall be delivered by the said Wardens to any of the Company except in payment of his share. Wherefore that upon their certain account each may be served with full fairness and none be undisserved as before they have been, and because we will for us and our heirs, and for all that shall come after that, these ordinances and every article of these ordinances as is above written be firm and established for ever, we have caused to be made three indentures sealed with the common seal of the said town and with all our seals, whereof one indenture shall remain in the Common Chest, the second indenture in the treasury of our Lord the King within his Castle of Dover, and the third part with the Wardens of the " fferschip."

Made and given the fourteenth day of September in the sixth year of the reign of King Edward, the son of King Edward.

Originally eleven seals were attached, four remain fairly perfect.