Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/658

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��Canbury, Hatch, Hook, and Hampton Court, as well as from lands in Long Ditton and Sandon. 168

In 1287-8 Kingston paid 13 5/. 4</. tallage,' 69 and 10 marks were exacted in 1197-8 and the fol- lowing year. 170 In izio the Crown took 5O/.,"' and in 1214 30 marks. 17 ' This last sum was demanded in 1236-7, when Henry III pardoned 10 marks 'so that the poor and more oppressed feel themselves relieved ' ; the remaining 20 marks were to be levied according to the tenants' respective means. 173 The tallage assessed in 1234 was 18, but the excess above 20 marks (13 6s. 8</.) was released, 174 and the tallage from the men of the almonry of Westminster remitted. 175

Beside the charters of 1200 and 1208 the freemen obtained from Henry III three charters in 1256, dated 10, 12, and 13 September. By the last they obtained the right of ' having and holding their gild merchant as they have theretofore had and held it, and as the prob'i homines of Guildford hold it." 17 * Probably, as in Guildford, the gild merchant was closely connected with the government of the town ; this seems to be the only time that it is referred to in words. These charters were confirmed in 1343, 1378, 1400, and 1413. In 1441 the town was for- mally incorporated with markets rights corresponding to Windsor and Wycombe, under two bailiffs and the freemen. This charter of incorporation was confirmed in 1481, 1494, 1510, 1547, 1556, 1559, and 1603. Additional privileges were obtained under the charter of 1481 and confirmed in 15 59. Elizabeth exempted the freemen from toll in 1592 and gave or rather restored to them a grammar school in 1564. Further charters were obtained in 1603, 1628, and 1662. In January 1685 the charters were surren- dered to Charles II. He died a month later, and the surrender was repeated to his successor James II, who granted a new charter in August 1685. This was in turn revoked, and the old charter re-confirmed in 1688.'"

The earliest evidence for the constitution of the governing body of Kingston points to a state of things very similar to that still in existence in 1835. The various charters were, as has been said, granted to the freemen of the town, who in the early igth century were chosen from the free tenants of the manor ; these under the names of gownsmen, peers, and fifteens, with two bailiffs, a high steward, and recorder, in 1835 formed the Court of Assembly which exercised control over both the policy and property of the town until the corporation was reconstructed in that year."*

In the absence of any town records before the 1 5th century it is impossible to decide the origin of the Court of Assembly. In 1346 the bailiffs were ordered to appear with six lawful men before the king in council to answer certain allegations con- cerning the community of the town ; 179 and in the 1 5th century leases were usually made by the bailiffs

��of the liberty of the men of Kingston and by the whole community of the town, 160 or 'with the assent of the whole community' 181 or 'of the honest men and community.' 15> Such leases were enrolled in the roll of the view of frankpledge on Tuesday in Whitsun week, the law day. On the incorporation in 1441 the bailiffs and freemen were given power to meet at the Gildhall and to make laws for the government of the town, which they might enforce with penalties. 183 It is not evident at what date this gathering obtained the title of the Court of Assembly, but a ' Court of Common Council' is mentioned in l655. 1M The 'Books of the Court of Assembly ' date from 1680, and though reconstructed under the charter of James II the acts of the new body were entered in the minute book of its predecessor. There was also a separate and inferior Common Council of sixteen under this charter in place of the ' Fifteens ' of the old charters, and it was ordered that ' the Common Councilmen should have their vote in all orders and bye-laws which should be made either for letting, selling, or passing away any lands, tenements, or hereditaments belonging to the corporation and all laws for the good government of the town made in the Court of Common Assembly.' 185 The Court of Assembly, which, besides its other functions had con- trol of the school and bridge, consisted of fifty-seven members in 1835 when it was replaced by the present Town Council. 18 *

The ' Fifteens,' so called from their number, are first mentioned in the 1 6th century, and were also headboroughs, the group being generally known in the 1 7th and i8th centuries as that of 'the fifteen headboroughs ' ; 187 they took oath on election to be conformable to the customs of the town. 188 On the Sunday after Michaelmas in each year the Fifteens met at the Gildhall, 189 and by ballot voted out two of their number, henceforth known as Peers ; their places were taken by two voted in from among the free tenants of the manor and these were immediately elected ale-tasters, 190 and took oath for that office as well as for the office of freemen and headboroughs. 191 They were liable to a fine of i 5 for refusing office. Although two was the customary number of new freemen the power of election enjoyed by the court under the charter was unlimited. 191

Gownsmen were those freemen who had filled the office of bailiff; they seem to have been generally called 'masters' until the 1 8th century, 193 and in 1638 194 the three 'masters' received an order from the exchequer in the absence of the bailiff. A list of the officers of the corporation drawn up in 1555 shows them to have been two bailiffs, two constables, two chamberlains, two churchwardens, two bridgewardens and two ale-tasters. 195 The bailiffs were elected from four nominees chosen from the gownsmen and peers by ballot of the fifteen on the Sunday before Michaelmas. 198 In 1655 the gownsmen and peers chose two of the four proposed as bailiffs for the

��168 Roots, Charters, 61.

Pipe R. 33 Hen. II, m. IJd.

J " Ibid. 9 Ric. I, m. 15 d. ; 10 Ric. I, m. 10 d.

M 1 Ibid. 12 John, m. 15.

W Ibid. 1 6 John, m. 3d.

> Rot. Lit. Claus. (Rcc. Com.), ii, 180.

"< Cal. Chit, 1231-4, p. 413.

Ibid. p. 396.

W Roots, Charters, 28. He misdated the first at 10 Dec. 1255.

��M7 Chart. R. 1-20 Hen. VI.no. 17, m. 31 ; Roots, Charters, passim.

W Munic. Carp. Cam. Rep. iv, 2892.


 * Cal. Close, 1346-9, p. 84.

" Lansd. MS. 226, fol. 25*.

' 81 Ibid. fol. 41.

Ibid. fol. 26.

i Chart. R. 19 Hen. VI, m. 31 Roots, op. cit. 122 et seq.

>* Cal. S.P. Dam. 1655, p. 149.

185 Ct. of Assembly Bk. 31 Oct. 1685.

496

��>* Public Act, 5 & 6 Will. IV, cap. 76. W Cal. S.P. Dam. 1655, p. 149. 188 Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. iii, App. 333. 199 Roots, Charters, 162.

190 Munic. Corf. Cam. Rep. iv, 2895.

191 Ct. of Assembly Bk. 22 Dec. 1681.

195 Munic. Corp. Cam. Rep. iv, 2895. 198 Cal. S.P. Dom. 1655, p. 149.

194 Ibid. 1637-8, p. 498.

185 Ct. Bk. 37 Hen. VIII n Eli*.

196 Munic. Corp. Com. Rep. iv, 2895.

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