August 1491

The bailiffs shall execute the office of bailiff and administer justice well, honestly and impartially, delivering justice to the poor as well as the rich, according to the law and the good customs of the town, and [they shall] observe, preserve and maintain all franchises, liberties, ordinances, customs and statutes of the town. They shall punish according to their deserts those breaking or rebellious against these franchises, ordinances and statutes, as well as those breaking the king's peace; the bailiffs and chamberlains (or two of the said chamberlains with them at least) shall affeer and assess the fines and amercements of such evil-doers, according to the seriousness of the offence. The bailiffs are to levy, or make to be levied, the said fines for the profit of the town; they are in no way to meddle with any revenues – that is, rents, farms, fines, amercements, wrecks, waifs, strays, forfeitures, customs (by water or by land) – or with any other manner of thing accumulating profit for the town. The bailiffs are to acquit and discharge themselves of all types of charges relating to the king's fee-farm of the town, as shall hereafter be more fully laid out in another ordinance on that subject.

[N.B. that it was not until 1494 that the bailiffs acquired, by royal charter, the authority of justices of the peace.]