584 A. D. 1377. 



in the roll, agreeable to the addition * at the bottom of it, is 1,376,442 



Chester, supposed equal to Cornwall _ _ _ ^ 34,274 



Durham, to Northumberland, including Newcastle - _ - 1(3,809 



and Wales, including Monmouth-shire, to York-shire with its towns f 131,040 



1,558,565 

 Proportion assumed for children under fourteen, and omissions - 779)282 



Ecclesiastical persons, male aiid female, except mendicant friars - 29,161 



Suppose the number of ecclesiastics in Wales and Durham, mendicant 



friars, and other beggars - - _ _ _ 1 32,992 



The whole people of England and Wales appear to have been about 2,500,000 



The parliaments very often granted taxes of tenths and fifteenths to 



be levied upon perfonal property. In a record of the year 1373, when 



both a tenth and a fifteenth were coUeded, the following appear to have 



been the only cities or towns which paid feparately from the fliires J. 



London paid - ^733 6 8 Kingston upon Hull ^33 6 8 



Bristol - - 220 O Bath - - 13 6 8 



York ,- - 162 O O 



During the long reign of Edward III the commerce and manufadures 

 of England appear to have been in a progreffive flate of advancement, 

 notwithftanding the rapid fucceflion of contradidory laws by which they 

 were haraffed. The merchants began to open their eyes to the bene- 

 ficial efFedls of taking the exportation of wool and other Engliih produce 

 into their own hands ; and confequently they pofTefl^ed more {hipping §, 

 and carried on more adive trade, than their anceilors had ever done. 

 The woollen manufacture, which almoft ever fince the reign of Edward 

 has been efteemed the chief fupport of England, made fuch a progrefs, 

 that before his death the people feem to have been almoft entirely cloth- 

 ed with it ; we fee Engliih cloths even a confiderable article of export, 

 and have reafon to believe that no great quantity of FlemiOi or other 

 foreign cloth was imported. The regulations for the fifhery, though far 

 from being judicious, fhow that it was at leaft an object of attention. 

 But the rage of conqueft fwallowed up every other confideration : to 

 that the interefts of commerce were unhefitatingly facrificed upon every 

 occafion ; and even the marriages projeded |1 for his children were di- 

 feded by belligerent politics. Thence, though he got vaft fums by 

 marriage conti ads and by the ranfoms of two captive kings, lie expend- 



• The total difagrces with the particulars, and and Wales, I have followed Mr. Chalmers in hit) 



alfo with the fum. But it is impoffibit to fay, EJlimate of thejlrenglh of Great Britain, p. l\,ed. 



where the errors lie. The appearance of four 1794. 



pairs of towns, perfetlly equal to each-other, is at % This tax-roll was prefcntfd to the fociely by 



Icaft a llrange circumftaiicc, if not erroneous. That Mr. Topham at the fame time with the others, and 



BolloM.alown of confideraLle foreign trade, Ihould is alfo publillied along with tlieni. 

 contain only 8:4 people above 14 ye.irs of age, is § Tlic proof of the incrcafe of (hipping is found, 



alfo very furprifing. But it nr.ull be acknovvleged, notwithllanding the affcrtion to the contrary, in 



that there is much inaccuracy ni the numbers, and the firll Navigation aS, palfcd in the beginning of 



alfo in the words, of many of the records of the his fucecflbr's reign, 

 middle ages. II Many marriages were projcfted, which did not 



I In the numbers affumed for Cheftet, Durham, take place. 2 



