CVIII.
28 October 1553.
Mary, by the grace of God, Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and on earth Supreme Head of the English and Irish Church, to all to whom the present letters shall come — Greeting. Know that we of our special grace and of our certain knowledge and mere motion have given and granted, and by the presents do give and grant, to our beloved the Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty of our town of Dover, in our county of Kent, the rivage and feriage of our whole port of Dover, in our said county of Kent, from all and all manner of skiffs or boats within the port aforesaid for the carrying of men and other things to be carried and transported from the shore of the port aforesaid to the ships in the aforesaid port, and lying at anchor in the deep sea near the aforesaid port, and from those ships to the shore aforesaid : so that none there presume to convey or transport any things or any men in any skiffs, vessels, or boats, except only in the boats or vessels of the inhabitants of our said town of Dover, without the licence of the said Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty, or their assigns : to have, hold, enjoy, and exercise the rivage and feriage aforesaid, with all and singular the commodities, profits, revenues, and advantages whatsoever, which to the aforesaid rivage and feriage pertain, belong, or depend from time past, to the aforesaid Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty of our said town of Dover, and their successors the Mayors, Jurats, and Commonalty of the said town, for ever, for the proper work and use of the said Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty, and their successors for ever, without in any way giving, paying, or making account or any thing else on that behalf to us [our] heirs or successors : provided always that the aforesaid Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty of our said town of Dover, and their successors for the time being, shall from time to time freely carry and transport for ever all our letters and writings, and of our heirs and successors which have to be carried and transported from the shore of the port of the said town of Dover to ships being in the said port, or to the shins lying at anchor in the deep sea near the said port, and from those ships to the shore of the said port, without seeking or demanding any allowance, or any sum of money, or any thing else on that behalf from us, our heirs and successors : and they will exonerate and acquit for ever us, our heirs and successors, from all burdens and sums of money in and about the transport of the same letters which shall be sustained from time to time in form aforesaid : so that express mention be not made in the presents by our will of the true yearly value, or certainty of the premises, or any of them, or of any other gifts or grants formerly made by us, or by any of our progenitors, to the aforesaid Mayor, Jurats, and Commonalty of our aforesaid town of Dover, or any statute, act, ordinance, provision, or restriction made, published, ordained, or provided to the contrary on that behalf, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever, in any way notwithstanding.
In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent.
Witness myself at Westminster on the twenty-eighth day of November in the first year of our reign. (By a Writ of the Privy Seal. Per Hare.)
On the turnover there is an autograph of the Queen.