XXXIX. 11 June 1392

Be it known unto all men, that whereas on Tuesday the Feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, in the fifteenth year of the reign of King Richard, the second of England, an indenture was presented in full Brodhulle, held at Romney by the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats and Commoners, for that purpose, by their common assent there assembled, in these words : " Be it known unto all them that shall see or hear this written indenture, that whereas great debates were moved between the Barons of the Cinque Ports and their Limbs, by reason of the taxes, assises, and payments, and other divers charges and expenses, that did oftentimes fall due among them, the cause of such debates being that, to the great damage of them all, no fixed allowances or amendments had been ordained or made from this present backward to a certain Tuesday next after the Feast of Saint Dunstan, in the *fifth year of King Edward, the son of King Henry the Third, when in full Court of Shepwaye, before Lord Henry de Cobham, then Warden of the Cinque Ports, it was covenanted and agreed between them in full accord that all the debts due before that Tuesday before mentioned, as more fully is contained in a Charter of Accounts between the said Lord our King and the Barons of the Cinque Ports, should be levied by apportionment ; that is, to wit, the Port of Hastings a third part, and the Port of Romney with that, of Dover a third part, and the Port of Sandwich with that of Hythe a third part : so, nevertheless, that the entire payments, assises, taxes, and other divers charges and costs, which may be granted or levied amongst them or by them, in what soever form or manner it may be, or for whatsoever cause, shall from the said Tuesday henceforward be levied upon the chattels and moveables of them that owe them. within the Franchise of the Cinque Ports : in such sort that each man bear his charge proportionally to that which he hath, the Franchise of the Cinque Ports excepted, excepted also the cost of his performing his service to our Lord the King, due to him in his wars, for which service each port is of right bound in a fixed sum : and if any promise be made from that day forward without the assent of every the Cinque Ports, then that promise is to be at the peril and costs of him or them that make or shall make the promise : and if any tax, assise, or payment, or other charges or costs, from that day forward, shall be assessed by their consent against the form of this the aforesaid indenture, that such tax, assise, or payment, shall not enure to the prejudice of this the aforenamed indenture, but that this the above said indenture shall remain in force for ever. In witness whereof we the aforesaid Barons of the Cinque Ports, to wit of Hastings, Winchelsea, Rye, Pevensea, Romney, Hythe, Dover, Sandwich, Fordwich, and Faversham, for ourselves and for all our Limbs, have appended our common seals to this written indenture." Whereupon, by the advice and good deliberation of the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats, and Com monalties before named, it was agreed to be in force from this day forward, to wit, that when any of the Mayors, Bailiffs, Jurats, Commonalties, or singular persons of any of the said towns or Limbs of the Cinque Ports be, or may be impeached, impleaded, implead or impeach any other indweller or foreigner, and in the said impeachment or plea moved by one party or the other, issue or traverse be raised upon any point or clause contained in their common charter, or upon any point touching their common usages or franchises, let a Brodhulle be thereupon forthwith assigned at the demand of the Town, Limb, Commonalty, or individual which feels itself aggrieved : to the which Brod hulle each town or limb that of custom ought to come by summons or notice to the said Brodhulle, and cometh not as it ought to come, and, albeit it cometh, yet maketh not due contribution unto that whereunto the greater part of the said Brodhulle is willing to assent, shall incur the penalty of twenty pounds, above its other dues, to be levied in the same manner as a debt duly found owing at the suit of any party of the said town or limbs against any other party dwelling in another town is to be levied. 

* 27th October 1276. 

In testimony whereof we the aforesaid Barons of the Cinque Ports, to wit, Hastings, Winchelsea, Rye, Pevensea, Romney, Hythe, Dover, Sandwich, Fordwich, and Faver sham, for us, and for all our Limbs, have appended to this written indenture our common seals. 

The seals of Hastings, Winchelsea, Rye, Romney, Hythe, and Sandwich, remain in fair order.