Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/748

 738 Charles Gross orders and odiers who have franchises by charter and in ahnoign, to the amount indeed of the third part of the rental of the said city. And such persons are not wilhng to give any portion thereof or any aid or contribution or any assistance thereto, although they are saved just as much throughout the said city as the rest of the citizens.'" In 1327 the mayor and commonalty of Canterbury tried to force the convent of Christ Church to contribute to the expenses of twelve knights for the king's service. The citizens say that the prior and convent have within the franchise £200 of rent and five acres of land, which were at all times contributory to the city; and they threaten to demolish their mills, to prevent any one from selling provisions to them, and to resort to various other meas- ures of reprisal, if the monks persist in refusing to be taxed for the expenses of the twelve knights.^ In 1331 a jury asserts that it would be to the damage of the king and the citizens of Norwich if he should allow three messuages in the city to be assigned to the convent of the Holy Trinity, because a great part of the city which is inhabited is in the hands of this convent and other religious houses, whereby the inhabitants (of the monastic lands) cannot be taxed to the tallages and aids of the king and the city, and they cannot serve on juries ; therefore the citizens are burdened and grieved more than usual by such gifts, to the great detriment of the farm of the king and of the citizens.-'* In 1394 Richard II. confirms an agreement made in 1262 by the bishop and the citizens of Hereford, allowing those who dwell in the city on the lands of the bishop and canons to buy and sell quit of toll, provided that they are not merchants {cxccpta gcnte dc adz'ocaria). In return for this concession the bishop, dean, and chapter agree that in the future they will not acquire any of the king's burgages in Here- ford, but that they will be content with the lands and tenements which they had in the city before this agreement was made.^ The attitude of the burgesses toward the alienation of land in mortmain is clearly stated in the old laws and usages of Dublin ' Riley, Memorials of London, 98. William II. grants that the canons of St. Paul, London, shall hold the twenty-four hides which they have in or near the city of London (jii.ria civitalem) free of all gelds, and this charter was con- firmed by Henry I. Hist. MSB. Com., IX. 45, 60. ^ Literae Cant., ed. Sheppard, I. 212-221. Each of the malcontent citizens swore that he would have from the shrine of St. Thomas a gold ring for every finger of both hands. •1 Stanley v. Mayor of Norwieh, 24-25. In a declaration of the old customs of Waterford, made in 1574, it is stated that a great part of the land in the city belongs to " the church and to inheritors not dwelling within the same ". Hist. MSS. Con:., X. pt. v. 333--
 * Cal. of Patent Rolls. 1301-1396. p. 423-