Scutage facts for kids
Scutage was a special tax in medieval England. It was paid by people who held land under a system called feudalism. In this system, the king gave land to knights. In return, the knights promised to serve the king as soldiers.
Sometimes, knights could pay money instead of fighting. This payment was called scutage. The word "scutage" comes from the Latin word scutum, which means "shield." It was like paying to avoid carrying your shield into battle.
Over time, kings started asking for scutage from anyone who held knight's land, even if they weren't actual knights.
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What Was Scutage?
This payment system existed under kings like Henry I (1100–1135) and Stephen (1135–1154). It was also known as scutagium or escuagium.
It became more common when land was split into smaller parts. If you only had a small piece of land, it was easier to pay money than to provide a full knight. Also, kings started using more paid soldiers in the 1100s. Money was more useful to them than knights who might not be ready to fight.
Scutage and Famous Wars
Each time scutage was collected, it was named after the war it was for. For example, there was "the scutage of Toulouse" or "the scutage of Ireland."
Usually, the tax was about one mark (13 shillings, 4 pence) or one pound for each piece of land. But King John (1199–1216) started asking for two marks almost every year. He often did this even when there wasn't a war.
Scutage and Magna Carta
King John's high taxes made people very angry. In 1214, he demanded three marks, which was a lot of money. This unfair taxation was a big reason why people rebelled against him in 1215.
This rebellion led to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. The Magna Carta was a very important document. It said that the king could not collect scutage without the agreement of the kingdom's leaders. This meant the king couldn't just demand money whenever he wanted.
When the Magna Carta was reissued in 1217, it said that scutage rates should go back to what they were during the time of Henry II. Later, under Henry III (1216–1272), scutage was usually three marks. But it always needed the approval of the barons (important noblemen). It was only collected for important reasons.
How Scutage Changed
Over time, a new practice started. Important barons could pay a special "fine" to the king to avoid fighting in a war. This was different from the regular scutage. It meant the king could choose to ask for personal service or accept money instead.
This new system of special payments mostly replaced the old scutage system for the big landowners. However, smaller landowners still paid scutage to their lords.
Under Edward I (1272–1307), this new system became very common. The scutage collected during his reign mostly came from the smaller landowners. Their lords would pay a large sum to the king, and then collect smaller amounts from their own tenants.
Why Scutage Faded Away
Scutage quickly became less important as a way for the king to get money. Kings like Edward II (1307–1327) and Edward III (1327–1377) only collected it once. They started using other, more direct ways to tax people.
Also, land was being divided into smaller and smaller pieces. This made it very confusing to figure out who owed scutage. People often argued and went to court over it.
Even though it stopped being a main tax, scutage was still important. It helped show if a piece of land was held by "knight-service." This meant that even a small payment of scutage proved the land was tied to military duty.
Learning More About Scutage
Many historians have studied scutage.
- J. F. Baldwin wrote an important book called The Scutage and Knight Service in England in 1897.
- Thomas Madox's History of the Exchequer was also a key book for a long time.
- J. H. Round offered new ideas in his book Feudal England (1895).
- Important old records like the Red Book of the Exchequer and the Book of Fees also provide information.
See also
