English Economic History: Select Documents. Various

[65] i.e., The heir is not to be married below his rank. cf. Magna Carta, 6. "Heirs shall be married without disparagement, so that before a marriage be contracted, the near kindred of the heir shall be informed thereof."

      15. Wardship [Fine Roll, 11 Edward III, m. 18], 1337.

      The King to his beloved and trusty, William Trussel, his escheator on this side Trent, greeting. We command you, straitly enjoining, that forthwith, on view of these presents, you cause the body of the heir of Roger de Huntyngfeld, deceased, who held of us in chief, wheresoever and in whosesoever hands it be found in your bailiwick, to be seized into our hand and to be sent to us without delay, wheresoever we shall be in England, to be delivered to us or to him whom we shall depute as guardian of the said heir: and that you in no wise neglect this, as you will save yourself harmless against us. Witness the King at the Tower of London, 2 September.

      By letter of the secret seal.

      16. The Collection of a Carucage [Roger of Hoveden, Rolls Series, iv. 46], 1198.

      In the same year Richard, King of England, took an aid of 5s. from every carucate of land or hide, of the whole of England, for the collection whereof the same King sent throughout every county of England a clerk and a knight, who, together with the sheriff of the county to which they were sent, and with lawful knights elected hereto, after taking oath faithfully to execute the King's business, summoned before them the stewards of the barons of that county and from every town the lord or bailiff of that town and the reeve with four lawful men of the town, whether freemen or unfree (rusticis), and two of the more lawful knights of the hundred, who swore that they would faithfully and without deceit say how many ploughlands (carucarum wannagia) there were in every town, to wit, how many in demesne, how many in villeinage, how many in alms granted to men of religion, which the grantors or their heirs are bound to warrant or acquit, or wherefrom men of religion ought to do service; and by command of the King they put on each ploughland first 2s. and afterwards 3s.; and all these things were reduced to writing; and the clerk had thereof one roll, and the knight a second roll, the sheriff a third roll, the steward of the barons a fourth roll of his lord's land. This money was received by the hands of two lawful knights of each hundred and by the hand of the bailiff of the hundred; and they answered therefor to the sheriff, and the sheriff answered therefor by the aforesaid rolls at the Exchequer before the bishops, abbots and barons appointed hereto. And for the punishment of any jurors who should conceal aught in this business contrary to their oath, it was decreed that any unfree man convicted of perjury should give to his lord his best plough-ox, and moreover should answer from his own property, to the use of the lord the King, for as much money as he should be declared to have concealed by his perjury; and if a freeman should be convicted, he should be at the King's mercy, and moreover should refund from his own property, to the use of the lord the King, as much as should be concealed by him, like the unfree man. It was also decreed that every baron together with the sheriff should make distraints upon his men; and if through default of the barons distraints were not made, that which should remain to be rendered by their men should be taken from the demesne of the barons, and the barons themselves should have recourse to their men for the same. And the free fees of parish churches were excepted from this tallage. And all escheats of barons, which were in the hand of the lord the King, paid their share. Serjeanties, however, of the lord the King, which were not of knights' fees, were excepted; nevertheless a list was made of them and of the number of carucates of land and the value of the lands and the names of the serjeants, and all those serjeants were summoned to be at London on the octave of the Close of Pentecost, to hear and execute the command of the lord the King. And those who were elected and appointed to execute this business of the King decreed, by the valuation of lawful men, 100 acres of land to each ploughland.

      17. An Acquittance of the Collectors of Scutage of a sum of 10l. levied by them and repaid [Chancery Miscellanea, 1, 18, 9], 1319.

To all Christ's faithful to whom the present letters shall come, John de Twynem, receiver of the money of the lord John of Brittany, earl of Richmond, in the barony of Hastings, greeting in the Lord. Know ye that, whereas John Fillol and William de Northo were appointed[66] to collect and levy in the counties of Surrey and Sussex the scutage of the lord the King of the armies of Scotland of the twenty-eighth, thirty-first and thirty-fourth years of the reign of King Edward, father of King Edward that now is, and afterwards by command of the lord the King were appointed[67] to pay to the said lord John of Brittany, earl of Richmond, the scutage of the tenants of the barony aforesaid of the aforesaid thirty-first and thirty-fourth years, I have received of the aforesaid John Fillol and William de Northo by the hands of the said John to the use of the said lord John of Brittany, earl of Richmond, 10l. for the scutage of five knights' fees in Wartling, Cowden and Socknersh, of the aforesaid thirty-fourth year; of which 10l. I will acquit the aforesaid John and William, their heirs and executors, and save them harmless, against the said earl and others whomsoever. In witness whereof I have set my seal to these presents. Given at Lympne, 12 September, at the beginning of the thirteenth year of the reign of the King abovesaid.[68]

      [66] Fine Roll, 8 Edward II., m. 19.

      [67] Scutage Roll, 8–11 Edward II., mm. 2. l.

      [68] Scutage was imposed on all tenants of knights' fees, but might be reclaimed by the lord if he did the service due.

      18. Payment of Fines in Lieu of Knight Service [Patent Roll, 31 Edward I, m. 12d], 1303.

      The King to the sheriff of York, greeting. Though we lately commanded you that you should cause to be summoned archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors and other ecclesiastical persons, and also widows and other women of your bailiwick, who hold of us in chief by knight service or by serjeanty, or hold of the guardianships of archbishoprics and bishoprics or other guardianships or wardships in our hand, that they should have at our side on the feast of Whitsunday next coming at Berwick-upon-Tweed their whole service due to us, well furnished with horses and arms, and ready to march with us and with others our faithful against the Scots, our enemies; wishing, however, on this occasion graciously to spare the labours of the same prelates, religious persons, women and others, who are unskilled in or even unfit for arms, we command you, straitly enjoining, that forthwith on sight of these presents, in full county-court and none the less in market towns and elsewhere throughout the whole of your bailiwick where you shall deem most expedient, you cause it to be publicly proclaimed that the same prelates, religious persons, women and others insufficient or unfit for arms, who owe us their service and are willing to make fine with us for the same service, come before our treasurer and barons of the Exchequer on the morrow of the Ascension of the Lord next coming, or sooner, if they can, at York, or then send some one thither on their behalf, to make fine with us for their service aforesaid, and to pay the same fine to us on the same morrow, to wit, 20l. for a knight's fee and otherwise in proportion to their knight service or serjeanty due to us in this behalf; or else that they be at our side on the aforesaid feast of Whitsunday with horses and arms, and the whole of their service, as they are bound; and that you have this writ at our said Exchequer on the morrow abovesaid. Witness the King at Laneham, 16 April.

      19. The Assessment of a Tallage [Patent Roll, 8 Edward II, p. 1, m. 14, schedule], 1314.

      The King to his beloved and faithful, Hervey de Stanton, Henry le Scrop, John de Merkingfeld and Ralph de Stokes, greeting. Whereas in the sixth year of our reign we caused our cities, boroughs and demesnes throughout England to be tallaged, and certain our lieges to be appointed in the counties of our realm to assess our tallage in our cities, boroughs and demesnes, separately by heads or in common, as they should deem the more expedient for our advantage, and that tallage