Letters Patent of King John to Liverpool 1207 and Liverpool's Charters Since

Letters Patent of King John to Liverpool 1207

The attached images contain the actual letter patent and various seals.

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John, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou, to all his faithful people who have desired to have Burgages in the township of Liverpool, greeting. Know ye that we have granted to all our faithful people who have taken Burgages in Liverpool that they may have all the liberties and free customs in the township of Liverpool which any Free Borough on the sea has in our land. And therefore we command you that securely and in our peace you come there to receive and inhabit our Burgages. And in witness hereof we transmit to you these our Letters Patent. Witness Simon dePateshill at Winchester on the twenty-eighth day of August in the ninth year of our reign.

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All Image and information acknowledgments: Ian Wileman and Liverpool's Records Office

Ian has requested that any one wishing to use a Charter image must seek his permission first, PM me and I will supply you with his contact details.

Hi Kev

Nice to see these full colour images of the charter given to the town of Liverpool in 1207. I am quite used to black and white images of the charter and also enjoyed going to the Public Record Office in the 1960's and seeing some of the Liverpool charters which were then in glass cases. Each succeeding monarch I believe had to renew the charter. You had to pull on a cord to open up curtains to see the charter as I recall since the light would fade them. In 1957, at the time of the 750th celebration, I was given a softback book published on Liverpool history -- I was age nine then. Not sure if I still have the book. I was coming back to the United States on a Cunard liner (I believe the Media or Britannic) with my grandparents and I remember an American lady passenger named Miss Wright borrowed the book and spilled coffee on it! It wasn't irrepairably damaged but had the coffee stain on the edges of some pages. :disgust:

Chris

Chris, I've got images of all the Charters and will be adding them soon....

Thanks, Kev, I will look foward to seeing them. Some of the calligraphy on those old charters are a work of art in themselves, and the heraldry and pageantry of the seals is interesting as well.

Chris

The traders in Liverpool soon wanted greater freedom. It happened in 1229 that King Henry III was in great financial difficulty and he was therefore very willing to sell further privileges. The inhabitants of Liverpool raised ten marks (around £6.50 at prices of that time) to buy a new charter of a very extensive kind.

This charter was of the greatest importance in the history of the borough for it effectively remained the governing charter until the 17th century. It was much more elaborate and detailed than King John's grant. The rights entailed almost the highest degree of borough privileges. It included:

· a formal grant to the burgesses (inhabitants of the borough with full municipal rights) of the privileges of a Free Borough for ever - this was a more formal and definite grant of powers than before to an existing body of burgesses

· establishment of a borough independent of the shire or county especially for judicial purposes

· increased trading privileges - not only exemption from tolls within the borough but also from all such tolls throughout the kingdom

· formal empowerment to establish an association or guild merchant with privileges confirmed to members of the guild

The Crown still had numerous rights and considerable property within the Borough, such as burgage rents, ferry dues and dues paid by 'foreign' merchants. These were substituted for a fixed payment to the King in a document signed the day after the charter, but this was not a permanent arrangement.

ROBERT DE FERRERS 1266 CHARTER

This charter basically states confirmations or clarifications of rights and privileges. (See attached images)

I'm amazed we've still got them,I'm sure they're going on display in February keep your eye out for that one.

King John in 1207 basically set the foundations for Liverpool to prosper more than most places at the time (we were lucky). The rights and privileges given to Liverpool enabled people to come here in their small groups first, then hundreds, thousands and thousands all adding to Liverpool's unique mix of cultures we know today.

EDWARD III 1333 CHARTER:

RICHARD II 1382 CHARTER:

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Richard by the grace of god King of England and France and Lord of Ireland to the archbishops, bishops abbots priors dukes earls barons knights justices sheriffs reeves bailiffs and others his faithful subjects greeting. We have inspected the charters of confirmation of the Lord Edward late King of our grandfather to our beloved Burgesses of the town of Liverpool made in these words (then follows Edwards Charter) And we holding firm and pleasing the aforesaid grants and confirmations of our said grandfather and of our others the ancestors (that clause above expressed that no one who is not of that guild shall transact any business in that borough except by the consent of the same Burgesses being entirely excepted) do for us and our heirs as far as in us lies according to the tenor of the aforesaid charter of our special grace accept approve ratify and to the aforenamed Burgesses and their heirs and successors being Burgesses of the aforesaid borough we do by the tenor of the presents grant and confirm them as the aforesaid charter reasonably testifies. Moreover, wishing to do more abundant grace for the same Burgesses we have granted them for us and our heirs and we have confirmed it by this our charter that although they or their predecessors being Burgesses of the aforesaid Borough shall not in any case hitherto have fully used one or more of the liberties or acquittances contained in the said charter yet the Burgesses themselves their heirs and successors being Burgesses of the said borough shall henceforth forever fully enjoy and use the aforesaid liberties and acquittances, and each of the except the aforesaid clause without hindrance or impediment of us of our heirs, of our justices, escheators, sheriffs, or other bailiffs or ministers whomsoever. Witnesses the venerable fathers W. the confirmed elect of Canterbury. R. Bishop of London and W. Bishop of Winchester, John King of Castile and Leon Duke of Lancaster, Thomas Earl of Buckingham our dearest uncles Richard earl of Arundel, Thomas Earl of Warwick, Richard Le Scrope our Chancellor, Hugh of Segrave our treasurer, John de Montacute Seneschal of our Household and others. Given by our hand at Westminster on the eleventh day of June.

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HENRY V 1413 CHARTER

PHILIP & MARY 1556 CHARTER

CHARLES I 1626 CHARTER

Liverpool was beginning to be increasingly prosperous. However, the rights of the burgesses were somewhat uncertain and open to challenge, being based on vague medieval formulae which were increasingly open to debate. Various applications for a new charter were made and eventually in 1626 Charles I granted one.

It was the most important since that of Henry III because:

· it authorised in more modern terms the powers of the borough

· it decided the vexed question of incorporation, removing all doubts - Liverpool was made a 'body corporate and politic' with perpetual succession and whatever it had done previously as a body corporate held good

· it secured all property which had been annexed

· it settled the constitution of the borough with a mayor, bailiffs and the burgesses as the supreme authority

· it brought the legal system of the town into order

· it set up a commercial court for the recovery of mercantile debts

TIMELINE - CHARLES I CHARTER

Liverpool

· population estimated at 1,000
· ancient deer-park of Toxteth disafforested by Sir Richard Molyneux and divided into about 20 farms 1604.
· Jeremiah Horrox, astronomer, born in Liverpool, becomes the first to observe the transit of Venus across the sun in 1639

National

· William Shakespeare dies 1616

International

· Thirty Years War begins in Europe 1618
· Pilgrim Fathers arrive at Cape Cod on 'Mayflower' 1620

JAMES II 1685 CHARTER:

WILLIAM & MARY 1691 CHARTER:

WILLIAM III 1695 CHARTER:

WILLIAM III 1698 SECOND CHARTER:

QUEEN ANNE 1709 CHARTER:

GEORGE II 1752 CHARTER:

GRANT OF ARMS 1797:

This document officially confirmed the coat of arms of Liverpool. The heraldic description is : 'Argent (silver) a Cormorant in the Beak a Branch of Seaweed called Laver all proper, and for the crest, a Cormorant the wings elevated and in the beak a branch of Laver proper'.

GRANT OF SUPPORTERS ARMS 1797:

GEORGE III CHARTER:

GEORGE IV:

QUEEN VICTORIA 1880:

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Conferred upon Liverpool the title of City as opposed to mere borough. It was closely linked with the foundation of the Bishopric of Liverpool in that year.

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VICTORIA BY THE GRACE OF GOD of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen Defender of the Faith To ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME GREETING WHEREAS the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Liverpool in Our County of Lancaster have by their Memorial humbly represented unto Us that Our Royal Predecessor King John by His Charter dated on or about the twenty-eighth day of August in the ninth year of His Reign was graciously pleased to incorporate the Inhabitants of that Town and Borough and their successors That under and by virtue of an Act of Parliament passed on the sixteenth day of August in the forty second year of Our Reign and intituled "an Act to provide for the Foundation of four new Bishoprics in England" the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have certified to Us under their Common Seal that the Endowment Fund required by the said Act for the foundation of the Bishopric of Liverpool has been provided That the Memorialists prayed if it should please Us by Order in Council to found the said Bishopric that Our Royal Letters Patent authorising the change in the name and denomination of the said Body Corporate and conferring upon Liverpool the title of "City" and declaring that the Memorialists shall be hereafter called and known as "The Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Liverpool" might be issued The Memorialists therefore must humbly prayed that We should be graciously pleased to authorise and direct the issue of a Royal Charter conferring upon Liverpool the Title of City and upon the Memorialists the name and description of "The Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Liverpool" AND WHEREAS the said Bishopric has been duly founded and We are minded to accede to the prayer of the said Memorial Now THEREFORE KNOW YE that We of Our especial grace and favour and mere motion Do by this Our Royal Charter Will Ordain constitute declare and appoint that Our said Borough of Liverpool shall henceforth for the future and for ever hereafter be a CITY and shall be called and styled "THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER" instead of the Borough of Liverpool and shall have all such rank liberties privileges and immunities as are incident to a City AND WE FURTHER DECLARE AND DIRECT that the said Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of Our said Borough of Liverpool shall henceforth and by virtue of this Our Royal Charter be one Body Politic and Corporate by the name and style of "The Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Liverpool" with all such and the same powers and privileges as they have hitherto had as the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Liverpool and as if they had been incorporated by the name of the Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Liverpool instead of the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses' of the Borough of Liverpool IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent WITNESS Ourself at Our Palace at Westminster the eleventh day of May in the forty third year of Our Reign.

BY HER MAJESTY'S COMAND

QUEEN VICTORIA’S 1893 CHARTER:

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Decreed that the title Lord Mayor of Liverpool could be used as opposed to plain Mayor.

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VICTORIA BY THE GRACE OF GOD of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen Defender of the Faith To ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING : WHEREAS Our Royal Predecessor King John by His Charter dated on or about the twenty eighth day of August in the ninth year of his reign was graciously pleased to incorporate the Inhabitants of the Town and Boroughs of Liverpool and their successors by the title of The Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Liverpool AND WHEREAS We by Our Royal Charter dated the eleventh day of May in the forty third year of Our reign did constitute the said Borough of Liverpool a City and did declare that the Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses of the said Borough should thenceforth be one body politic and corporate by the name and style of the Mayor Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Liverpool NOW KNOW YE that Our will and pleasure is and WE DO HEREBY DECLARE AND ORDAIN that from and after the date of these presents the CHIEF MAGISTRATE now and for the time being of the said City of Liverpool shall be styled entitled and called LORD MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL AND WE DO HEREBY AUTHORISE AND EMPOWER the Chief Magistrate of the said City of Liverpool now and for the time being henceforth at all times to assume and use and to be called and named by the style title and appellation of Lord Mayor of Liverpool and to enjoy and use all and singular the rights privileges pre-eminences and advantages to the degree of a Lord Mayor in all things duly and of right belonging IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the third day of August in the fifty seventh year of Our reign.

BY WARRANT UNDER THE QUEEN'S SIGN MANUAL

Elizabeth II 1974:

A lot of these old charters and historical artifacts have gone on display at Central Library if anyone wants to check them out?

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The Original King John Charter

^^Cheers Paul^^