in their gowns, a Court Leet was formerly held in the Whitsun-week, when all the inhabitants between the ages of twelve and sixty, took the Leet Oath, as also in later periods the oaths of supremacy and obedience. The Leet Oath was in these words :-"Yee shal true liege men be and true faith beare to the king's magistie that now is, his heirs and successors; Yee shal be no theife nor theifes fellow, nor theif know. Treason, murder, or felonie yee shal not keep secrette, but shal thereof inform the king's officers that have the lawe in gouvernance. Yee shal be buxom and obedient to all Justices, Sheriffs, Escheators, Mayors, Bailiffs, Constables, and other the king's officers in all things they shall lawfully command yee to doe. And alsoe from henceforthe truely to live according to such vocation as God shall call yee unto as neer as God shall give yee grace, So helpe yee God." With this ancient oath we close the Memorials of the Corporation of Ipswich. "THESE BEE YE ARMES BELONGING AUNTIANTLYE TO YE TOWNE OF AND OF THE LIBERTIES OF THE TOWN BY LAND AND WATER. HE ancient land franchise of Ipswich though earlier defined, was particularly laid down in the 26th Edward III, when the Bailiffs and other officers of the Corporation made perambulation of its extent. The circuit of these bounds, accurately measured, extended 19 miles, 1 furlong, and 20 roods, and its contents 8450 acres.* The old point of starting upon the perambulation was from the Bull-stake on the Cornhill, over Stoke Bridge, to the middle of Bourn Bridge, thence up the stream of water flowing through the valley to Belstead Bridge, and onwards across the high ground and low meadows to the old Hadleigh road-along this ancient highway crossing to Whitton, thence to Westerfield, across the Woodbridge road to Bexley heath, and down to the farm of Alies Borne (Alnesborne) to Downham Reach, on the left bank of the Orwell, and thence back to the town. These boundaries are minutely laid down in Bacon's manuscript, and were published with plans in 1815. * See page 1. "Ancient and Modern Perambulations, and extracts from charters, trials, and other records, relative to the liberties of Ipswich, The Admiralty Jurisdiction, or the liberties by water, extended, and extend, from Ipswich on both sides of the waters of the Orwell to high-water mark, to the town of Harwich, a portion of which is crossed by the line, and from thence upon the salt water to Polles Hinnell, Polles Head, or Paul's Head, a tongue of land beyond Langar Fort, but now destroyed by the waves. These liberties have been claimed by the Bailiffs from the earliest period to which history refers, though it appears not without much contradiction of right. Disputes as to the extent of the water boundary commenced as early as 1340, the 14th Edward III, when the "men of Harwich" denied that it included their own waters, or a portion of the point of land upon which the town of Harwich stood. An appeal was made to the sovereign on behalf of the men of Ipswich, and Edward issued a commission to enquire into the extent of the haven, port, and customs due to it. The parties appointed by the crown were John de Welnetham, John de la Rochelle, and Robert le Clere. The commission set forth,*-"That the Burgesses of the town of Ipswich hold of the crown of England the said town with the appurtenances at fee-farm, rendering thereout £60 yearly, and that the whole haven of Erewell in the arm of the sea then to the said town did belong, and from all times past had belonged to the Bailiffs of the said town, distresses and attachments in the said port had made and tolls and other by land and water, intended as a companion to the maps of those jurisdictions. Ipswich, printed and sold by John Bransby, 1815." This volume also contains a perambulation of the franchise for the purpose of record, made in 1522, and minutely laid down in the Ipswich Domesday Book. * Ipswich Domesday. small customs (of things and merchandizes to the said port and town coming) had taken and ought to take for the better enabling them to pay the ferm aforesaid, which from all times past they had been accustomed to do; but that the men of Harwich by colour of letters patent, which lately at their request had been granted on their information that the said haven belonged to them, certain customs of goods and merchandizes coming to the said haven for a certain time for the benefit of the said town might take, but which said letters afterwards being found prejudicial had been revoked; yet the men of Harwich aforesaid the custom of such goods and merchandizes coming to the said port of Erewell without respect had to such revocation, having continued to take, whereby the said Burgesses of Ipswich could not pay the feefarm as they ought-wherefore the Commissioners stated that it was his Majesty's royal will, that the former Charters to the Burgesses of the said town to have the fee-farm aforesaid, should again by charter be confirmed, and the said port with the arm of the sea in that charter should be specified, and being willing to provide for the indemnity of the Burgesses aforesaid, and to be more fully certified as touching the premises, had assigned the Commissioners above named, or two of them, to enquire by oath of honest and lawful men of the county of Suffolk, in the presence of the Bailiffs and other honest men of the town of Harwich, (if they will be present,) if the port aforesaid with the arm of the sea there do belong to the said town of Ipswich, as it is said, or not, and if so, then from what time? in what manner and how? and if the Bailiffs of the said town of Ipswich as distresses and attachments in the said port do make, and tholle and other small customs of goods and merchandizes to the port and town of Ipswich ought to take for their fee-farm without that any other persons the like distresses and attachments ought to make or tholle and other customs of the said goods and merchandizes ought to take, and heretofore have and ought to have, or not." The Sheriff of the county of Suffolk was commanded to summon a jury for the purpose aforesaid, and an inquisition was accordingly taken at Ipswich on Monday in the Whitsun-week, in the same year, by the said John de Welnetham and John de la Rochelle, by the oaths of Thomas de Hoo, Wm. de Henley, and ten others, who certified on their oaths "that the port of Erewell wholly with the whole arm of the sea there running from a certain place called Polles in the deep sea, on every side unto the town of Ipswich to the said town as to the crown of our sovereign lord the king doth belong, and for all times past hath belonged. Also that the port aforesaid takes its original and name from a certain fountain (or spring) called Erewell, which is in the town of Rattlesden, in the said county, (which is distant downwards from Ipswich toward the town of St. Edmund 15 miles,) and floweth by a river through the middle of the borough aforesaid to the port aforesaid, and that the borough aforesaid, at the first, was seated there by reason of the port aforesaid as the chief town of the whole county of Suffolk; and that the Bailiffs of the said town, and the officers of the predecessors of our lord the king, kings of England, and not other persons for all times in which the said borough was in the king's hands, distresses and attachments which to the Bailiffs and Officers of the king ought to belong, to be done in the port and arm aforesaid, in every place have made and tholls and other customs which of things and other saleable merchandize within the |
