DOC 25 -- Account of Setting Up Self-Government
                    [excerpts of the town charter of Ipswich, England]

On Thursday following the festival of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in the second year of the reign of King John [29 June], the whole town of the borough of Ipswich gathered in the churchyard of St. Mary at Tower to elect two bailiffs and four coroners for the town, according to the specifications of the charter of the aforesaid lord King, which that king recently granted to the borough...
 

On Sunday following the festival of the Apostles Peter and Paul [2 July], the whole town of Ipswich gathered before the bailiffs and coroners to elect 12 capital portmen for the town, as was previously decided. By consent of the town, the bailiffs and coroners elected four upright and law-abiding men from each parish of the town, who were sworn to elect 12 capital portmen from the better, wiser and more able townsmen to make ordinances for the well-being of the town...

[The portmen] took oath before the whole town that they would govern the borough of Ipswich well and faithfully, maintain as best they could all the liberties recently granted to the burgesses of the borough by the charter of the lord King, maintain all liberties and free customs of the town, render just judgements in the town court without discrimination towards any individual, and moreover ordain and do all things touching the status and reputation of the town, and to deal lawfully and justly with poor as well as rich.
 

[Source: http://orb.rhodes.edu/encyclop/culture/towns/ipswich2.html]