HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Muragh or murage was a
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
levied in Britain and Ireland for the construction or maintenance of town walls. The term derived from
Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...
, ultimately from Latin ''murus'' meaning a wall. Muragh, also referred to as murage, was generally a term used for the tax meant for the repairs of the defensive walls that enclosed towns in historical England, Wales, Ireland. Beginning as a defence against Viking raids, the tax continued through the Middle Ages before declining in the 17th century, as many town walls ceased to be regarded as important militarily after the English Civil War. Construction of the walls with the use of the muragh tax was a way for a market town to generate the revenue needed to pay for its own defense. Typically, muragh was granted for a short period of time typically lasting a few years with opportunities to renew until the completion of wall. Later, the grant for muragh to be collected could last indefinitely in Ireland. The construction of town walls, or the desire to have them, was higher in Wales and Ireland due to their differences in ethnicities. Due to the nature of the tax, it was possible the tax could be used to collect funds for non-defensive walls, like a safety rail on a bridge, because of the loose classification of the civic improvement taxes. The tax rate for the muragh was a small percentage of the value of the good which is estimated to be under 1% of the value. Overall, there are records of 1470 muragh grants recorded in England, France, Scotland, and Wales. Collection of muraghs were tasked to individuals granted by royal appointment, although some towns appointed their own collector.


Intent

The building of walled towns was initially intended to defend against Viking incursions. The intent of the muragh also included walls meant for sea defense and defense against natural disasters resulting from flooding in towns near rivers or the ocean; although, they were mainly intended for military defense. In Bristol, England, the recognition of need to use muragh tax collection to repair due to natural disasters was the first allowance of this nature. Due to the River Froom being dangerous and difficult to navigate, the use of muragh to also create trenches around the wall to continue to protect the town and prevent further damage from being done as well as support the local economy through creating a more accessible harbor for trade. The construction of town walls was a communal act, ordered by the king during those times. A muragh was taken mainly on goods being imported into the town to be sold. The first grant of muragh began in Shrewbury's grant of 1220 at a rate of 4d. for a boatload of goods coming into the town, and then smaller derivatives for horse-loads, cows, pigs, goats, and sheep. Many towns copied each-others muragh lists of duties once the taxes for each good were developed. Under King Henry III of England it is recorded the exact prices of all goods coming into Bristol in the Patent Roll for his 16th year of reign. The advantages of having built a town wall on trade include the opportunity to attract traders and new consumers through the use of impressive gates to show wealth and prestige as well as limiting theft and smuggling outside of the city walls. Prestigious cities attracted more retailers and allowed the price of goods to increase. The addition of decorative doors and gates to the wall did not add to their defensive abilities, but effected the trade within the city. The reason for the wall was primarily state defense, as the role of medieval royal government was to protect law and order and defend the state. If the town wanted to build a wall for the benefits of market regulation they must have the primary concern of defense. The royal government was often inclined to support the construction of walls because it emphasized state defense, even in cases when the tax hurt the economy. In the case of Coventry in 1370, King Edward III revoked the muragh tax due to the negative effects on the economy and moved the cost of building the wall onto the wealthier citizens of the town to continue the construction of the wall. Additional records of royal orders for England, Wales, and Ireland can be found in The Calendar of Patent Rolls. The royal government also supported the use of muragh for having town walls because it defended their position as the defenders of the realm. The walls were built with the approval and support of the royal government with the primary goal of defending the town. This provided support for the usefulness and necessity of a central government to the citizens. The support during these times was necessary due to the walls protecting against invasion and civil uprising and war to protect the people while maintaining the integrity of the monarchy. The use of mural houses in Oxford allowed citizens to live rent-free or tax-free under the condition that they would repair the town wall.


Origin

The term ''murage'', while having this specific meaning, could also refer to other aid for walls or to the walls themselves. It is generally applied to defensive town walls but can also refer to flood defences and sea walls. The tax was taken in many towns in Ireland and in English possessions in France. This was granted by the king by
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
for a limited term, but the walls were frequently not completed within the term, so the grant was periodically renewed. Such grants sometimes specifically state that they were to be taken for the repair and maintenance of walls. In the later Middle Ages, many places had a vested collection of murage. The earliest grant was for
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
in 1218. (Actually, the grant is dated 26 June 1220.) Other towns receiving early grants included
Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the United Kingd ...
,
Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...
, Worcester,
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
,
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
, and
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. Many of these places were in the west of
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, and were particularly at risk from Welsh incursions. Since the king's writ did not run in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, it is perhaps surprising that several Welsh towns also obtained murage grants. The first was for Hay on Wye in 1232, the year after the town was burnt by
Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (, – 11 April 1240), also known as Llywelyn the Great (, ; ), was a medieval Welsh ruler. He succeeded his uncle, Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, as King of Gwynedd in 1195. By a combination of war and diplomacy, he dominate ...
. Other towns in Wales or the Welsh Marches having such grants included
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the England–Wales border, Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5 road (Great Britain), A5, A483 road, A483 and A495 road, A495 ro ...
, Radnor,
Abergavenny Abergavenny (; , , archaically , ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately from the England–Wales border, border with England and is loca ...
,
Carmarthen Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...
,
Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...
, Knighton, Montgomery, and Clun. Clun is now fully in England and Knighton partly so. However few such grants were made after 1283, after the completion of the Edward I's Conquest of Wales. Some of the walls for which murage was granted were probably enclosing towns for the first time. Others, such as at Worcester, were extensions to walls in order to bring suburbs inside the town, or to fund the repair of existing walls, as was the case at
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, to which murage was granted in 1378, 1379, 1385, 1399 and 1402. In the
Lordship of Ireland The Lordship of Ireland (), sometimes referred to retrospectively as Anglo-Norman Ireland, was the part of Ireland ruled by the King of England (styled as "Lord of Ireland") and controlled by loyal Anglo-Norman Lords between 1177 and 1542. T ...
, murage was used to build walls around
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
(1221),
Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...
(1270), Trim (1289–90), Fethard (1292),
Castledermot Castledermot () is an inland town in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland in County Kildare, about from Dublin, and from the town of Carlow. The N9 road (Ireland), N9 road from Dublin to Waterford previously passed through the villa ...
(1275),
Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...
,
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
,
Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long ...
,
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...
,
Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...
and many other places; as much of Ireland was not under royal control, cities loyal to the King needed walls to protect them from
Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaeli ...
raiders. In Dublin there was a major scandal over murage in 1311–12, when it emerged that none of the funds collected for murage had actually been spent on repairs to the city walls. " Ye Olde Murenger House", a public house in
High Street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
, Newport,
South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
, dated to about 1530, takes its name from the collector of this toll.


Exemptions

The church was exempted from the muragh tax in some cases. This was due to the church having lawyers and access to a larger amount of liberties because of their grasp in the legal system. This caused some strife when a town would continue to impose the tax on those exempt from it and was documented. Such cases include St Mary's Abbey and St Leonard's Hospital in 1257 in the town of York, where those exempt from the tax were forced to pay after experiencing difficulties in getting the exemption renewed.


Decline

Following the English Civil War, the use of town gates and walls became too much of a burden. With the increased growth of urban centers and higher traffic there was a need to begin the process of demolition. Surviving gates were often lesser gates, not the main gate, due to the need for larger entrances to support more traffic.


References


Other sources

* * * * * * {{Taxation in medieval England Taxation in medieval England History of taxation in the United Kingdom Abolished taxes City walls in the United Kingdom Medieval defences Medieval history of Wales