A Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltár évkönyve 18. 1991 (Debrecen, 1991)

Tanulmányok - Balogh István: Oklevelek a nemesek és Debrecen mezőváros viszonyához (1484-1570)

Kívül: II. János király parancsával a debreceniekhez, a fellebbezés rendje ügyében a jog folyás.

A debreceni lakosok peres ügyeiben Zsigmond király 1405. ápr. 2-i oklevele feljebbviteli fórumként a tárnokmester bírságát jelölte ki. (Vö. IV. A. 1021/a. Meo. 47. sz.). — Mátyás és az utána következő földesurak (uralkodók és magánföldesurak egyaránt) a debreceni uradalom helyben székelő officialisaira ruházták a fellebbezett ügyek felülvizsgálatát. János Zsigmond 1570-ben (vö. közölt 6. sz. oklevél) az ilyen ügyeket a saját személyes bírói székére rendelte vinni. Az 1570. aug. 16-án megkötött speyeri szerződés Biharmegyével együtt Debrecent is véglegesen az erdélyi fejedelemséghez csatolta. János Zsigmond oklevele ezért két vonatkozásban is fontos rendelkezést tartalmaz. Egyrészt megújítja az 1548-i oklevelében közölt fellebbviteli eljárást, másrészt a mezőváros lakóit eltiltja a királyi hatalomhoz való folyamodástól.

CHARTES

ILLUMINATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NOBLEMEN AND

THE BOROUGH OF DEBRECEN

*v

István Balogh

Debrecen had been a borough for all its existence. The male line of its first owner, the Debreceni family died out in 1404 and after that its landowners were mainly kings (Zsigmond, the Hunyadis, János I.), who invested the borough with rights similar to those of the royal free boroughs.

Originally it was only the ground of the mansion constituting the centre of the estate that was out of the jurisdiction of the borough judge. In 1484 Mátyás made a donation of a ground-plot in the main steet of the borough to one of his officials, whose person and mansion would not belong under the jurisdiction of the judge and his fellow judges (iurati assessores). (Charters No. 1. and 2.)

Owing to the wars several noblemen had moved into the town since the middle of the 16th century. They confirmed the magistrate that they would undertake the services that fell on the burghers in return for town fruitions and acknowledged the jurisdiction of the judge. (Charter No. 3.)

After a great number of them had moved in, the noblemen referring to their privileged status became reluctant to accept either of them. The Princes of Transylvania — by that time Debrecen despite the private ownership of the nobility became a borough of the crown — tried to calm the disunion caused by it with orders. They decreed that the noblemen living in the town were due to attend when summoned by the judge, to institute their proceedings in his presence and that they could lodge and appeal against his verdicts with the Court of the Prince. They were supposed the bear the same burdens as the burghers of the town. (Charters No. 6., 8. and 9.)

In 1562 a part of the mansion belonging to the estate became private through the donation of its landlord (Charter No. 5.) and in 1563 because of the constant interferences of the magistrate the owners of the other demesne found in better to sell the mansion and the privilege (retail of wine) attached to it. (Charter No. 7.) During the next three decades the demesnes were gained and the jurisdiction over the noblemen was acknowledged once for all.

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