374 ^* ■^' 1207. 



to Weflminfter, and there to receive the king's commands, we find that 

 money was now coined at the following cities and towns, viz. 



London, Ipiwich, Northampton, 



Winchefler, Norwich, Oxford, 



Exeter, L) nne, S\ Edmundfbury, 



Chichefter, Lincoln, and 



Canterbury, York, Durham *. 



Rochefter, Carlile, 



\_Madox^s Hift. of the cxcheq. ^- 9, § 3.] 

 The town of Liverpool now had burgelTes ; and this year they ob- 

 tained a grant of liberties from the kingf. \Rot. pat. 9 ^0. m. 5.] 



1208 — King John, in the beginning of his reign, had confirmed the 

 charters of his great-grandfather and father to the city of London, 

 for which he received three thoufand pounds : and he alfo made the 

 other cities and towns take out confirmations of their privileges. \Brady 

 on burghs, Append. pp. 15, 16, 30 :{:.] He now, by his patent, granted the 

 citizens of London authority to elect their mayor annually §. But they, 

 notwithftanding, flillcontinued, orre-eleded, Henry Fitz-Alwin (their firfl 

 mayor, as already noticed) in that dignity till his death in the year 12 14. 

 After him we find Roger Fitz-Alwin mayor for two years ; and, for a long 

 courfe of time, the mayors appear to have continued feveral years, per- 

 haps for life, in ofiice. {Stew's Survey of London, pp. 916, 917-] 



March 18'" — King John, in his charter to Yarmouth, befides the 

 cuftomary grants, with permiffion to chufe a provoft annually, and 

 the ftipulation of a yearly revenue to the crown of ^1^55 to be paid by 

 the burgh, gave liberty to all foreign merchants arriving in his king- 

 dom in his peace, or with his licence, to come to Yarmouth, remain in 

 it, and depart from it, infafety. \^Brady on burghs. Append, p. 9 ||.] We 

 are not told what was the ftaple article, which attratled foreign merch- 

 ants to Yarmouth, but we fhall prefently fee reafon to believe that it 

 was herrino;s. 



o 



* Mints were eftabllrtied at many other places fucli a glkl mud not of Itfelfbe admitted as a 



befiJcs tliofe litre enumerated; fo many, indeed, proof, nor even as a prcfumption, that the burgefics 



that it is perhaps impc Ifible to make up a com- were engaged in commerce, for (hop-keepers of 



pkte hft of ihcm at any one time. See above, f>. every defcriptJon, and alfo all dealers, however 



li^l, and Madox^s lii/l. of the exchiq. c. 22, § 4_ — trifling, who made a biifmtfs of buying and felling, 



.Stow, after giving tlie above lift of coining places, were tlien called merchants, as they arc even now 



adds, that the cuincrs deducted i^f\u the^ioo, in fome countries, 

 from the b>il!Ion ftjr coinage. \_Survey, [>. 'iii^.'\ § Fabyan [CroKj.7c, V. \\, J- xv b] mentions 



f Enfield mentions charters to Liverpool in thirty-five heads or nilsrs, who governed the city 



1129 and 1203. [H;/?. of Leverpool, f). 9.] before the right of annual elcftiors of mayors was 



X It is not thought neceffary to encumber this granted. He fays, King John, in his ninth year, 



work with mere renovations of charters, prcfervcd fent orders to the thirty-t'ive, to dcpofe and im- 



by Madox, Brady, and others, nor with charters prifon ttie two bailifs (or Ihirrefs), becaufc they 



of towns, which have never rlfen to commercial jircvented his purveyors from carrying wheat out 



fminencr, r.or wiih thofc which contain only the of the city, 



tiiftomary grants, among which a very common || N. B. In the charter, quinqiie is erroneoufly 



•nc is a n.ctehaiit gild (• gilda mcrcatoriu'). Bui printed inflcad of qiii imru: ^ 



