A tax of a percentage of
1/15th of personal property was levied in 1225 for a war, in
return for which the king signed the Magna Carta. It was to be
paid by all tenants-in-chief, men of the royal domain, burgesses
of the boroughs and cities, clerical tenants-in-chief, and
religious houses. The percentage tax came to be used frequently
and ranged from about 1/40th to 1/5th. In 1294, this tax was
bifurcated into one percentage amount for the rural districts and
a higher one for urban districts, because the burgesses had
greater wealth and much of it was hard to uncover because it was
in the possession of customers and debtors. It was usually 1/10th
for towns and royal domains and 1/15th in the country. This amount
of money collected by this tax increased with the wealth of the
country.
The king takes custody of lands of lunatics and idiots, as well as
escheats of land falling by descent to aliens. Henry III took 20s.
from his tenants-in-chief for the marriage of his daughter, and
two pounds for the knighting of his son.
By 1250, the king was hiring soldiers at 2s. per day for knights,
and 9d. a day for less heavily armed soldiers, and 6d. a day for
cross-bowmen. Some castle-guard was done by watchmen hired at 2d.
a day. Ships were impressed when needed. Sometimes private ships
were authorized to ravage the French coasts and take what spoil
they could.
While King Henry III was underage, there was much controversy as
to who should be his ministers of state, such as justiciar,
chancellor, and treasurer.
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