A couple of my sources seem to think that the market charter was granted in 1555, and not 1556.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1894-5, and found in uk-genealogy I read that ‘The borough received a charter in the year 1555, during the reign of Queen Mary…’. This mistake is repeated in James Townsend’s 1910 book ‘The History of Abingdon’.

However, most modern sources say the year was 1556. This must appear an unimportant issue to most, but since Abingdon is about to embark on the 450th anniversary celebrations, it does have some importance.

The charter created the Borough of Abingdon, its market and government, and boundaries. On a latin document on great sheets of velum and with the royal seal, ‘Philip and Mary, by the Grace of God King and Queen of England, Spain, France, of both Sicilyes, Jerusalem, and Ireland….’ granted the charter to the ancient capital town of Berkshire, which after the dissolution of the Abbey was falling into decay. The Abbey had had its own charter to control markets and government. The new charter of 1556 said that Abingdon was to be governed by a mayor, 2 bailiffs, and 9 aldermen. The boundaries followed the courses of the Thames and Ock and then to Barrow Hill in the North. The beating of the boundaries still continues as a tradition on January 1st, which I shall photograph and report….