Benevolence (tax)
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A benevolence, also called a loving contribution, voluntary contribution or free gift, was a type of tax imposed by several English monarchs from the 15th to the 17th century. Although taken under the
Edward IV (r. 1461–83) was the first English king to impose benevolences.
Cardinal John Morton was credited with an argument for Henry VII's first benevolence, known as Morton's Fork.
Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603) was more averse to benevolences than her forerunners, demanding only a handful in the 1580s and 1590s.
James I (r. 1603–25) revived the practice of benevolences in 1614.
Amicable Grant
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The Amicable Grant was a tax imposed on England in 1525 by the Lord Chancellor Thomas Wolsey. Called at the time "a benevolence", it was essentially a forced loan, a levy of between one-sixth and one-
Benevolence (tax)
…an amount exceeding any of his precursors'. King Henry VIII continued his father's practice of benevolence. In 1525, he attempted to impose the Amicable Grant, a compulsory benevolence taken at a standard rate from large swathes of the population. It was expected to raise a whopping £333,000. This proved…
Thomas Wolsey: Lord Chancellor in 1525 and right-hand man to the King.