Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
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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