By assent of William [Sherwood], bp Meath, deputy of the K.'s brother, George duke of Clarence, Lt of Ire., LICENCE to the following persons to found a certain fraternity or guild of the craft of glovers [and skinners] of the city of Dublin, to be called the fraternity or guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary, forever, of themselves and others, both men and women, with various other privileges specified, viz.:

the said [William Sherwood] bishop of Meath;
Roland fitz Eustace kt, C. of Ire.;
Christopher Nugent, baron of Delvin;
Philip Bermingham, chief justice of the K.'s bench;
Robert Dowdall, justice of the common bench;
Thomas Dowdall, clerk of the rolls of the chancery of Ire.;
Simon fitz Rery; John Boulond; Walter Piers; Richard Wolick; William Berry; Nicholas Fynsame;¹ John Brounvesyn; Walter Wyddyr; Thomas Burtoun; and John Drury.

[16 Edw. IV.]

For the reverence and praise of BMV and St Sythe the Virgin within the parish church of St Michan in the suburb of the city of Dublin; and at the request of the commons of the K.’s land of Ireland in his parliament held at Dublin on Friday after St Margaret the Virgin last [21 July 1475], before the reverend father in Christ William [Sherwood], bp Meath, deputy of the K.’s beloved brother George duke of Clarence, Lt of Ire., which was adjourned from there to the K.’s town of Drogheda and then similarly adjourned and continued from there to the K.’s city of Dublin; and by the assent of the deputy and of the lords spiritual and temporal, proctors and commons appearing in parliament on Monday after SS Philip and James [6 May 1476] next following, GRANT and LICENCE by authority of that parliament to the following persons to establish a fraternity or guild successively, in perpetual succession of themselves and others, both men and women, viz.:

[William Sherwood] the bishop of Meath;
Roland FitzEustace kt, C. of Ire.;
Philip Bermingham esq.;
Robert Dowdall kt;
Thomas Dowdall; James Aylmer; Simon Fitzrery; Arland Ussher; Thomas Fitzsimon; Robert West; William Tyve; Robert Fitzsimon, William Donagh; Thomas Mulghin; Robert Blancheville; Bartholomew Silke; Thomas Blake; and Peter Bartholomew.

The K. has granted them LICENCE to enter, make, found anew, ordain and establish [such a guild], and that they and each of them, as brothers and sisters of the said fraternity or guild, may have full power to elect each year a master and two wardens from themselves who shall have the government, rule and supervision of the fraternity or guild and custody of all lands, tenements, rents, services, possessions, goods and chattels acquired by or given to the guild. And they may use a common seal for the business and benefit of the guild in future. And they may plead and be impleaded, and answer and be answered, in all accounts, cases, plaints, demands and petitions―both real, personal and mixed―of whatever nature by the name of the master and wardens of the fraternity or guild of the same Blessed Mary and St Sythe the Virgin before any secular and ecclesiastical justices. And that they may assemble in suitable and fit places and times as often and whenever best pleases them to treat, agree and consider among themselves, together with others, upon the estate and rule of that guild.

And LICENCE to establish a chantry of a chaplain, or two or more chaplains, to celebrate divine services daily in the parish church of St Michan forever, for the K.’s soul and those of the founders; and they may remove the chaplain or chaplains from time to time, and put another suitable chaplain or chaplains in his place; and that they may assemble to treat and ordain for that chantry. And they may acquire lands, tenements, rents, services, both in demesne and in fee and also in reversion, with appurtenances, to the value of £40 p.a. beyond charges and reprises, to sustain the guild and the chantry, to sing and to celebrate and do other praiseworthy things, notwithstanding the Statute of Mortmain.

INSPEXIMUS of statute made in parliament at Dublin on Friday after St Margaret the Virgin 15 Edw. IV [21 July 1475] before William [Sherwood], bp Meath, deputy of George, duke of Clarence; and adjourned to Drogheda and thence to Dublin on the Monday after SS Philip and James [6 May 1476]; the record remaining in the chancery rolls, viz.:

'It is enacted, on petition of the mayor and community of the city of Dublin, that if any freeman of the city be accused of felony or treason by appeal, either to the K. in person or his Lt, whereby such citizen shall be committed to the K.'s goal, he shall be discharged by mainprize and admitted to justice himself by oaths on the gospels of 24 loyal citizens of the city to be made before the mayor of the same and a justice of the K.'s court; this act is not not, however, to extend to benefit James Keating, prior of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Ire.'

John Collyne, dean of the cathedral church of Holy Trinity of the K.'s city of Waterford, inflamed by the fervour of devotion and charity, proposed to found anew a perpetual chantry comprising one, two, three or four chaplains in honour of St Saviour, to celebrate divine service in the chapel of St Saviour situated beside the cathedral church of Waterford for the souls of his parents and friends and those of the faithful departed. He has pleaded to the K., so far as pertains to him, to grant him licence to do so. The K., commending the pious and salutary purpose of Dean John and wishing to increase divine worship in his time and wishing for that reason to respond favourably to the dean's petition, GRANT and LICENCE of the K.’s special grace and by assent of the reverend father in Christ William [Sherwood], bp Meath, deputy of the K.’s beloved brother George duke of Clarence, Lt of Ire., to the said Dean John to found, make, establish and construct such a chantry forever. John may give and grant to the chaplain and chaplains lands, tenements, rents, cartilages and services, with appurtenances, to the value of £20 6s 8d beyond charges and reprises. Furthermore, of the K.’s more abundant grace, GRANT and LICENCE that the chaplain or chaplains may acquire lands, tenements, rents and services, with appurtenances, to the value of £20 6s 8d, to have and to hold to them and their successors although held of the K. or of others, without acquiring the K.’s writ of ad quod dampnum in this behalf, notwithstanding the Statute of Mortmain. And the chaplain [etc.] may receive, occupy and enjoy those lands [etc.] without any other licence of the K. or his heirs or successors.

And GRANT to the dean of the cathedral church of Waterford for the time being and his successors forever that, with the advice and consent of the mayor of the city of Waterford for the time being, he may make, ordain and appoint a suitable chaplain or chaplains whenever and as often as is necessary because of the death of the chaplains or their removal. And GRANT to the chaplain or chaplains of 6s of annual rent issuing from 1 messuage with a cartilage or garden near the church of St Patrick in the city of Waterford, pertaining to the K.; to have to the chaplain or chaplains and their successors in pure and perpetual alms. Not wishing that John or his heirs, or the chaplain, dean, mayor or their successors, should be troubled or disturbed in any way by the K. or his successors or justices, escheators, sheriffs or ministers.¹