Charters

That Portsmouth has prospered over the centuries is a credit to generations of aspirational, committed and capable civic leaders. A series of 24 royal charters have been granted, after strong lobbying and usually payment, which gradually granted the town control of its own finances, rights to trade, the ability to hold its own court and its market. These were given under the great seal of eighteen differing sovereigns. The first charter was given by Richard I in 1194, actually signed in the town showing special favour, and the last is dated 1974 confirming the privileges of the Lord Mayor following the 1972 Local Government Act. Of the 24, an extraordinary 13 survive in the City’s archives with 12 of those being kept in permanent civic ownership; the thirteenth was rescued from a sale at Sotheby’s in 1904. These enduring and tangible testaments to past civic pride are on permanent display, including one for 1313, in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Guildhall.