14th Century parking fines

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Wilbro
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14th Century parking fines

#1 Post by Wilbro »

Some things never change! If you left your horse in Worcester's market square on a market day in 14C Worcester then you were fined 1d.

Spardo

Re: 14th Century parking fines

#2 Post by Spardo »

Wilbro wrote: Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:57 am Some things never change! If you left your horse in Worcester's market square on a market day in 14C Worcester then you were fined 1d.
That sounds very expensive, any idea what the average wage was at the time? :o

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Hotrodder
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Re: 14th Century parking fines

#3 Post by Hotrodder »

If you did that today your car would either be towed away to an impound lot, or stolen, or vandalised. :lol:
On my headstone it will say: Please switch off mobile phones. I'm trying to get some sleep.

Spectrum
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Re: 14th Century parking fines

#4 Post by Spectrum »

When I took my "hackney" carriage driving test in the late 70s, we was told of a taxi driver who kept breaking the rules and getting away with it, until one bright bobby did a bit of research, and found that there was an very old law that said that all "hackney" carriage drivers must carry a bale of hay for the horse :? :? it was still on the statute books, so he did end up in court :lol: don't know the fine probably four groats.

Wilbro
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Re: 14th Century parking fines

#5 Post by Wilbro »

[mention]Spardo[/mention]

I'm reading a book by Ian Mortimer the historian regarding life in 14C england. Absolutely fascinating and so enlightening. I have read the average wage which was in the low pennies per week but will have to look it up again but if you owned a horse you were not one of the peasants.

In todays values based on RPI it's £.28 but on average worker's wage today £33.13, based on GDP £101.20 but on relative output i.e. it's influence on the economy it's £1,679!

Take your pick, probably the £101.20 for the average man in the street..

Spardo

Re: 14th Century parking fines

#6 Post by Spardo »

As I said, expensive, but I suppose (with my haulage driver's hat on again) that there may have been carters that drove horses without owning them. I doubt their employers would have forked out.

Many years ago I parked my artic overnight in a Chiswick backstreet. I was in the habit of staying at a large house rented by a group of Aussies who were my friends. Our route to the pub and back took us past my parked lorry and, on the way back, it wasn't there. I phoned the police and reported it stolen but within a very short time was told that it had been opened and driven away by a 'master key' in the hands of an authorised person. I was directed to the local pound where I paid a fine and a substantial fee to get it back. My boss of the time was scornful in the face of my expenses claim. :(

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