The provost and community of the town of Athboy, co. Meath, have shown by petition that their town has long been situated near the marches and has resisted both the K.'s English rebels and Irish enemies; it is now much impoverished by calamities and plague and they can not longer endure without aid and comfort from the K. They claim the following:

[1] The privilege to elect a provost from among themselves each year at Michaelmas at the court of the lord of Athboy in his castle, and to hold before him, the provost, pleas of all debts, accounts, trespasses, covenants, detinues, and all personal contracts occurring in the town and liberties; and pleas of novel disseisin concerning tenements within the boundaries of that town and liberty are to be held by the said provost in the hundred of that town, from quindene to quindene.
[2] They were accustomed to elect annually an officer called a serjeant to act concerning the pleas and execution of judgements, according to the custom of the town.
[3] And [they were accustomed] to have a weekly market in the town on Wednesday and Thursday from the ninth hour until the evening.
[4] And also various other good usages customs.

For the relief of that town, and to induce merchants and the K.'s faithful subjects to frequent it, RATIFICATION and APPROVAL of all uses and customs held of old by the burgesses of that town.

And further GRANT that the heirs and successors of the burgesses of the following liberties:

[1] They may have forever a guild merchant, with hanse and other customary liberties pertaining to the guild; and no one in that guild may have or make other merchandise in that town without the consent of the burgesses or their heirs.
[2] And that the burgesses may have sake and soke, toll and team, infangentheof and outfangthethe.
[3] And they shall be immune from tolls, lastage, passage, pontage, stallage and murage for all seaports throughout the K.'s dominions.
[4] And that no one shall make appeal against them.
[5] And they may have the pleas of the crown according to the custom of the city of Dublin; and that in all personal pleas in the court of the provost, process should be made by summons, attachment, distraint or capias, as the case requires.
[6] And no outside merchant may sell cloth or wine in that town by retail; and no outside merchant is to remain in that town selling goods for more than 40 days without licence of the provost and burgesses of the town; and no one shall trouble a merchant coming in peace to that town, or returning.
[7] The said burgesses and their heirs may hold a fair in the town each year, to be held for 15 days, viz. from the Vigil of SS Philip and James, the day of that feast and its morrow, and for twelve days afterwards, with all the franchises, liberties and customs belonging to a fair. And they may have for the town all the issues, amercements and profits of the said fair, for the use of the town.
[8] And the said burgesses and successors shall not be placed on assizes concerning foreigners; nor shall foreigners be placed on assizes with the burgesses in that town concerning the K. or the community of that town; and the said burgesses and their successors shall not be placed on appeals, pleas [etc.] or the court of any justice or minister of the K. concerning foreigners, but only for their fellow burgesses or other matters touching that town; nor are the burgesses to be made sheriffs, coroners or controllers outside the town against their will while they remain in the town.
[9] And the said burgesses, in the K.'s absence, may hold the assize of bread, wine and ale, and assay of weights and measures, and all other things pertaining to the office of clerk of the market; and they may punish those who transgress; and that all issues and profits of the assize and assay should be expended on the support and relief of that town. And that no baker or brewer should bake bread or brew ale in the town, against the will of the burgesses and community.
[10] The K.'s bailiff or other officer should not take any burgess of that town and imprison him so long as he can find surety, except for felonies; and that no burgess should be impleaded outside the town concerning any lands or tenements that lie within it, or for any trespasses [etc.] occurring within that town.
[11] No outside merchant may sell his goods by retail within the town, under pain of forfeiture; and that all foreigners selling wares are bound to contribute to all tallages and other things for the support of the town, according to the quantity of their goods bought or sold; and the provost has power to distrain concerning this.
[12] And GRANT that for the next 60 years, outside merchants shall pay to the burgesses of that town the following customs for the walling of the town:

on each dozen pieces of English cloth sold in the town, 1d;
on each 100 measures of linen, 1d;
on each 100 measures of Irish wool, 3d;
on each sum of salt or iron, ½d;
on each sum of corn, ¼d;
on each draught animal, ¼d;
on each cow, 1d.

And that all tallages, charges and contributions are to be faithfully spent by the provost of the town without accounting at the Ex. of Ire.

Witnesses:
Robert [Montayne], bp Meath;
John [Maddock], bp Kildare;
Patrick [Barret], bp Ferns;
Gerald fitz Maurice, e. Kildare;
Robert Sutton, keeper of the g.s. of Ire.;
William Tynbegh, deputy T. of Ire.
Thomas Fleming kt, baron of Slane;
David Wogan kt;
Christopher Preston kt; and many others.¹