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.
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Definition
Timeline
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1627Charles I of England levies the Ship Money tax for the first time.
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Oct 1634Charles I of England again levies the Ship Money tax and then widens its application to inland communities.
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1637The Court of the Exchequer rules in the John Hampden Case that Ship Money is legal.
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Aug 1641The Long Parliament rules that the Ship Money tax is illegal.
