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16 HISTORY OF EAST GRINSTEAD. |
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Our traders at one time strongly resented the intrusion of outsiders, for the House of Commons minutes for February 9 th, 1705, inform us that a petition of the aggrieved shopkeepers in the Borough of East Grinstead was presented to Parliament against continuing the licensing of hawkers and pedlars, and praying that some effectual remedy might be had to suppress such "intestine enemies." The petition was referred to a committee of the whole House, and possibly never thought of again.
It is quite possible that such an old Parliamentary Borough as East Grinstead had its coat of arms at a very early date, but it was either forgotten or in abeyance in 1572. In this year Thomas Cure, of Southwark, was elected M.P. for the Borough of East Grinstead, and he appears to have signalised his return by procuring for the town a grant of arms, presenting to the township a silver seal engraved therewith. What appears to be the original parchment grant of arms from the Heralds College is still in the possession of the Crawford family, to whom it has probably descended from their ancestor, John Payne, of East Grinstead, who died in 1579, and is one of the burgesses named in the grant, which reads as follows:—
Be it remembered that Gilbert Dethik alias Garter, Principall Kinge of Armes did graunt and allowe the xxxth day of May anno dni 1572 Anno Regni Regine Elizabethe viiijt0 At ye specyall suyt of wyllyam Langridge then baylyffe of the bowronage towne of Estgrinsted in ye Countye of Sussex, Edwarde Goodwyne, John Payne, Thomas Lullingeden junior, John Duffylde, Edward Duffylde, Thomas Lullingeden senior, James Baldwin, Robart Hartfylde, wyllyam Bryan, Thomas ffawrkenor, John Atree, Edwarde Langredge, John Saxpes, Henry Browne, Thomas Dureky, Thomas Homewoode, George Partrydg and John Hazelden then being burgesses in the sayd burrowe towne and other the inhabytants of the sayde towne. (£$* And by the procuremente of maister Thomas Cure of Sowthwarke in the countye of Surr' esquyor, the paterne of ye Seale herein enexed to be a paterne of ye seale for the sayd Borrorghe towne, and that ye same paterne, and a Seale graven in sylver, accordinge to the same paterne was cawsed to be made and geven to the sayde BaylifFe, burgesses, townshipe and inhabytants to the use of the sayde townshipe by the sayd Thorns' Cure at his proper cost & charges only, for the love & good wyll that he the |
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