Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
Every man shall have a warrantor to his market transactions and no
one shall buy and sell except in a market town; but he shall have
the witness of the portreeve or of other men of credit, who can be
trusted.
Moneyers accused of minting money outside a designated market
were to go to the ordeal of the hot iron with the hand that was
accused of doing the fraud. If he was found guilty, his hand that
did the offense was to be struck off and be set up on the money-
smithy.
No marketing, business, or hunting may be done on Sundays.
No one may bind a freeman, shave his head in derision, or shave
off his beard. Shaving was a sign of enslavement, which could be
incurred by not paying one's fines for offenses committed.
No clergy may gamble or participate in games of chance.
The Laws for London were:
"1. The gates called Aldersgate and Cripplegate were in charge of
guards.
2. If a small ship came to Billingsgate, one halfpenny was paid
as toll; if a larger ship with sails, one penny was paid.
1) If a hulk or merchantman arrives and lies there, four pence
is paid as toll.
2) From a ship with a cargo of planks, one plank is given as
toll.
3) On three days of the week toll for cloth [is paid] on Sunday
and Tuesday and Thursday.
4) A merchant who came to the bridge with a boat containing fish
paid one halfpenny as toll, and for a larger ship one penny."
5 - 8) Foreigners with wine or blubber fish or other goods and
their tolls.
Foreigners were allowed to buy wool, melted sheep fat [tallow],
and three live pigs for their ships.
"3. If the town reeve or the village reeve or any other official
accuses anyone of having withheld toll, and the man replies that
he has kept back no toll which it was his legal duty to pay, he
shall swear to this with six others and shall be quit of the
charge.
1) If he declares that he has paid toll, he shall produce the
man to whom he paid it, and shall be quit of the charge.
2) If, however, he cannot produce the man to whom he paid it, he
shall pay the actual toll and as much again and five pounds to
the King.
3) If he vouches the taxgatherer to warranty [asserting] that
he paid toll to him, and the latter denies it, he shall clear
himself by the ordeal and by no other means of proof.
4. And we [the king and his counselors] have decreed that a man
who, within the town, makes forcible entry into another man's
house without permission and commits a breach of the peace of the
worst kind ... and he who assaults an innocent person on the
King's highway, if he is slain, shall lie in an unhonored grave.
1) If, before demanding justice, he has recourse to violence,
but does not lose his life thereby, he shall pay five pounds
for breach of the King's peace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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