38 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book T. 



of Arundel and Surrey, who was beheaded in 1397, when all 

 his honours became forfeited. 



We can find no reliable trace of the three other gentlemen 

 mentioned in the royal mandamus prohibiting the holding of 

 this Newmarket meeting. 



As to the local and manorial history of the town 

 and the vicinity of Newmarket, the Rev. Dr. Dibden, 

 writing in 1832, says that in 1227, a contagion or 

 plague having broken out at Exning, its ma^'ket was 

 removed to the adjoining village, and hence the origin 

 of the appellation New-market. He, unfortunately, 

 gives no authority for that assertion (which we are 

 unable to substantiate) ; nevertheless, we are in duty- 

 bound to pay the highest respect to any statement 

 emanating from the erudite author of the Bibliograph- 

 ical Decameron. The earliest contemporary allusion 

 to Newmarket is in the grant of Henry III. to Richard 

 de Argentine, dated February 17, 1226-7, of which 

 the following is a literal translation : — 



" For Richard de Argent.' Henry the King, etc., 

 greeting. Know ye that we have granted and by this 

 our present charter have confirmed to our beloved and 

 faithful Richard de Argent' and his heirs that the 

 Sheriff of Suffolk every year for ever should come once 

 to his manor of Newmarket to make view of frank- 

 pledge in his court of the same town of his men in 

 that manor. We have granted also to the said Richard 

 and his heirs the amercements if there be any from the 

 aforesaid view of frank-pledge. So that the said Sheriff 

 of Suffolk should not take nor have anything from 

 those amercements. We have granted also to the said 

 Richard and his heirs for ever that they should have 



