Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
New taxes replaced the Danegeld tax. Freeholders of land paid
taxes according to their ploughable land ("hidage", by the hide, and
later "carucage", by the smaller Norman carucate). The smaller measure
curtailed estates and increased taxation. It was assessed from 2-5s.
per carcuate [100 acres] and collected for the king by knights with
little or no remuneration, and later by inquest of neighbors. The towns
and demesne lands of the crown paid a tax based on their produce that
was collected by the itinerant justices. Merchants were taxed on their
personal property, which was determined by an inquest of neighbors.
Clergy were also taxed. This new system of taxation increased the royal
income about threefold. There was a standard for reliefs paid of 100s.
[5 pounds] for a knight's fee and 2,000s. [100 pounds] for a barony. At
the end of Henry's reign, his treasure was over 900,000 pounds. Every
hide of land paid the sheriff 2s. annually for his services in the
administration and defense of the county.
Barons and their tenants and subtenants were offered an
alternative of paying shield money ["scutage"] of 26s.8d. per fee in
commutation for and instead of military service for their fiefs. This
enabled Henry to hire soldiers who would be more directly under his own
control and to organize a more efficient army.
Henry II restored the silver coinage to its standard of purity.
The first great inflation in England occurred between 1180 and 1220.
Most goods and services increased threefold over these forty years.
Great households, whether of baron, prelate, monastery, or
college gave their officers and servants allowances of provisions and
clothing called "liveries". The officer of such departments as the
buttery [cellar storing butts of wine], the kitchen, the napery [for
linen cloth], and the chandlery had his fixed allowances for every day
and his livery of clothing at fixed times of the year or intervals of
years.
The administration of a great estate is indicated by the Pipe
Roll of the Bishopric of Winchester, 1208-1209, as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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