Cromer and Shipden - the Letters Patent of 1390

A document that helps us envisage Cromer in the late 14th century is a Letters Patent of 1390. Written in Latin and issued by King Richard II, it refers to a 'pere' at Cromer, perhaps more of a defensive structure than what we think of as a pier today. Interestingly, it is this Cromer document that is used to define the word 'pere' in the Medieval Latin Dictionary! The document is below, with English translation and Latin transcription.

Letters Patent Public Record Office C66/332/M44

The King to his beloved worthy men of the town of Shipdon in the County of Norfolk, greetings. Know that, by our especial grace and with the advice of our council in our present parliament, we have granted to you in aid of the construction of a certain pier newly commenced and begun by you for the saving and defence of ships and boats plying in the Bay [Conversum] called Crowemere, the Customs duties written below concerning saleable things coming to the said Town and Bay to be unloaded and collected by the hands of those whom you employ for the purpose, from the day of these present letters until the end of five years next following fully to be completed, namely:

• For every last of saleable garlic: eightpence
• For every measure of saleable salt: twopence
• For every hundred saleable Rygold [Baltic timber]: threepence
• For every hundred saleable Waynscot: one penny
• For every hundred saleable Tunholt [another kind of timber]: one halfpenny
• For every barrel of saleable pitch and resin: one halfpenny
• For every barrel of saleable oil: twopence
• For every hundred saleable spars of fir: one penny
• For every thousand saleable dastell: one penny
• For every thousand saleable horseshoes: fourpence
• For every quarter of whatsoever saleable grain and malt: one halfpenny
• For every cauldron of saleable sea coal: one penny
• For every hundred saleable fish called Oigoys1, counted by tens: thirty two pence
• For every hundred saleable lob, seatrout and cod: sixpence
• For every cartload laden with saleable merchandise: one penny
• For every horse laden with saleable merchandise: one halfpenny
• For every ship laden with merchandise plying within the said Bay: fourpence
• For every boat called a Fissher laden with merchandise plying there: one penny
• And for every other saleable good not listed above coming to the said Town and Bay of the value of five shillings, except wool, wax and fleeces, lead, tin and wine, one farthing

So that the money arising therefrom be applied and faithfully spent upon the construction of the said pier and not to any other purpose. And so we command you that you cause the said customs duties to be well and truly received and upon the said pier applied and spent, by certain worthy and lawful men deputed and assigned by you for this purpose, concerning these saleable goods, in the most honest way that you can for the said five years in the aforesaid manner. But when the said term of five years is over, the said customs duties shall completely cease and be cancelled. In witness whereof etcetera, to continue for the said five years, witnessed by the King at Westminster on the second day of December.
By petition in parliament.

Pro Hominibus de Shipdon in Comitatu Norff'
Rex dilectis sibi probis hominibus ville de Shipdon in Comitatu Norff' salutem Sciatis quod de gratia nostra speciali & de avisamento consilii nostri in presenti parliamento nostro concessimus vobis in auxilium constructionis cuiusdam pere 2 per vos iam noviter pro salvacione & defensione navium & batellorum in Converso3 vocato Crowemere applicantium incepte & inchoate consuetudines subscriptas de rebus venalibus ad predicta villam & Conversum venientibus levandis & colligendis per manus illorum quos ad hoc deputaveritis a data presentium usque ad finem quinque annorum roximorum sequentium plenarie completorum videlicet de qualibet lasta alleus venalis octo denarios, de qualibet vega Salis venalis duos denarios, de qualibet Centena de Rygold venale tres denarios, de qualibet Centena de Waynscot venale unum denarium, de qualibet Centena de Tunholt venale unum obolum, de quolibet barillo picis & terebinti venalium unum obolum, de quolibet barello olei venalis duos denarios, de qualibet Centena sparrorum de Fyr venalium unum denarium de quolibet millenari dastell venalis unum denarium, de quolibet millenari ferri venalis quatuor denarios, de quolibet quarterio cuiuscumque generis bladi & brasei venalium unum obolum, de qualibet chaldra carbonum maritimorum venalium unum denarium, de qualibet Centena piscis vocati Oigoys venalis computatione per deces viginti duodecim denarios, de qualibet Centena de lob bouge & Cod venalium sex denarios[,] de qualibet carecta rebus venalibus carcata unum denarium, de quolibet equo rebus venalibus carcato unum obolum, de qualibet navi carcata mercandisis infra Conversum predictum applicante quatuor denarios, de quolibet batello vocato Fissher carcate mercandisis ibidem applicante unum denarium & de qualibet re alia venali superius non specificata ad predicta villam & Conversum veniente valoris quinque solidorum exceptis lanis ceriis & pellibus lanutis plumbo stanno & vino unum quadrantem Ita quod denarii inde provenientes circa constructionem pere predicte & non in alios usus ponantur & fideliter expendantur Et ideo vobis mandamus quod consuetudines predictas per certos probos & legitimos homines per vos ad hoc deputandos & assignandos de huius rebus venalibus honestiori & quierioci modo quo poteritis per dictum quiquennium in forma predicta capiatis et super peram predictam bene & fideliter expendi & apponi facitis Completo autem dicto termino quinque annorum dicte consuetudines penitus cessent & deleantur In cuius etcetera per dictum quinquennium duratur Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium secundo die Decembris.
per peticionem in parliamento.

Transcription and translation by Peter Foden Consultancy Ltd.
1Possibly a Norfolk dialect word, possibly from the same root as 'Eog', Salmon, in Welsh. Certainly a high value fish
2pier in harbour, mole, breakwater, structure that provides sheltered anchorage.”
3Peter comments "The Latin word in the Letters Patent that I feel is most significant here is 'conversum' (it is always given a capital letter C). The pier is in the 'conversum' of Crowemere. It's an unusual Latin word, and means a 'turning'. If there was a long spit of land protecting a natural harbour, then there would be both a 'turning' of land, and a 'turning' for boats entering the harbour.
.