11 THE GREAT BRIDGE OF BURTON-ON-TRENT. 
illuminated deed and singularly well written for the time, dated 
24th August, 1441 in which 
“Ralph, Abbot of this Monastery, Sir Thomas Gresley, Knt., 
‘‘and others, grant William Shopinhall of this parish the office of 
‘Keeper and procurator or overseer of the said bridge for the space 
‘of thirty years, and that he should have all lawful and customary 
“ power over the same, which was then stated to be in a broken and 
“ruinous condition. 
Another bearing the date 9th Henry VII. 1493. 
“William, Abbot and Convent of this Monastery, John Blounte 
‘and others grant the above office to Henry Houghton fora term of 
“life.” 
The next piece of evidence bears the date 1529 .— 
‘“‘To all true xten peple to whom thys present wrytyin shall come, 
‘‘Willm, by the provydence of God, abbott of the Monastery of Burton- 
‘‘upon-Trent, John, Pryor of the Monastery of Repyngdon, John, pryor 
‘‘of the Monastery of Tutbury, George, Lord Hastyngyes, Sir Richard 
“Sacheverll, Knight, Sir Walter Gryffyth, Knight, Sir Anthony Fitz- 
‘herbert, Knight, one of the King’s justyces of hys comen place, Sir 
“John Porte, Knyght, on’ of the Kyngy’s justyces of hys benche, George 
‘'Greyseley, Esquyer, Humffrey Ferrers, Esquyer, Thomas Curson, Esq- 
‘“uyer, George Fynderne, Esquyer, Thomas Dethyk, Esquyer, John 
““Stanley, gentylman, bayliffof Burton, Thomas Walker and William 
‘‘ Morekok, of the same,sende gretyng in oure Lorde everlastyug. And for 
“somychas it ys merytorious for ev’y xpen man to indeus hymselffe to 
‘*helpe to preffer works of marcy for the increassyng of vertue and helth 
‘«xpen peple whereby Almighty God may be pleased affore whom every 
‘« sode dede shall be rewarded to the helth and comforth of manys soule. 
‘““We therefore the seyd abbott, pryors, Lord Hastyngs, knyghtys, 
‘* esquyers, with all other above specyffyed, notyffye unto your audy- 
‘fence, that wher’ there ys att Burton beforeseyd, a brigge of grett 
“length with many arches goyng over the waterof Trent, whiche is a 
“*comen passage to and fro many counteys to the grett releff and com- 
‘* forth of travellyng peple, and to the cuntreys therabowte. And so yt 
“ is that the seyd brigge is of olde fundacon and now of late dayes by 
“‘the occasion of grett floddys and waters is greatly decayed, for so- 
‘“mych as dyverse arches thereof be lately decayed and wasted away 
‘in the water to the grett joperdye and trowble of all travelling peple 
“‘that go and ryde thereupon. And the said brygge hath nother rents 
“nor annuities for the supportacon of the same, but onely by the 
a 
