Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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28<br />
LEEDS UNDER THE NORMANS.<br />
accompanied by the priests in the vestures of their<br />
respective orders, marched south under the captaingeneralship<br />
of Robert Aske, of Aughton. Among the<br />
leaders were the bailiffs of Leeds, and as the vast<br />
procession passed through the district on its wayto the<br />
destruction which awaitedit, wemay suppose that many<br />
of the devout Romanists of Leeds wouldhelp to swell the<br />
fanatic ranks.<br />
From that time to that of the Stuarts there is little<br />
callingfor notice. In 1612, the ninth year of the reign of<br />
James I., a survey of the Manor of Leeds was prepared,<br />
inwhich three " Waugh Milns" arementioned. In 1620,<br />
in the same reign, an inquisition into the administration<br />
of the chief charities of Leeds was instituted under a<br />
commission to inquire into "Charitable Uses." From<br />
the accounts of the inquisition we learn that a toll or tax,<br />
called the " Toll Dish," which had been anciently levied<br />
by the holders of the Duchy of Lancaster, was still in<br />
force. This was a tax upon all corn brought into the<br />
Leeds market, and the sums raised by this means were<br />
divided into three parts — one-third beingpayable to the<br />
chief officer ofthe town, the bailiff; one-thirdto be given<br />
to the poor,and one-thirdto be expended on the repair of<br />
the highways. In orderto secure the fair divisionof the<br />
toll under the existing arrangements,two persons were<br />
appointed by the bailiff and the commissioners respectively,<br />
and these fulfilled their duties every market day<br />
by accordinglycollectingand dividing the tax. This tax,<br />
possibly well fitted for the rude days in which it was<br />
instituted, but utterly out of characterwith the advanced<br />
state of trade at the later periods of which we speak,<br />
continued to be demandeduntil the end of the eighteenth<br />
century,when it was finally abolished.<br />
The visit of the plague next requires attention.<br />
According to Thoresby, Yorkshire had, during the<br />
hundred years previous to 1644, been often visited by<br />
the epidemic, and Leeds had suffered much, in 1596<br />
and 1597 " the death roll increasing from 120 to 311."