he time of the
father of the beforesaid earl, or other of his ancestors, they may
have better or more firmly held; and they may have all the laws
and customs which the citizens of Lincoln have better and freer
[e.g. their merchant guilds; all men brought to trade may be
subject to the guild customs and assize of the town; those who
lawfully hold land in the town for a year and a day without
question and are able to prove that an accuser has been in the
kingdom within the year without finding fault with them, from
thence may hold the land well and in peace without pleading; those
who have remained in the town a year and a day without question,
and have submitted to the customs of the town and the citizens of
the town are able to show through the laws and customs of the town
that the accuser stood forth in the kingdom, and not a fault is
found of them, then they may remain in peace in the town without
question]; and that the constable of the aforesaid earl shall not
bring them into the castle to plead in any case. But they may
freely have their own portmanmote in which all pleas appertaining
to the earl and to them may be justly treated of. Moreover they
may choose one from themselves to act for the earl, whom I
approve, who may be a justice under the earl and over them, and
who to the earl may faithfully perform his rights, and if anyone
happen to fall into the earl's forfeiture he shall be acquit for
12 pence. If by the testimony of his neighbors he cannot pay 12
pence coins, by their advice it shall be so settled as he is able
to pay, and besides, with other acquittances, that the burgesses
shall not provide anything in corody [allowance in food] or
otherwise whether for the said earl or his men, unless upon
condition that their chattels shall be safe, and so rendered to
them. Furthermore, whatever merchants they have brought with them
for the improvement of the town they may have peace, and none
shall do them injury or unjustly send them into suit at law. But
if any foreign merchant has done anything improper in the town
that shall be amended [or tried] in the portmanmote before the
aforesaid justice without a suit. And they who may be newcomers
into the town, from the day on which they began to build in the
town for the space of two years shall be acquit of all charges.

Mercantile privileges were granted to the shoemakers in Oxford
thus: "Know ye that I have granted and confirmed to the corvesars
of Oxford all th