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the royal grantor's intention we should enjoy in which investigation, I trust you will find that candour and impartiality have uniformly been my attendants.

With the sincerest wishes for your welfare and happiness, I beg you to consider me,

Your friend and humble servant,

F. L. J.

Tiverton, 1822.

CURSORY OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

CHARTERS

GRANTED TO THE INHABITANTS OF TIVERTON,

&c. &c.

TIVERTON, in the county of Devon, is a large borough town and parish; its population consists of near 10,000 souls. It appears by Dunsford's Memoirs, it enjoyed the privilege of sending members to parliament prior to the reign of James the first. The (a) potwalladers elected the (b) two burgesses to represent the borough, and they were returned by the portreeve. The borough, the same writer observes, was so represented in the first parliament of James.

The high trading importance of Tiverton, and a destructive fire, supposed to have taken place through great negligence, induced James (1615)

(a) See Hewit's Manuscript Memoirs.

(b) See Norris' Taunton Journal, 23rd Sept. 1726, and Dunsford's History, page 180.

d

to (c) incorporate the inhabitants of the town and parish, by the name of "mayor and burgesses." It will be only necessary to advert to this charter for the sake of observing, that a clause was therein introduced, authorizing the return of two members to parliament, by the mayor, capital burgesses, and assistants, in number twenty five, to the exclusion of the inhabitants at large. It appears also the above twenty-five, (being but a part of the corporation, as I trust I shall sufficiently prove) in the reign of Charles the second, surrendered this charter of James, which was returned soon after without any further alteration, than the introduction of some (d) new officers.

In the year 1687, (James the second,) the (e) potwalladers of the borough again returned the two burgesses for parliament. In the year 1723,

(c) Corporations are said to have been the invention of Lewis the Gross, to free the people from slavery under their lords, and to give them protection, by means of certain privileges, and a separate jurisdiction. (Du Cange, Gloss. in verb.commune communitas.)

An ancient french author calls them a new and wicked device, to procure liberty to slaves, and encourage them in shaking off the dominion of their masters. (Guibertas de vita, sua lib. 3. cap. 7.)

(d) Vide Dunsford's Memoirs, fo. 193. The recorder nominated in this charter, was the famous General Mouk, Duke of Albemarle.

(e) Hewit's Memoirs.

(George the first) in consequence of a neglect in not choosing the mayor, on the day appointed by the charter, it became forfeited, and no corporation legally existed this year. (f) The government returned to the lords of the manor, the portreeve, and the county justices. A new charter was on the following year granted, in consequence (as may be seen by reference to the charter) of the petition of many of the inhabitants of the town and parish; and which it is now my intention to examine ; adverting only to that of James, when it appears to differ from that of George, and as often as it may assist us in drawing accurate conclusions of the clause under consideration.

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The preamble of the charter of George, is somewhat similar to that of James: it recites the reasons which induced his Majesty to listen to the humble petition of many of the inhabitants of the town and parish of (g) Tiverton, for a restoration

(f) Dunsford's Memoirs, p. 211.

* This and the following letters, refer to the divisions which have been made in the charter, for the sake of convenience; which charter of George, with the clauses in that of James, referred to in the restoring clause of the former, it is intended to publish without delay.

(g) Tiverton is described in Doomsday-book, under the title of Terra Regis, or land belonging to the King; and by

of the franchises, liberties, jurisdictions, immunities, exemptions, &c. which they had enjoyed under the charter of James, together with such other liberties, &c. as should seem most expedient.

As these reasons were so highly creditable to the inhabitants of our parish at that day, I cannot refrain from concisely making mention of them.

It appears, they were famous for the manufacture of woollen cloth; they were industrious, maintaining themselves and their families, honestJy and laudably; they shunned and flew from slothfulness and idleness; they assisted the state by means of the subsidies and customs which arose from the objects of their labor; they had proved themselves good and loyal subjects, not only they but their fathers before them. So great, indeed, was the boon, his Majesty conceived he was about to bestow, that he was pleased to express a hope, that the inhabitants of Tiverton would feel themselves more specially and strictly bound to do, and exhibit, what services they could to him, and his

successors.

B.

This may be termed the incorporating clause, and we here find that the inhabitants of the town

that book is said to have been held by several persons, during the reign of Edward the Confessor, as vassals or servants of the King.

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