However, this independence "did not extend to any real measure of self-government". The exact date that Thaxted first acquired formal borough status is unknown but the 1556 charter states that Thaxted "is an ancient borough and had from time immemorial a mayor and other officers and ministers and was endowed with diverse liberties". Royal documents from the end of the fifteenth century refer to the "manor and borough of Thaxted". It seems clear however that Thaxted did not self-government as a fully-fledged borough until the granting of the 1556 charter.