Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/336

 328 SCUTAGE UNDER EDWARD I July scutage made upon tenants who had already fined or served were the result, not of accident, but of a change in exchequer policy. No scutage roll is extant for this campaign, but various references both in chronicles and rolls indicate that, as u&ual, all who responded to the royal summons were granted their scutage, 1 and that writs de scutagio habendo had been issued at least as early as 1278. 2 Yet when the collection of the king's scutage was begun in the following year, the tenants in chief felt the need of some further official recognition of their services and made application to the chancery for writs of quit- tance. From 1280 onwards these occur with increasing frequency in the Close and Memoranda Rolls, but comparatively few tenants succeeded in getting their quittances accepted by the exchequer and their scutage debts written off. In the majority of cases the writs issued by the chancery were simply ignored, and those in whose favour they had been issued continued to be charged with scutage as before. Thus, for example, Hugh de Courtenay performed service in 1277 by himself and five ' servientes ' for the three fees which he recognized ; 3 but, in spite of this, he was charged in the Pipe Roll of the seventh year with 185 105. Qd. scutage on the ninety-two and three-quarter fees which comprised the traditional servitium of the honour of Okehampton. 4 On 18 September 1291 he secured a writ directed to the treasurer and barons reciting his service and formally acquitting him of scutage, 5 but this proved entirely ineffective. On 2 February 1302 his son and heir obtained a second writ 6 couched in similar terms, with equally little result. The Courtenay s continued to be charged in the Pipe Roll with scutage for the fifth year of Edward I until 1327, when the supposed debt was finally trans- ferred to the Exannual Roll. 7 Even worse was the case of another Devon tenant, Henry de la Pomeraye, who, at the time of the levy, was a minor in the king's wardship. In 1277 his father served in person for the one fee which he recognized. 8 In 1279 he was charged with 63 16s. Sd. scutage on his thirty-one fees, 9 and although his heir subsequently obtained two writs of quittance, 1 Exch. Mem. Roll, Lord Treas. Rem., no. 60, Comm. Hil., m. 4 d : ' Johannes de Sandwyco monstravit quod cum ipse servicium suum quod Regi debet in exercitu Wai lie anno V to Regi plenius fecisset, per quod Rex ei sicut et ceteris qui ibidem servicium Regi debitum fecerunt concessit scutagium suum. . . .' 2 Chron. Petroburgense (Camden Soc.), p. 29 : ' Hoc anno (1278) concessit dominus rex scutagium.' The abbot received a writ de scutagio habendo dated 3 November, 6 Edw. I. 3 Parl Writs, i. 208. * Pipe Roll, no. 123, Devon. 5 Exch. Mem. Roll, Lord Treas. Rem., no. 63, Comm. Easter, m. 16. 6 Gal. of Close Bolls, 1296-1302, p. 312. ' Pipe Roll, no. 172, Devon, m. 22; Exannual Roll, 1, Devon, Pipe Roll, no. 123, Devon.
 * Parl. Writs, i. 209.