Tonnage and Poundage
Encyclopedia
Tonnage and Poundage were certain duties and taxes first levied in Edward II
's reign on every tun (cask) of imported wine
, which came mostly from Spain
and Portugal
, and on every pound weight of merchandise exported or imported. Traditionally tonnage and poundage was granted by Parliament
to the king for life up until the reign of Charles I
. Tonnage and poundage were swept away by the Customs Consolidation Act of 1787.
's first Parliament, known as the Useless Parliament
, broke with tradition and granted the king tonnage and poundage for a year rather than life out of concern over the free-spending habits of Charles and Charles' desire to become involved in the Thirty Years' War
on the continent. This restriction was seen as a provocative step by Parliament as it was the King's main source of revenue, and Parliament intended the one-year limit to curb Charles' autonomy by forcing him to request money from Parliament every year thereafter. Although Parliament passed this bill, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
led a successful effort in the House of Lords
to block it. As a result, Parliament granted Charles no tonnage and poundage rights at all, which, combined with Parliament's efforts to impeach the Duke of Buckingham, led to Charles' first Parliament being dissolved.
Charles, however, continued to collect unauthorized tonnage and poundage duties, and this action became a chief complaint of Charles' failed second Parliament. When Charles moved to adjourn the Parliament, members held the speaker, John Finch
, in his seat until three resolutions could be read, one of which declared anyone who paid unauthorized tonnage and poundage to be a betrayer and enemy of England.
. The refusal of and subsequent disputes about tonnage and poundage rights is seen as one of the many events bearing responsibility for the English Civil War
.
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
's reign on every tun (cask) of imported wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, which came mostly from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and on every pound weight of merchandise exported or imported. Traditionally tonnage and poundage was granted by Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
to the king for life up until the reign of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. Tonnage and poundage were swept away by the Customs Consolidation Act of 1787.
History
Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's first Parliament, known as the Useless Parliament
Useless Parliament
The Useless Parliament was the first Parliament of England of the reign of King Charles I, sitting only from June until August 1625. It gained its name because it transacted no significant business, making it 'useless' from the king's point of view...
, broke with tradition and granted the king tonnage and poundage for a year rather than life out of concern over the free-spending habits of Charles and Charles' desire to become involved in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
on the continent. This restriction was seen as a provocative step by Parliament as it was the King's main source of revenue, and Parliament intended the one-year limit to curb Charles' autonomy by forcing him to request money from Parliament every year thereafter. Although Parliament passed this bill, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
led a successful effort in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
to block it. As a result, Parliament granted Charles no tonnage and poundage rights at all, which, combined with Parliament's efforts to impeach the Duke of Buckingham, led to Charles' first Parliament being dissolved.
Charles, however, continued to collect unauthorized tonnage and poundage duties, and this action became a chief complaint of Charles' failed second Parliament. When Charles moved to adjourn the Parliament, members held the speaker, John Finch
John Finch
John Finch, 1st Baron Finch was an English judge, and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1629. He was Speaker of the House of Commons.-Early life:...
, in his seat until three resolutions could be read, one of which declared anyone who paid unauthorized tonnage and poundage to be a betrayer and enemy of England.
Impact
Charles I's levying of tonnage and poundage without parliamentary sanction continued to be one of the complaints of his Long ParliamentLong Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
. The refusal of and subsequent disputes about tonnage and poundage rights is seen as one of the many events bearing responsibility for the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.