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
The wards and escheats of the king shall be surveyed yearly by
three people assigned by the King. The sheriffs, by their counsel,
shall approve and let to farm such wards and escheats as they think
most profitable for the King. The Sheriffs shall be answerable for the
issues thereof in the Exchequer at designated times. The collectors of
the customs on wool exports shall pay this money at the two designated
times and shall make yearly accounts of all parcels in ports and all
ships.
By statute leap year was standardized throughout the nation,
"the day increasing in the leap year shall be accounted in that year",
"but it shall be taken and reckoned in the same month wherein it grew
and that day and the preceding day shall be counted as one day."
"An English penny [1 d.], called a sterling, round and without
any clipping, shall weigh 32 wheat grains dry in the middle of the ear."
Measurements of distance were standardized to twelve inches to
a foot, three feet to a yard, and so forth up to an acre of land.
Goods which could only be sold by the standard weights and
measures (such as ounces, pounds, gallons, bushels) included sacks of
wool, leather, skins, ropes, glass, iron, lead, canvas, linen cloth,
tallow, spices, confections cheese, herrings, sugar, pepper, cinnamon,
nutmeg, wheat, barley, oats, bread, and ale. The prices required for
bread and ale were based on the market price for the wheat, barley, and
oats from which they were made.
The punishment for repeated violations of required measures,
weights, or prices of bread and ale by a baker or brewer; selling of
spoiled or unwholesome wine, meat, fish by brewers, butchers, or cooks;
or a steward or bailiff receiving a bribe was reduced to placement in a
pillory with a shaven head so that these men would still be fit for
military service and not overcrowd the gaols.
Forest penalties were changed so that "No man shall lose either
life or member [limb] for killing of our deer. But if any man be taken
and convicted for taking our venison, he shall make a grievous fine, if
he has anything. And if he has nothing to lose, he shall be imprisoned
for a year and a day. And after that, if he can find sufficient
sureties, he shall be delivered, and, if not, he shall abjure the realm
of England."
The Forest Charter provided that: Every freeman may allow his
pigs to eat in his own wood in the King's forest. He may also drive his
pigs through the King's forest and tarry one night within the forest
without losing any of his pigs. But people having greyhounds must keep
them out of the forest so they don't maim the deer.
The Forest Charter also allowed magnates traveling through the
King's forest on the King's command to come to him, to kill one or two
deer as long as it was in view of the forester if he was present, or
while having a horn blown, so it did not seem to be theft.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account