APPOINTMENT, for life, of Walter Delahide esq., Janico Dartas esq. and James Rice, pleader, in survivorship, to the office of collector of the custom and coket in Dublin and Drogheda; to hold the said office themselves or by sufficient deputy, for whom they are willing to answer, receiving 20m p.a., together with the other accustomed fees and rewards of the office.

INSPEXIMUS of the tenor of certain acts or ordinances made at the parliament at Wexford on Friday next before St Martin the Bishop, before Thomas, e. Desmond, deputy to George, duke of Clarence, Lt, and thence adjourned to Waterford and thence to Naas where it was edited in these words and also at the request of the commons. That whereas the abbey of the house of St Thomas the Martyr near Dublin is of the K.'s foundation to which the K.'s progenitors gave and granted to the abbot and canons of said house and to their successors a carucate of land, in which carucate the said house is situated and also that said carucate, with appurtenances, and the mills were and are the greatest support of the abbot and canons, and often times through the ill government of the abbots of said house various parcels of land, with appurtenances, and mills are let to farm for little value and the cattle that ought to till the land are taken for issues lost in the K.'s courts by said abbots and in their debts parcels of said lands [etc.] are put in execution on account of judgments rendered in the K.'s courts and thus the abbot and canons often lack their support, so that divine service cannot be kept or sustained by them as their foundation of right ought to be. Wherefore the premises being well considered and that divine service of God should be kept in time to come it is ordained [etc.] by the authority of said parliament that from henceforth no manner of distress be taken in the said land [etc.], nor any parcel thereof, nor the goods nor chattels pertaining to said abbot and canons or their successors which now are or shall be ordained in the depasturing, manuring, nourishing, tilling or in any manner to depasture or occupy or serve in the occupation of the said carucate and mill to the profit of the abbot and canons or their successors be not put in execution nor taken by way of distress in any manner in any offence, trespass, ill government, debts incurred hereto or in time to come, rent-charges, annuities or to be in any other kind of rent or any other thing hereto by granted or due. or hereafter to be granted nor distressed by reason thereof, nor for any issue forfeited or to be forfeited to the K. or his heirs or in their courts nor in any judgements rendered or to be rendered in the K.'s courts or in any other courts, nor in any kind of execution of the said judgments, nor in any other cause, so that the said carucate [etc.] with all cattle, goods, [etc.] be cleared, acquitted and discharged as well towards the K. and his heirs as any other person or persons here - to lose? and in time to come in the premises or any of them, or for any other charge, cause or matter whatsoever it may be, to the intent that the abbot and canons and their successors in time to come may keep the divine service in said abbey or house and these have their support. Also at the request of the commons that whereas one Adam de Hereford was seized in his demesne as of fee of the advowson of the churches of B.V.M. of Leixlip and of St Columb of Comfye¹ and being so seized thereof he gave and granted them to God and the canons of the house of St Thomas the Martyr near Dublin to have and to hold to them and their successors in proper use with the licence of the pope, the K. and the ordinary there for the time being, by force of which one John, at the time abbot of the said house and its canons were seized of the advowsons in proper use and took the tithes of the said churches as in sheaves and wheat and oats and alleioge? and other things that belong to the said churches and they continued their possession thereof until the time when they were ousted of the moiety of the tithes thereof by reason of a presentation made by Edward II, progenitor of the K. [to the] church of St Columb aforesaid and after the said John the abbot died and thus by reason of the said presentation and other presentations after that time make to divers persons by the K.'s noble progenitors as by any other person the abbots and canons for the time being of the said house after the death of John the abbot have been held out of the possession of the said church of St Columb as of the moiety of the tithes of said church, wherefore the premises being considered, it is ordained and granted by the authority of the parliament that Richard, the present abbot of the house and the canons thereof may have, hold, occupy and enjoy to them and their successors forever in proper use of the advowson of the said church with all manner of tithes and revenues? with the appurtenances to the said church in proper used in any manner pertaining any title or possession of the K. or his predecessors in any other person or cause or matter notwithstanding. Provided always that this act be not prejudicial to Sir Nicholas Jurons, chaplain, during the natural life of the said Sir Nicholas saving to every one his right. Cause the tenor of the acts or ordinances to be exemplified by these presents at the request of Richard, abbot of the house of St Thomas the Martyr near Dublin. In testimony whereof these letters patent have been made.

Letters testimonial addressed to Edward IV in favour of George duke of Clarence, Lt of Ire., issued under the g.s. of Ire. plaqué, viz.:¹

'Moost high and mightie xpen [Christian] Prince our moost Redouted liege Lord with all maner of duhe Reverence and moost lowliest oubeis{a}unce unto your moost excellent mageste and mightie estate Roiall as your faithful subjectes and true liegemen in our moost lowliest wyse humblie Recommaunder us.

Advertisyng your highnesse of the full grete and notable service that your faithful subject and true liege man o{r} especiale good Lord yo{r} moost derrest Brothir of Clarence lieuten{a}nt of this your land of Irland hath dooun aswel unto yo{r} highnesse as to the Right noble and famouse Prince your fadre of blessed memorie whom god Rest of thimportable charges and costes by the same depute aswel afore thoffice of depute lieuten{a}ncie of this yo{r} said land as after unto the said Erle committed hath daiely susteigned he þerof not faylying but daiely contynuyng his faithful s{r}vice right ordinate and worshipfull at al tymes puttyng his lyf with all his kynnesmen and adherentes enhabitauntes in his lordshippes within certain of yo{r} Countees within this yo{r} said land in full grete jeopertie of their lyves the saide depute guydying and reulyng himself with all yo{r} true liege people accordyng unto yo{r} lawes and by suche as ben welwillers unto yo{r} moost pre-eminence profite and dignite Roial And by noo persoun ne persouns that ben contrary to yo{r} m[oost] gracieux desire and entente but right faithfull and true acordyng to their ligeaunce the said depute having tender respect unto [the] lawes and custumes laudably used in the daies of yo{r} full noble progenito{r}s w{t}in [within] this your said land whereunto he hath applied him [to] set and put tranquillite peix and rest among yo{r} subjectes and true liege people of this you said land in suche wyse as by goddis gra[ce] and this his said labo{r} pollitique with reule manhode wisdom and streyngthe couth reche yo{r} said land restheth in Reisonable peas and tranquilitie at this tyme aswel with yo{r} rebelx as Irish Enemyes Moreover pleas it y{r} moost excellente mageste Roiall to have notice of the grete jeopertie whiche þe said depute w{t} [with] his kynnesmen and othres his waget men and adherentes with their bodyes and godes stode in by force of were and bataile hadde betuixt him and yo{r} grete Rebel John of Ormond and adherentes at the said Johuns furst arrivale in to this yo{r} said land at the which bataile by the fortune and gracieux disposicion of o{r} [our] blissed creato{r} and yo{r} vray true Just title of yo{r} full noble Coroun were slayne of your said adversarie and rebell Ormondis adherentes and sequel so grete a nombre that for certaine it may not be knowen and the þe said Ormond by bataile sconfuted and put to flight And also the continuel were al the last Somer had betuixt the said depute and the said Ormond and his adherentes The said depute undrestandyng grete Incoveniencies jeoperties and mischiefes as by likeliot were possible to fall in þe said land caused him to call and assemble of his owen kynnesmen adherentes and their sequel to the nombre of xx. Ml. oon his owen propre costes and with his said puissaunce rode in to the parties Contre and lordships where as the said John Ormond was moost abiding and kept ther residence to the space of xvij days brannyng destruyng and wastyng al the said Ormond is lordships for the more partie by cause theinhabitantes thereof wold by noo mene submitte theim to the duhe and restful oubeisaunce of yo{r} moost high and mightie estate Roiall. Also it wold pleas yo{r} highnes to have notice howe the Communes of your Counte of Mith to the nombre of v. Ml. made insurreccioun and risyng ayenst the said depute him to have slayne at the furst takyng upon him thoffice of the depute lieuten{a}ncie of this yo{r} said lande he by his high pollitique Wit Reule manhode Wisdome and governuance in presence of yo{r} right Worshipfull and right discrete Counseil of this yo{r} said land of Irland cesed the said insurreccioun and Risyng w{t}out [without] eny hurte off eny persoun by yo{r} moost gracieux auctorite and power Roial toke the said communes unto yo{r} moost gracieux pardoun and noble good grace byndyng thaire Capitayne and many othres of the said communes in the name of theim al by their oothes right straitly sworne and yeueun to be true unto yo{r} highnes acordyng to their liegeaunce and never to offende yo{r} goode grace ne lawes in tyme commyng Wherfor pleas it yo{r} said hignesse off yo{r} benivolent good grace and renommee that the forsaid notable s{r}vices intollerable charges ful grevous costs and jeopartiez by the saide depute at al tymes doon and susteignid to the right grete tuicioun and garde of this yo{r} said land and of yo{r} treue subjectes and liege people inhabitantes þer. It might like yo{r} moost excellente mageste Roial the premisses tendrely to be considered and the circumstances therof to be emprented in yo{r} moost noble and gracieux Remembraunce Wherthrough the said depute may stande in the tendrenesse and right especiale favo{r} of yo{r} moost excellente good grace and him to thank hertly So that therby he may have occasion and courage to continue and persever in yo{r} moost notable s{r}vice the better in tyme to come. And of yo{r} moost habundaunte grace him to reward for his notable merites after yo{r} moost gracieux wisdom and bounte. Yeving no feith ne credence to eny persoun or persouns of what astate condicioun or degree that they ben that wold and hath accused the said depute in eny poynte that is contrary to yo{r} moost gracieux highnes or your lawes ne to noon accuse upon the said depute herafter to be made til it shal like yo{r} excellent good grace to ascertain the s[aid] depute of such accusementes And therupon the said depute to acerte yo{r} highnesse of the trouth and a lawful answere therupoun More[over] it might like yo{r} nobley and good grace to have in tender respect howe yo{r} Irishe Enemyez traito{r}s english Rebelx vsen yere[ly to] goo to were in the Somer seasoun whos malice streyngth and grete power may not be resisted neither yo{r} true subjectes defended witho[ut] a notable sume of gode Wherfor we beseche yo{r} moost excellent magest Roial that it wold like þerunto in tendrenes of yo{r} said land an[d] sauf garde of the same neither to yeue ne graunte noo parte of yo{r} Revenuz growing w{t}in [within] yo{r} said land to eny maner persoun or persouns But that the said Revenuz may remayne to be imploied by the said depute upoun the defense and sauf garde of ye same your land and subjectes thof [thereof]. And in that the said revenuz by grete werres afore this tyme fallen w{t}in [within] your said land hath and beun grete and merveleuxly diminued and wasted It wol like yo{r} highnes to send some refresshing of goode and power out of yo{r} noble Roialme of Eng. ayenst this next somer to the same depute to resist the malicieux po{r}poses might and strayngth of your forsaid Irishe Enemyez traitours and English rebelx Moost high and mighty xpen prince oure moost redouted kyng and Souverayn liege lord the holie trinite preserve your moost excellente mageste with victorie of yo{r} Enemyez after the disposicion of yo{r} Soverain hertes desire and moost gracieux pleasire Written at yo{r} Cite of diuelin undre onn parte of your grete Seele in yo{r} ful high Courte of pleyne parliament the xxviij day of ffebruary [28 Feb. 1464].

By your trewe liege men and moost humble subjectes the lords spirituelx and temporelx prokat{r}s and Communes and your Counseil of your land of Irland in your ful high Courte of parliament ther assembled.

Memorandum that ther is a lettre of the same tenoure and fourme directed to the Chaunceller and Tresourer of Eng. and to the remnaunt of the kynges Counseille ther mutates mutandis.'