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. 



