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
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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