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
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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