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In 1328 April 12, R. the bishop, the canons and the citizens was granted, by Edward III, (In year 2 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate New Salisbury (Salisbury City Defences)

The wording of this licence is;

"... New Salisbury should be a free city enclosed with dikes; and whereas R. the bishop, the canons and the citizens have petitioned for licence to enclose, fortify and crenellate the said city with a wall of stone and mortar (Calce) and to build proper turrets upon the wall for the safer keeping of the city in the future; the king has granted the licence so prayed, with power to repair the said wall and turrets as needful;"

Granted at Stamford, by privy seal and by fine of 20l.


An inspeximus and confirmation of previous charters [Doncaster, 15 December, 9 Edward II (Vol3 p290) and Westminster, 28 May, 34 Edward I (Vol3 p67), which made Sailsbury a free city. This charter additionally licences the building of walls and turrets. The charter also grants numerous other benefits to the citizens of Salisbury.


Original source is

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)


Significant later source are;


More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.

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This record last updated on Wednesday, December 6, 2006

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