Taxatio Ecclesiastica facts for kids
The Taxatio Ecclesiastica, also known as the Taxatio Nicholai, was a detailed list created in 1291 and 1292. Pope Nicholas IV ordered this list to find out how much money churches in England, Wales, and Ireland were worth. This was done so that taxes could be collected from them.
Why the Tax Was Made
The Taxatio Ecclesiastica was put together to help collect a special tax. This tax was on all church property in England and Wales. The money was needed to pay for a big trip to the Holy Land, which was like a crusade. The Pope promised Edward I one-tenth (10%) of the yearly money from every church to help with this journey.
Later, in 1318, another tax called Nova Taxatio was collected. This new tax helped pay for a war with Scotland. The Taxatio list was mostly complete for many church areas, called dioceses. These included Canterbury, Rochester, London, Lincoln, Norwich, Chichester, Exeter, Hereford, Salisbury, Bath and Wells, Winchester, Worcester, Ely, St Davids, Llandaff, St Asaph and Bangor.
Even though it's a very old and important record, some parts of the Taxatio might not be perfectly accurate. Still, it helps us understand a lot about the medieval period.
Who Paid the Tax?
This tax record was very important for a long time. It was used to decide how much tax the Church paid to both the kings of England and the Pope. This continued until Henry VIII ordered a new survey much later. It also helped decide which colleges were exempt from certain rules about priests holding multiple jobs.
In 1295, King Edward I still needed a lot of money for his wars. So, he asked the clergy (church leaders) to vote for him to get money from their own group. The year before, he had forced them to pay half of their income. Now, he wanted their agreement in a more proper way.
The clergy did not want to obey the king's direct order. They didn't want to seem like they were under the king's power. To solve this, the king asked the archbishop, who was their spiritual leader, to call them together. This meeting was called a "Convocation."
This was the start of a new way for the clergy to meet and agree to give money to the state. The Pope and high church officials were worried about this. In 1296, Pope Boniface VIII issued a special rule called a "bull." This bull said that church members could not pay any taxes or gifts to lay people (non-church members) without permission from Rome. If they did, or if princes demanded it, they would be excommunicated. This meant they would be kicked out of the Church.
However, King Edward I still demanded money from the clergy that same year. They refused, saying they could not disobey the Pope. But the king did not give up. To force them to agree, he put them "outside the law." This meant judges would not hear any cases brought by the clergy, but they would decide cases where others sued the clergy.
The clergy could not resist for long. Even though they didn't want to disobey the Pope's rule, they found a way around it. They "voluntarily" put the money the king demanded into a church. Then, the king's officers simply took it. This way, the church leaders gave in to the king's power, even if they didn't want to.
How the Taxatio Was Published
An official version of the Taxatio was published in 1802. It was called Taxatio Ecclesiastica Angliae et Walliae Auctoritate. The Record Commission published it, and it was edited by Thomas Astle, Samuel Ayscough, and John Caley.
