Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George IIIReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
Anyone making those passing with goods through their
jurisdiction answer to them in excess of their jurisdiction
shall be grievously amerced to the King.
No market town shall take an outrageous toll contrary to the
common custom of the nation.
Since good sterling money has been counterfeited with base
and false metal outside the nation and then brought in,
foreigners found in the nation's ports with this false money
shall forfeit their lives. Anyone bringing money into the
nation must have it examined at his port of entry. Payments
of money shall be made only by coin of the appropriate
weight delivered by the Warden of the Exchange and marked
with the King's mark. (A currency exchange was established
at Dover for the exchange of foreign currency for English
sterling.)
The silver in craftwork must be sterling and marked with the
Leopard's Head. The gold in craftwork must meet the standard
of the Touch of Paris.
The assize of bread and ale had been and was enforced
locally by local inspectors. Now, the Crown appointed royal
officers for the gauge of wines and measurement of cloths.
Edicts disallowed middlemen from raising prices against
consumers by such practices as forestalling [intercepting
goods before they reached the market and then reselling
them] or engrossing [buying a large supply of a commodity to
drive up the price] and price regulation was attempted. For
instance, prices were set for poultry and lamb, in a period
of plenty. Maximum prices were set for cattle, pigs, sheep,
poultry, and eggs in 1314, but these prices were hard to
enforce. In London examples of prices set are: best hen
3d.2q., best wild goose 4d., best hare 4d., best kid 10d.,
best lamb 4d., best fresh herrings 12 for 1d., best pickled
herrings 20 for 1d., best haddock 2d., best fresh salmon 3s.
Freemen may drive their swine through the King's demesne
Forest to feed in their own woods or elsewhere. No man shall
lose his life or limb for killing deer in the Forest, but
instead shall be grievously fined or imprisoned for a year.
The Forest Charter allowed a man to cut down and take wood
from his own woods in the King's forest to repair his house,
fences, and hedges. He may also enclose his woods in the
King's forest with fences and hedges to grow new trees and
keep cattle and beasts therefrom. After seven years growth
of these new trees, he may cut them down for sale with the
King's permission.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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