Explore: Scutage

Scutage was 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

late medieval period, knight-service came to be replaced by the tenure of scutage, under which tenants paid tax assessed according to their knight's fee

escuage (i.e. scutage). By the time of Henry III, as Bracton states, the test of tenure was scutage; liability, however small, to scutage payment made

need in wartime. Its main purpose was for assessing how much scutage the king was owed. Scutage was used to pay for mercenaries, which were an important part

feudal lord, the king had the right to collect scutage from the barons who held these honours. Scutage (literally shield money, from escutcheon) was a

an estate or when a minor came of age and took possession of his lands. Scutage was a form of medieval taxation. All knights and nobles owed military service

such as the return of all goods and chattels of felons to the Crown, and scutage, as well as new proposals, such as that debts should be repaid to the Crown

Customary freehold Landed gentry Peerages in the United Kingdom Feudal duties Avera and inward Socage Scutage Feudal aid Scot and lot Tallage Feudalism v t e

guard a designated castle for a specified number of days per year. By scutage – A tenure in which the military service obligation had been commuted to

rent was payable, although military service was later transformable into scutage. A knight was required to maintain the dignity of knighthood, which meant