# Poundage > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Poundage > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Poundage.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundage > Source revision: 1349937926 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|English import and export duty}} {{Use British English|date=August 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} In [English law](/source/English_law), '''poundage''' was an ''ad valorem (in proportion to [value](/source/Value_(economics)))'' [customs duty](/source/customs_duty) imposed on imports and exports at the rate of 1 [shilling](/source/Shilling_(English_coin)) for every [pound (of weight)](/source/Pound_(Weight)) of goods imported or exported.Higgs, Henry. ''Palgrave's Dictionary of Political Economy'', Macmillan & Co. Ltd., London, 1926, p.548. Poundage was implemented in order to keep a strong naval force that would protect the [Kingdom of England](/source/Kingdom_of_England). The [custom duty](/source/Tariff) would allow the Monarch of the Kingdom to collect money that would then be spent to develop and maintain the naval force that protects the Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humanitiesweb.org/spa/icp/ID/25522|title=HumanitiesWeb.org - The History of England Vol V Charles I (Tonnage and poundage) by David Hume|website=www.humanitiesweb.org|language=en|access-date=2018-05-02}} Poundage was closely associated with ''[tonnage](/source/tonnage)'', or ''tunnage'', which was a duty on every tun of wine imported. == Poundage in English history == The levy was introduced in 1347 under [Edward III of England](/source/Edward_III_of_England) and was then granted by the [Parliament](/source/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom) in 1373. It continued for many years at the same rate until after the [Restoration](/source/Restoration_(England)) (in 1660, when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under King Charles II) from when [Parliament](/source/Parliament_of_England) set the rates according to current needs. Moreover, Parliament voted in 1414, under [Henri V of England](/source/Henry_V_of_England), the right for life for every successive monarch to benefit of a royal collection on the ton and pound on imports.{{Cite web|url=https://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/361/361-24.htm|title=1625-29: Charles I - the first crisis|website=faculty.history.wisc.edu|access-date=2018-05-02}} [[File:King Charles I after original by van Dyck.jpg|thumb|316x316px|King Charles I (reign 1625–1649), portrayed from the studio of [Anthony van Dyck](/source/Anthony_van_Dyck), 1636]] === Poundage under Charles I of England === Under the reign of [Charles I of England](/source/Charles_I_of_England) (1600–1649), the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) voted a limitation of the royal collection to a period of one year (while the period was for life for the previous monarchs). Charles continued to collect the customs duties, even if no Parliament act was established.{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Tonnage and Poundage|volume=27|page=11}} In January 1629, Charles opened the second session of the Parliament of England, which had been [prorogued](/source/Legislative_session) in June 1628, with a moderate speech on the tonnage and poundage issue. Members of the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) began to voice opposition to Charles's policies in light of the case of [John Rolle](/source/John_Rolle_(Parliamentarian)), a Member of Parliament whose goods had been confiscated for failing to pay tonnage and poundage. On March 2, 1629, [Charles I](/source/Charles_I_of_England) ordered a parliamentary adjournment, but when the parliament's speaker, [Sir John Finch](/source/John_Finch%2C_1st_Baron_Finch), was held by members of the Parliament in his chair in order to delay the end of the session, Charles decided to dissolve the parliament. [Sir John Finch](/source/John_Finch%2C_1st_Baron_Finch) as well as nine members of Parliament were imprisoned. ==== Tonnage and Poundage Act 1640 ==== {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Tonnage and Poundage Act 1640 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of England | long_title = A subsidy granted to the King of tonnage, poundage, and other sums of money payable upon {{not a typo|merchandize}} exported and imported. | year = 1640 | citation = [16 Cha. 1](/source/16_Cha._1). c. 8 | territorial_extent = [England and Wales](/source/England_and_Wales) | royal_assent = 22 June 1641 | commencement = 3 November 1640{{efn|Start of session.}} | repeal_date = 28 July 1863 | amendments = | repealing_legislation = [Statute Law Revision Act 1863](/source/Statute_Law_Revision_Act_1863) | related_legislation = | status = Repealed | original_text = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000017915564&view=1up&seq=136 | collapsed = yes }} In September 1640, following the [Bishops' Wars](/source/Bishops'_Wars), King [Charles I](/source/Charles_I_of_England) issued writs summoning Parliament to convene on 3 November 1640. It was the creation of the [Long Parliament](/source/Long_Parliament), which lasted until it voted its own dissolution on the 16 March 1660. In 1641, the '''Tonnage and Poundage Act 1640''' ([16 Cha. 1](/source/16_Cha._1). c. 8) was voted by the [Long Parliament](/source/Long_Parliament), that would regulate all the taxes in force within the kingdom, concerning consequently the current poundage imposed on imports and exports.{{Cite web|url=http://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1641-the-tonnage-and-poundage-act|title=1641: The Tonnage and Poundage Act - Online Library of Liberty|website=oll.libertyfund.org|access-date=2018-05-02}} [[File:King Charles II by John Michael Wright or studio.jpg|thumb|235x235px|King Charles II (reign 1660–1685) in [Garter robes](/source/Order_of_the_Garter) by [John Michael Wright](/source/John_Michael_Wright) ]] === Poundage under Charles II of England === Under the reign of Charles II of England (1660–1685), the [Convention Parliament](/source/Convention_Parliament_(1660)) (25 April 1660{{snd}}29 December 1660) was founded and followed the [Long Parliament](/source/Long_Parliament) that was dissolved on 16 March 1660. The [Convention Parliament](/source/Convention_Parliament_(1660)), which had only been in existence for eight months, re-established the right for life to collect the poundage to the monarch of England. From 1660, successive monarchs were able to collect poundage once again. === Abolition of poundage === The [Customs and Excise Act 1787](/source/Customs_and_Excise_Act_1787) ([27 Geo. 3](/source/27_Geo._3). c. 13) replaced all the customs duties, which included poundage, by a system where individual [tariff](/source/tariff)s would be applied to importations. The act was divided into two parts. The first part included a statement related to the regulation of all the customs duties; the second part listed tables of duty and drawback amounts for all types of products.{{Cite web|url=https://www.quaritch.com/books/great-britain-parliament/drop-head-title-an-act-for-repealing-the-several/H2724/|title=Homepage - Bernard Quaritch Ltd - Rare books, manuscripts & photographs|website=www.quaritch.com|access-date=2018-05-02}} A list comprising all importations and [tariff](/source/tariff)s related to each import was consequently put in place. == Poundage on postal orders == thumb|One penny poundage on a canteen order, a form of postal order|248x248px In Britain, and elsewhere, the term ''poundage'' is used for the charge imposed on the sale of a [postal order](/source/postal_order).Annual Register 1914, p.262. A postal order is a financial instrument usually intended for sending money through the mail. It is purchased at a [post office](/source/post_office) and is payable at another post office to the named recipient. The poundage represents the small fee for the service that is paid by the purchaser.    == See also == *[History of the English fiscal system](/source/History_of_the_English_fiscal_system) *[Tonnage and Poundage](/source/Tonnage_and_Poundage) *[Charles I of England](/source/Charles_I_of_England) *[Charles II of England](/source/Charles_II_of_England) *[Long Parliament](/source/Long_Parliament) *[Convention Parliament](/source/Convention_Parliament_(1660)) == Notes == {{Notelist}} == References == {{reflist}} Category:History of taxation in the United Kingdom Category:Numismatics Category:Postal orders Category:Economy of medieval England Category:Protectionism Category:Taxation in England Category:Customs duties Category:Trade in the United Kingdom Category:1347 establishments in England Category:1347 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Poundage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundage) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundage?action=history)). 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