Liberty of the Mint

The Liberty of the Mint was a notorious legal enclave that existed as a lawless sanctuary within the city of London. Its unique status arose in fifteen fifty when the Crown granted land here to the City of London but specifically excluded the former mansion and grounds of the Duke of Suffolk. Because this site remained under royal rather than municipal jurisdiction, it became a blind spot where local authorities and bailiffs lacked the legal power to make arrests. For nearly two centuries, this jurisdictional loophole transformed a small, cramped neighborhood into one of the most famous refuges for debtors in English history.