ver mouths were kept from
silting up. Ships were loaded from piers. The construction of
London Bridge had just been finished. Bricks began to be imported
for building. About 10% of the population lived in towns.

Churches had stained glass windows.

Newcastle-on-Tyne received these new rights:

1. And that they shall justly have their lands and tenures
and mortgages and debts, whoever owes them to them.

2. Concerning their lands and tenures within the town,
right shall be done to them according to the custom of the
city Winton.

3. And of all their debts which are lent in
Newcastle-on-Tyne and of mortgages there made, pleas shall
be held at Newcastle-on-Tyne.

4. None of them shall plead outside the walls of the City of
Newcastle-on-Tyne on any plea, except pleas of tenures
outside the city and except the minters and my ministers.

5. That none of them be distrained by any without the said
city for the repayment of any debt to any person for which
he is not capital debtor or surety.

6. That the burgesses shall be quit of toll and lastage
[duty on a ship's cargo] and pontage [tax for repairing
bridges] and have passage back and forth.

7. Moreover, for the improvement of the city, I have granted
them that they shall be quit of year's gift and of scotale
[pressure to buy ale at the sheriff's tavern], so that my
sheriff of Newcastle-on-Tyne or any other minister shall
not make a scotale.

8. And whosoever shall seek that city with his merchandise,
whether foreigners or others, of whatever place they may be,
they may come sojourn and depart in my safe peace, on paying
the due customs and debts, and any impediment to these
rights is prohibited.

9. We have granted them also a merchant guild.

10. And that none of them [in the merchant guild] shall
fight by combat.

The king no longer lives on his own from income from his own
lands, but takes money from the treasury. A tax of a percentage of
1/15 th of personal property was levied in 1225 for a war, in
return for which the king signed the Magna Carta. It was to be
paid by all tenants-in-chief, men of the royal domain, burgesses
of the boroughs and cities, clerical tenants-in-chief, and
religious houses. The percentage tax came to be used frequently
and ranged from about 1/40 th to 1/5 th. In 1294, this tax was
bifurcated into one percentage amount for the rural distr