An introduction to English antiquities; intended as a companion to the history of England / By James Eccleston.

  • Eccleston, James.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to English antiquities; intended as a companion to the history of England / By James Eccleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    348/508 (page 332)
    subsidies, and received great donations from the enthusiasm of the people ; and, at length, laid on a regular monthly assess- ment, which of itself produced a far larger revenue than had ever before been collected from all other sources put together. A new tax called the Excise, originally placed upon beer, wine, tobacco, sugar, &c., and afterwards upon bread, meat, salt, and other necessaries, was first imposed in 1643, and produced 500,000/. a year. Coals were also subjected to a duty, and the price of one meal a week was exacted for six years from every individual. The Post Office, first established in 1635, brought in about 10,000/. a year, and the old feudal preroga- tives were not wholly abandoned till 1656. The sale of crown and church lands, and the sequestrations of livings and private estates, with compulsory loans, &c., swelled the parliamentary revenue to the immense sum of 4,400,000/. per annum. This estimate must, however, be received with caution as coming from a royalist’s pen. The war certainly did not swallow up the whole, whatever may have been its amount, but when it is considered that the members voted themselves weekly wages, and frequently held valuable offices, which were all paid for out of the public revenue, our astonishment at the consumption of so large an income amidst such confused times, will hardly be so great. Cromwell’s income, as Pro- tector, is stated to have been about 1,900,000/., which was, at all events, better dispensed than that of the parliament. 19. With the Restoration properly begins the modern history of the revenue. The regular income of the crown was now raised from the customs’ duties, (of which the Great Statute of the 12th Car. II. is the foundation); the excise upon beer, ale, and other liquors sold within the kingdom ; and hearth-money, which was levied at the rate of 2s. on every fire, hearth and stove in all dwelling-houses worth more than 20s. per annum. Besides these three great branches, which were conferred for life, there were the crown lands, worth about 100,000/. a year; first-fruits, and tenths of bene- fices, the post office, and a variety of other miscellaneous items not always of a creditable kind. Four subsidies were likewise granted by parliament (for the last time, however,) in