Freemen of the City of Leicester
Freemen of the City of Leicester
In approximately the year 1107, Robert, Count of Meulan (who was the predecessor of the first Earl of Leicester) granted to the Merchants of Leicester a Charter, re-affirming their rights in the following words:
This Charter may be accepted as evidence that the Gild of Merchants was in existence in 1066, and implies that it is much oler than this, although there is no written evidence to support this theory.
The Freemen of the City of Leicester are an ancient body of people whose origins can be traced back to medieval history. It is recorded in the Domesday Book that in 1086 there were 65 burgesses (townsmen with certain privileges) in the borough of Leicester, and it is those burgesses who were the predecessors of today's Freemen.
Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 the burgesses were responsible for the civic administration of the town, the maintenance of law and order and for the punishment of crime. This responsibility was discharged by the Portmanmoot, a body of 24 jurats (officers similar to aldermen) who were elected from the burgesses.
Immediately after the Norman occupation of Leicester, this authority was withdrawn - probably in 1068 - but the power was regained in a charter granted by Robert Beaumont, the first Earl of Leicester, in 1120.
To find out more about the history of the Freeman of Leicester, click on the links on the left. These are numbered 1 to 18 in chronological order.
In approximately the year 1107, Robert, Count of Meulan (who was the predecessor of the first Earl of Leicester) granted to the Merchants of Leicester a Charter, re-affirming their rights in the following words:
"KNOW YE THAT I HAVE GRANTED TO MY MERCHANTS OF LEICESTER THE GILD OF THEIR MERCHANTS WITH ALL THE CUSTOMS WHICH THEY HELD IN THE TIME OF KING WILLIAM (The Conqueror) AND OF KING WILLIAM HIS SON AND NOW IN THE TIME OF KING HENRY"
This Charter may be accepted as evidence that the Gild of Merchants was in existence in 1066, and implies that it is much oler than this, although there is no written evidence to support this theory.
The Freemen of the City of Leicester are an ancient body of people whose origins can be traced back to medieval history. It is recorded in the Domesday Book that in 1086 there were 65 burgesses (townsmen with certain privileges) in the borough of Leicester, and it is those burgesses who were the predecessors of today's Freemen.
Prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066 the burgesses were responsible for the civic administration of the town, the maintenance of law and order and for the punishment of crime. This responsibility was discharged by the Portmanmoot, a body of 24 jurats (officers similar to aldermen) who were elected from the burgesses.
Immediately after the Norman occupation of Leicester, this authority was withdrawn - probably in 1068 - but the power was regained in a charter granted by Robert Beaumont, the first Earl of Leicester, in 1120.
To find out more about the history of the Freeman of Leicester, click on the links on the left. These are numbered 1 to 18 in chronological order.