Scutage

Scutage is a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Under feudalism the king, through his vassals, provided land to knights for their support. The knights owed the king military service in return. The knights were allowed to "buy out" of the military service by paying scutage. As time passed the king began to impose a scutage on holders knight's fees, even in time of peace.

The institution existed under Henry I (reigned 1100–1135) and Stephen (reigned 1135–1154), when it occurs as scutagium, scuagium or escuagium. The creation of fractions of knights' fee probably hastened its introduction: the holders of such fractions could only discharge their obligation via scutage. The increasing use of mercenaries in the 12th century would also make a money payment of greater use to the crown.

Separate levies of scutage received the names of the campaigns for which they were raised, as "the scutage of Toulouse" (or "great scutage"), "the scutage of Ireland", and so forth. The levy demanded from each fee one mark (13s. 4d., two thirds of a pound), one pound or two marks, but anything above a pound seemed abnormal till John (reigned 1199–1216) imposed levies of two marks in most years without even the excuse of a war. The irritation caused by these exactions reached a climax in 1214, when John demanded three marks. Taxation through scutage became a prominent cause among the many that led to the rebellion of 1215, which culminated in the proclamation of Magna Carta of 1215. Its provisions prohibited the crown from levying any scutage save by "the common counsel of our realm".

The reissued Charter of 1217 provided, instead of this, that scutage levies should remain at the rate as of the reign of Henry II. In practice, however, under Henry III (reigned 1216–1272), scutage rates usually amounted to three marks, but required the assent of the barons, and levies occurred only on adequate occasions.

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