A Source-Book of English Social History — John Shaqi
A Source-Book of English Social HistoryJones, M. E. Monckton (Mary Evelyn Monckton)
History
A Source-Book of English Social History
Jones, M. E. Monckton (Mary Evelyn Monckton)
Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Great Britain -- Social conditions
(7) If anyone engage in Sunday marketing, let him forfeit the chattel,
and 12 ores among the Danes, or thirty shillings among the English. If
a freeman work on a festival day let him forfeit his freedom or pay
wite.
(12) If anyone wrong an ecclesiastic or a foreigner through any means,
as to money or as to life, then shall the king or the eorl there in
the land, and the bishop of the people be unto him in the place of a
kinsman and of a protector, unless he have another.
LAWS OF ATHELSTANE, A.D. 925
(Ibid. p. 83)
Of Landless Men
(8) And we have ordained: if any landless man should become a follower
in another shire, and again seek his kinsfolk; that he may harbour him
on this condition; that he present him to folkright if he there do any
wrong, or make bot for him.
(9) He who attaches cattle, let V of his neighbours be named to him;
and of the V let him get one who will swear with him that he takes it
to himself by folkright: and he who will keep it to himself, to him let
there be named X men, and let him get two of them, and give the oath
that it was born on his property....
(10) And let no man exchange any property without the witness of the
reeve, or of the mass priest, or of the landlord ... or of any other
unlying man....
But if it be found that any of these have given wrongful witness, that
his witness never stand again for aught, and that he also give XXX
shillings as wite.
(12) And we have ordained that no man buy any property out of port[8]
over XX pence; but let him buy there within on the witness of the port
reeve, or of another unlying man: or further on the witness of the
reeves at the folkmoot.
(13) And we ordain that every burh[9] be repaired XIV days over
Rogation Days.
Secondly that every marketing be within port.
(14) Thirdly: that there be one money over all the king’s dominions and
that no man mint except within port.
And if the moneyer be guilty, let the hand be struck off with which he
wrought the offence, and be set up on the money smithy....
In Canterbury VII moneyers; IV the king’s, and II the bishop’s, I the
abbot’s.
At Rochester III; II the king’s, and I the bishop’s.
At London VIII.
At Winchester VI.
At Lewes II.
At Hastings I.
Another at Chichester.
At Hampton II.
At Wareham II.
At Exeter II.
At Shaftesbury II.
Else at the other burgs I.
(15) Fourthly: that no shieldwright cover a shield with sheep’s skin;
and if he do so, let him pay XXX shillings.
(16) Fifthly: that every man have to the plough two well-horsed men.
(18) Seventhly: that no man part with a horse over sea, unless he wish
to give it.
(24) ... And that no marketing be on Sundays; but if anyone do so, let
him forfeit the goods, and pay XXX shillings as wite.
(26) But if any one of my reeves will not do this, and care less about
it than we have commanded: then let him pay my oferhyrnes[10], and I
will find another who will. And let the bishop exact the oferhyrnes of
the reeve in whose following it may be....
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