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Charter of 36 Charles II, reincorporation of the City of the Bath

Reference Number: BC/1/1/1/21
Level of Description: Item
Title: Charter of 36 Charles II, reincorporation of the City of the Bath
Date: 31 December 1684
Extent: Extent: 1 item, 4 membranes
Description: Charter confirming the incorporation of the City of Bath, reciting certain portions of the earlier Elizabethan charter of incorporation of 4 September [1590] (ref: BC/1/1/1/20), with amendments and additional provisions.

It is ordained that the government of the City of Bath shall include a High Steward, a Mayor, between six and ten Aldermen, and a Common Council.
Maurice, Viscount Fitzhardinge, is assigned first High Steward of the city, and John Bush is to be the Mayor and shall serve in office until the feast of St Michael [29 September], after which a new Mayor is appointed from within the city.

Citizens of Bath: John Masters, Henry Chapman, Walter Gibbs, Robert Chapman, John Bush, Benjamin Barber, Edward Bushell, Robert Hayward, Walter Hicks, John Stibbs and John Pococke are appointed Aldermen and will remain in office as long as they are not negligent in their duties.
The Common Council shall be composed of between 12 and 20 of the best and most esteemed citizens who will be known as Chief Citizens and councillors of city. They are to assist in the governance of the city and to help and advise the High Steward, Mayor, Recorder, Justices, and Aldermen.
The following are appointed as members of the Common Council: Thomas Atwood, William Wallis, William Shute, Thomas Gibbs, Francis Clift, George Collobee, Walter Jones, Richard Masters, William Chapman, Francis Peirce, Edward Woolmer, William Sherston, Harry Child, Samuel Hayward, Edward Bushell the younger, Charles Child, Robert Chapman the younger, Henry Townsend, Richard Morgan and James Bayley.

Edward Nevill, Knight, one of the Crown’s Sergeants-at-Law is appointed as Recorder. John Bushell is nominated as the Common Clerk and Prothonotary. The city may also appoint Justices of the Peace, Chamberlains, Bailiffs, Constables, Sergeants-at-Mace and other necessary inferior officers.

Details are given regarding the administration of oaths of office, including who is to take which oath before whom, and authorising certain individuals to administer these oaths without further warrant or commission from the Crown. Terms of office and procedures for election and removal are specified, with the Crown reserving the right to remove the following from office: the High Steward, Mayor, Recorder, Deputy Recorder, Common Clerk or any of the Aldermen or Common Council.

The charter also confirms all liberties, privileges, exemptions and acquittances previously granted to the city by Elizabeth I and earlier monarchs.
The content of this charter is largely the same as the Elizabethan charter with the main differences being the new elections to offices, the appointment of a High Steward and the details regarding oaths.

Issued by writ of Privy Seal for a fee of £3.6s.8d.

Language: Latin

Physical description:
This charter is ornamented with a black and white border and historiated initial. It has been ruled in red ink and selected words in the main body of text are written in gilt.

In the first membrane the initial ‘C’ in ‘Charles’ at the start of the text is historiated with a portrait of the King. The text is framed by a border along the upper, left and right margins. The border is inhabited naturalistic botanical forms interspersed with other motifs such as masks, canopies and shields bearing different heraldic devices. In the centre of the upper border is the royal coat of arms, flanked on the left by a lion and a satyr with a club, and on the right by a unicorn and another satyr with a club. The design is shaded with cross-hatching to create a modelled effect. The other membranes are similarly decorated.

Width 76cm x height 64cm.

Seal:
The Great Seal is pendent by cords. It is fractured along the centre and bottom. This is the fourth seal of Charles II.