Medieval Taxes Flashcards
What were Forest Fines?
Any land could be called a forest.
The land was under the king’s protection and he could claim fines for those using the land. These fines affected everyone in the Feudal System. John increased these fines in his reign and fines fell mainly on northern Barons.
What were Wardship fines?
If a Baron died while his heir was a minor, his land returned to the King. The King would take of the heir’s education and living needs, however on reaching maturity, the heir would need to pay a fine to the King to inherit the land. The King could set the fine at whatever he wanted and under King John, the fine went up by 300%.
What things could Kings demand their vassals make payments for?
Payments of Forest Fines, Wardship Fines, payment to get a King out of captivity, payment of a fine to the King if an heir inherited the lands of his father, payment to knight the King’s eldest son, payment to provide a dowry (fat bank account) for the King’s eldest daughter.
What were two features of the tallage?
- Compulsory land tax paid by tenants in the Royal Demesne. Tenants included townsmen and peasants. Tallage was arguably a mark of lower status as it was never paid by Barons and Knights.
- People could appeal against it and the King - or any Lord - could set the sum at whatever they wanted to. Thus, it was usually unreasonably high.
How was the Royal Demesne made up?
- The land that the King kept for himself.
- The land provided the King with money from rent to pay his expenses in times of peace. He could charge rents to those living in towns and collect taxes from anyone who sold goods there.
How could John make money by interfering in legal cases?
John suspended the role of Justiciars, meaning that he could offer himself up to be “bought” in legal cases.
Eg, In 1207, John gave a favourable judgement to the party that offered him more payment for supporting a case that they wanted to see come to court. Events such as this led to some of John’s vassals to complain that he ‘sold justice’. Loyalty to John was tested.
What was Scutage?
A main tax that made a mockery of the feudal system and left the Barons’ feeling exploited by the crown.
What were the features of Scutage?
This was a payment made by the holders of a Knight’s fee in return for not having to fight. Scutages were favourable ways of hiring professional soldiers and mercenaries.
John demanded 11 of these in 16 years - angered his Barons as they saw it as an annual tax; should have only been called for in an emergency. The final one in 1214 was a direct cause of the Barons revolt against King John.
What was the 1207 tax on movable incomes?
A tax based on the goods and income of every man. The tax was set at one shilling in every mark (a mark = just over 13 shillings). Anyone who refused to pay risked going to prison and having all their land taken away. It raised £60,000 but was so unpopular, it was never used again.
What was the Sheriff’s role in collecting taxes?
- He collected taxes from the royal demesne.
- The Sheriff was set a fixed sum of tax to collect and he could keep any money that he collected in addition to that sum.
- Sheriffs became very wealthy which helps explain why Richard was able to sell off lots of jobs as a Sheriff during his reign.
- John began to take more of a “cut” of what the Sheriff’s gained, as he did not want them to become wealthier than he was.
