Welsh Journals

In order to encourage the growth of the new town, and to give it a status superior to that acquired by Llanbadarn Fawr, Edward granted it a charter, dated 28 December 1277, which was confirmed by successive sovereigns including Henry VIII. The Latin text of the confirmation of 12 Edward IV (1473) was erroneously published by the Reverend Prebendary W. H. Davey in Archaeologia Cambrensis (October 1878, No. 36, p. 301) as the charter of Llanbadarn Fawr, through an oversight on his part in failing to identify the 'Ville de Lanbader' of the charter as Aberystwyth. A copy translation of the charter and confirmation by Henry VIII in 1528 was made on 2 April 1726, and has been preserved among the Gogerddan archives. As generations of the Pryse family have played an important part in its history, and as much of their political activity, at least, was centred on the town, it may be of interest to publish this document at length. 'The King to all to whom it may concern, greeting. We have inspec- ted certain letters patent of Confirmation of our Lord Henry 6th, late King of England, our ancestor, made in these words: Henry by the grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland to all to whom these present letters shall come, greeting. We have inspected letters patent of our most beloved Lord and Father the late King made in these words: Henry by the grace of God King of England & France and Lord of Ireland to all Bailiffs and their vassals to whom these present letters shall come, greeting. We have inspected the charter of our Lord the King, late King of England, since his acquisition of the throne, made in these words: Richard, by the grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Dukes, Earls, Barons, Justices, Viscounts, Provosts, Ministers, all Bailiffs and their Vassals, greetings: We have inspected the Charter which our Lord of illustrious memory, late King of England, our Grandfather made in these words: Edward by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine to the Archbishops [etc.], greeting: Know ye that we will and have granted that our Vill of Lanbadar be a free Burgh without any hindrance whatever. We grant moreover to our burgesses of the same Burgh and their heirs that their town be enclosed by a trench and walls that they have a market town with a corporation and other customs and liberties to such gilds belonging and that no one who is not of that gild shall carry on any traffic in the aforesaid Burgh unless by the will of the same Burgesses. We grant moreover to them and to their heirs that if any one born of any one in the aforesaid Burgh shall reside and hold land in the same and shall have been in the aforesaid Gild and Corporation and shall have payed his lot and scot with the same our Burgesses for one year and a day without blame undoubtedly he can not be redemanded by his master but shall remain free in the same Burgh. Besides, we grant to our aforesaid Burgesses of Lanbadar and their heirs that they have Soc, and Sac, Toll, and Tithe, and Infangenethof, and that they shall be free throughout all our Land from Theolone, Leltoge, Passage, Pontage, and Stallage, and from Lene and Danegelt and Taywite and all other customs