Page 33.
THE LAY SUBSIDY OF 1301. SKELTON TAXPAYERS.
|
 Groat and Farthing of
Edward I.
1 Groat = 4 pennies.
1 Farthing = ¼ of a penny. |
At the Parliament held at Lincoln in 1301, with the King, Edward I in attendance, a lay subsidy was authorised. This was a
tax on the whole population which was to be based on a fifteenth part of each person's movable possessions. Edward I, also
known as "Longshanks" had subdued Welsh rebellions and at great expense build enormous Castles to maintain control there.
He was now in the process of attempting the same in Scotland and needed funds to pay for his campaigns.
Among his foes over the border were the direct descendants of the De Brus family of Skelton Castle, destined to take the
throne in 1307.
Just four years previously the people had been taxed on a ninth part of their movable assets.
The taxmen appointed for the North Riding of Yorkshire were Alexander de Cave and Robert Gower. What must have been an
enormous administrative task was completed in a year or so and they collected £1,668 13s. 9d. Nationally around fifty
thousand pounds was added to the King's coffers.
The 63 taxpayers for Skelton who are listed below paid £5 13s 0¾d. Multiplying this by 15 gives the total value of
the villagers possessions as £84 6s 8¼d.
|
Amounts were in the system that was used right up until February 1971,
where 12 pennies made one shilling and 20 shillings made one pound. A penny was sub-divided into halfpennies and quarter
pennies [farthings]. Records in those times were kept in Latin and amounts were entered on the rolls in Roman numerals
with l, [libra] for pounds, s, [solidus] for shillings and d, [denarius] for pennies. A halfpenny was o. for obulus and
a farthing q. for quarta. Similarly people's names were recorded in a form of bastardised Latin with bits of French and
English. The idea of family names was just beginning and most folk were recorded by their trade or the place-name that
they came from.
It is hard to envisage what the money amounts represent or how the taxmen could be consistent in their valuations,
but, as examples, their records in similar parts of England valued a horse or a cow at 5 shillings; a sheep at 1
shilling; a blacksmith's tools at 5 shillings.
Land and buildings were not included. Walter Fauconberg of Skelton Castle paid the highest amount of 17s 9d and also paid
�1 6s 8d in the return for nearby "Merske cum Redekerre".
The wealth of the Church is evidenced by the amount paid by the Prior of Guisborough, over £18 for possessions all round
the area.
The assets of the person who paid the smallest amount in Skelton, Peter "Glew" were valued at 3s 1½d and there
must have been many other villagers who had even less and were not included - labourers, servants, the young and old.
|
Name
as on Lay Subsidy Roll
|
Name
Possible meaning
|
Amount
paid
As shown on Roll |
Amount
in
£ s
d
|
Value
of Goods
£
s d
|
Waltero de Faucomberge
|
Walter Fauconberg of Skelton
Castle
|
xvijs
ixd |
17 9
|
13
6 3
|
Ricardo Mercatore
|
Richard the Merchant
|
ixd
o. |
9½
|
11 10½
|
Hugo de Laysingby
|
Hugo of Lazenby
|
ijs
ixd q. |
2
9¼
|
2
1 6¾
|
Petro de Estgate
|
Peter of Eastgate
|
ijs
vijd o. q. |
2 7¾
|
1
19 8¼
|
Radulpho Throstelle
|
|
iijd q. |
3¼
|
4 0¾
|
Thoma le Paynerman
|
Thomas the pack horse driver |
vjd o. |
6½
|
8 1½
|
Willelmo Carpentario
|
William the Carpenter
|
xd |
10
|
12 6
|
Johanne Prest
|
John the Priest
|
ijs
vjd o. |
2 6½
|
1
18 1½
|
Ada
|
|
vd o. q. |
5¾
|
7 2¼
|
Willelmo Sunb'
|
|
iijs
jd o. q. |
3
1¾
|
2
7 2¼
|
Helya le Waynman
|
Helya the cart driver
|
xjd q.
|
11¼
|
14 0¾
|
Willelmo de Ingelby
|
William of Ingleby
|
iiijd
|
4
|
5 0
|
Johanne Clerico
|
John the Clergyman
|
xixd o. q.
|
1
7¾
|
1
4 8¼
|
Johanne Play
|
|
ijs
vjd
|
2 6
|
1
17 6
|
Petro Glew
|
|
ijd o.
|
2½
|
3 1½
|
Gilberto Russelle
|
|
ijs
viijd o.
|
2
8½
|
2
0
7½
|
Alano Falcroke
|
|
vd q.
|
5¼
|
6 6¾
|
Gilberto Tan
|
Gilbert the Tanner
|
vd o. q.
|
5¾
|
7 2¼
|
Andrea Carnifice
|
Butcher
|
ijs
vjd
|
2
6
|
1
17 6
|
Gode
|
|
ijs
vd
|
2
5
|
1 16
3
|
Nicholao de Naulton
|
Nicholas of Naulton
|
vjd o.
|
6½
|
8 1½
|
Thoma filio Eduse
|
Thomas son of Eduse
|
vjd o.
|
6½
|
8 1½
|
Hamando Stayard
|
|
iijd o. q.
|
3¾
|
4 8¼
|
Rogero filio Ade
|
Roger, son of Ade
|
xvjd o.
|
1
4½
|
1
0
7½
|
Roberto Tratel
|
Robert Trattles
|
xiiijd o. q.
|
1
2½
|
18 1½
|
Roberto Glewe
|
|
xixd o. q.
|
1
7¾
|
1
4 8¼
|
Roberto le Parcour
|
Robert the Gamekeeper
|
xixd o. q.
|
1
7¾
|
1
4 8¼
|
Stephano de Monte
|
Stephen who lives on the Hills
|
ijs
ijd
|
2
2
|
1
12 6
|
Alicia filia Walteri
|
Alice, daughter of Walter
|
vjd o. q.
|
6¾
|
8 5¼
|
Roberto le Carter
|
Robert the Carrier by cart
|
xiiijd o. q.
|
1
2¾
|
18 5¼
|
Alicia Piper
|
|
iiijd
|
4
|
5 0
|
Willelmo Wetherby
|
William of Wetherby
|
iiijd
|
4
|
5 0
|
Rogero Banger
|
|
xd
|
10
|
12 6
|
Ada Porcario
|
Ada the pig keeper
|
xvd o.
|
1
3½
|
19 4½
|
parvo Rogero
|
Little Roger
|
vd o. q.
|
5¾
|
7 2¼
|
Cecilia Swyn
|
|
vjd o.
|
6½
|
8 1½
|
Ada de Burgate
|
Ada of Boroughgate
|
ijs
o.
|
2
0½
|
1
10 7½
|
Waltero Fullone
|
Walter the Fuller [cloth]
|
iiijs ijd
|
4
2
|
3
2 6
|
Willelmo filio Michaelis
|
William, son of Michael
|
iiijd
|
4
|
5 0
|
Thoma Pilcheprest
|
|
vjd
|
6
|
7 6
|
Johanne filio Petri
|
John, son of Peter
|
vijd
|
7
|
8 9
|
Willelmo Hornet
|
|
vjd o.
|
6½
|
8 1½
|
Willelmo filio Petri
|
William, son of Peter
|
ijs
vijd o. q.
|
2
7¾
|
1
19 8¼
|
Johanne Goceman
|
|
iijs
vjd o. q.
|
3
6¾
|
2
13 5¼
|
Petro Scot
|
Peter Scott
|
xjd
|
11
|
13 9
|
Willelmo Pistore
|
William the Baker
|
iijs
iiijd o. q.
|
3
4¾
|
2
10 11¼
|
Petro filio Willelmi Bayan
|
Peter, son of William Bayan
|
xiiijd
|
1
2
|
17 6
|
Roberto Bussel
|
Perhaps Russel
|
xjd q.
|
11¼
|
14 0¾
|
Ricardo de Coquina
|
Richard the Cook
|
xxjd
|
1
9
|
1
6 3
|
Johanne Fabro
|
John the Blacksmith
|
vs
vijd o.
|
5
7½
|
4
4 4½
|
Willelmo de Merske
|
William of Marske
|
xvjd o.
|
1
4½
|
1
0 7½
|
Henrico de Scalinge
|
Henry of Scaling
|
ixd o. q.
|
9¾
|
12 2¼
|
Petro ad Fontem
|
Peter who lives by the Spring
|
vijd o.
|
7½
|
9 4½
|
Jonna ad Pontem
|
John who lives at the bridge
|
ixd o. q.
|
9¾
|
12 2¼
|
WillelmoTextore
|
William the Weaver
|
iiijd o.
|
4½
|
5 7½
|
Willelmo Figulo
|
William the Potter
|
xxd
|
1
8
|
1
5 0
|
Thoma de Brun
|
Thomas Brown
|
ijs
vd
|
2
5
|
1
16 3
|
Alicia relicta Petri Marescalli
|
Alicia, widow of Peter Marshall
|
iijs
xjd o.
|
3
11½
|
2
19 4½
|
Ada filio Petri Marescalli
|
Ada, daughter of Peter
Marshall
|
iiijs
viijd o.
|
4
8½
|
3
10 7½
|
Hugone Pykewastelle
|
|
iijs
ijd o.
|
3
2½
|
2
8 1½
|
Roberto de Merske
|
Robert of Marske
|
ijs
jd o. q.
|
2
1¾
|
1
12 2¼
|
Willelmo Carpentario
|
William the Carpenter
|
ixd
|
9
|
13 3
|
Willelmo filio Walteri
|
William son of Walter
|
xd o. q.
|
10¾
|
13 5¼
|
Total
of 63 Taxpayers
|
|
|
5
13 0¾
|
84
6 8¼
|
|
