Marrying Off the King's Daughter
It's right there in the Magna Carta. Your grandfather did it
[A Boynton Story: Magna Carta -- Father and
Sons], and you have no choice.
The "it" was feudal aids, and when Edward I said it
was feudal aid time, in 1302, Ingram had to do his knightly duty. This Ingram
was the grandson of the Ingram who battled king John resulting in the Magna
Carta. It was eighty-five years later, and the chickens -- marrying off the
king's daughter -- had come home to roost.
Kings always needed more money than they had. They had land.
They had payments from the men who held land from them. From time to time
the barons would let them levy taxes. But they needed more. And that is where
feudal aids came in. These were exceptional circumstances when the king needed
more money than usual, and they called on their vassals for assistance with
the exceptional times. But kings were inclined to carry a good thing to excess.
So the Magna Carta put a limit.
In 1290 Edward's daughter, Eleanor, was preparing to marry Alfonso
III of Arragon. In preparation for the coming nuptials parliament granted
the aid -- 40 shillings per knight's fee. However, Alfonso died in 1291 --
before the aid could be collected. Eleanor married Henry, count of Bar. And
Edward I did not seem to be in any hurry to collect the aid. It was not collected
until 1302 and 1303.
This is the feudal aid that Ingram had to pay for the land he
held in "Ackelom, Levyngthorp. Thorneton, Marton, Tollesby and Rouceby"
[Feudal Aids, 1920].
Paying ransom is not much of a threat in our world, and few
of us knight our oldest sons. Weddings, on the other hand, are still something
special -- moments of life to celebrate. Invitations are sent to friends.
Those invited know that they would be welcome at the ceremony. They also know
that they are invited to participate in the celebration with a gift. The king
wanted to stipulate the size of the gift. We generally leave that up to the
discretion of the guest.
Ingram was not the only Boynton paying feudal aids. William,
his father, produced aid for Edward I in 1285 on the basis of the land he
held in Boynton as well as the North Riding land in Acclam, etc. Ingram was
assessed feudal aid by Edward II in 1316, as well as in 1302. Roger and Robert,
father and son, contributed fuedal aid to Edward III in 1346 for the land
they held in the East Riding. And Thomas paid feudal aid in the same year
for the North Riding and Boynton land holdings. The last feudal aid, of which
we have a record, was paid by Henry in 1428 to Henry VI.
It was not quite taxes -- at least, not as we practice taxes.
It was not quite a wedding invitation, either. It was a relationship we have
a hard time imagining with our presidents.
....
Lyte, H. C. Maxwell (1920),
Inquisitions and Assessments Relating to Feudal Aids; with other Analogous
Documents A.D. 1284-1431, vol. VI, York and Additions, published
by His Majesty's Stationery Office, p. 134.
Holt, J. C. (1992) Magna Carta, Cambridge University
Press, second edition, p. 455.
Jurowski, M, C. L. Smith, D. Crook (1998) Lay
Taxes in England and Wales 1188-1688, PRO Publications.
....
Description of Feudal Aid of 1302 in Maxwell, 1920
A.D. 1302-1303. Aid for Marrying the King's Daughter. 31 Edward
I.
This aid was granted by Parliament on the morrow of Trinity
18 Edward I. for the marriage of the king's eldest daughter, Eleanor, to Alfonso
III. of Arragon. Alfonso died in 1291, before the marriage could be completed,
and Eleanor subsequently married Henry, count of Bar. The aid was to be similar
to that levied by Henry III. for the marriage of the king's sister Margaret,
but at the rate fo 40 shillings per Knight's Fee instead of 2 marks [Rolls
of Parliament I. 25; Parliamentary Writs I. 20]. The aid was not collected
till 31 Edward I. [Second Report of Deputy Keeper App. II. p. 140; Parliamentary
Writs I. 132]. p. xxii
