Middle Ages

Timeline

Council

First Charter

Queen Elizabeth's Charter

Reform

Parliament

Boundaries

Town Links

The First Charter

The founding of Reading Abbey had a great effect on the town. The Abbot was lord of the manor of Reading, able to control the town. He could appoint officials, control the trade and act as judge. As he had all this power, the Abbot became unpopular with the people of Reading. In 1253 they took their case to the King, to try and regain the power they had once had. Since the wealthier people of Reading, the burgesses, could not prove their case, later in the same year they petitioned the king and received a charter.

This, the first Royal Charter for the town, gave all the member of the guild the right to buy and sell free from taxes or tolls throughout the country. The burgesses then went back to the abbot and came to an agreement with him. The guild were to have a guildhall, twelve buildings and a large meadow, the Portmanbrook for which they would have to pay the abbot rent. The abbot was given the power to decide which member of the guild would be its head, or warden. The burgesses would also have to pay an annual fee of fivepence for the right to trade in the town. By the 14th Century the warden was known as the mayor.

As well as the burgesses beginning to run the town, they also began to have power on a national level. In 1295 the town was first asked to send two of its burgesses to parliament.