Ship Money was a tax applied by medieval monarchs to English coastal communities to pay for ships for the Royal Navy and so ward off pirates and enemies of the state. During the reign of Charles I of England (r. 1625-1649), the tax was used for other purposes and applied to other, inland communities.
More about: Ship Money7 days left
Server Costs Fundraiser 2024
Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.
$12729 / $18000
Definition
Timeline
-
1627Charles I of England levies the Ship Money tax for the first time.
-
Oct 1634Charles I of England again levies the Ship Money tax and then widens its application to inland communities.
-
1637The Court of the Exchequer rules in the John Hampden Case that Ship Money is legal.
-
Aug 1641The Long Parliament rules that the Ship Money tax is illegal.